COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE THREE PLAZAS ON CALLE LARGA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMUNITY

22 •  nov •  2022

An alliance between the Municipality of Calle Larga, Luksic Foundation and Mi Parque Foundation will give a new life to the squares of Las Mercedes, Campos de Pocuro and Patagual I sectors. Through various participatory workshops, neighbors of these sectors have been able to discuss their dreams for these spaces and learn in detail about the process that will be carried out to renovate them.

The square is a public space of great significance in the life of a community. It is a meeting place for social activities, games and celebrations where neighbors of all ages can gather and share. It is in this context that the Municipality of Calle Larga, Luksic Foundation and Mi Parque Foundation are developing a collaborative initiative to improve three squares in Calle Larga together with their communities.

The project includes the renovation of the green areas located in the sectors of Las Mercedes, Campos de Pocuro and Patagual I. In total, these three spaces add up to 790 square meters that will be improved and will be available for the entire community to enjoy.

“To beautify, recover and return public spaces to the community was a commitment that as a municipality we had made with the people of Callelargua. Therefore, we are very happy to inform the communities of these three sectors that we will soon start working with them to design and intervene in these squares, with the objective that each of them responds to the specific needs and desires of each of these communities,” said the mayor of Calle Larga, Dina González.

For her part, the director of the Territorial Linkage area of the Luksic Foundation, Constanza Fernández, pointed out that “thanks to the diagnosis and the participatory workshops that we carried out in the framework of the Juntos Por Calle Larga program, we know that for the neighbors, having quality public spaces is a priority. Therefore, as a Foundation we are happy to be a bridge between the municipality and Fundación Mi Parque so that this participatory process of design, construction and activation of green areas can be carried out”.

First steps for a collaborative intervention

To begin this process, during the first weeks of November neighbors from the sectors met in participatory workshops to discuss how they would like to see their squares in the future. In addition, the community has been able to learn about the work methodology to be implemented by Fundación Mi Parque, the associated deadlines and the next steps to be taken.

One of the most important characteristics of the process implemented by Fundación Mi Parque is that the communities can not only participate in the design, but also take part in the intervention of the spaces, for example, by planting trees or painting the spaces. Fernanda García, project coordinator of Fundación Mi Parque, explained that the neighbors are considered throughout the improvement process.

In the first instance, a physical and social diagnosis workshop of the plazas will be held with the communities. Subsequently, a design ideas workshop will be held in which the community will be able to prioritize the improvements they want to see in these spaces. Based on these activities, the team in charge of the project, made up of an architect and a participation manager, will present a draft project proposal so that the neighbors can review and propose any changes they wish and subsequently approve the final design.

“Finally, the construction of the civil works of the square begins, leaving the final details such as planting, maicillo, murals or other works that will depend on the design of each square, for the day of participatory construction. This day seeks, on the one hand, to inaugurate the new meeting space and, on the other hand, to strengthen the sense of identity of the squares, thus promoting the care and future activations of their space”, Fernanda pointed out.