Building Vibrant Waterfront Parks in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Building Vibrant Waterfront Parks in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Block by Block partnered with UN-Habitat to transform flood-prone creek banks into two vibrant parks serving over 24,000 residents in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Building Vibrant Waterfront Parks in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Project types: Waterfront park
Collaborators: UN-Habitat, COMUPRA (Community Council United by Ribeiro de Abreu)
Tags: accessibility, children and youth, climate change and environmental sustainability, public health, social inclusion and human rights
Background
In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the occupation of Onça Creek's banks by precarious settlements posed significant safety and public health challenges, including flood risks, waste disposal issues, and environmental degradation. The six-kilometer stretch of creek banks represented an opportunity to create safe, inclusive public spaces that would benefit the broader community.
Building Community Ownership, Block by Block
UN-Habitat partnered with the Community Council United by Ribeiro de Abreu (COMUPRA) to transform high-risk areas into inclusive public spaces using the Block by Block Methodology. Extensive community engagement, including workshops, public hearings, and Minecraft co-design sessions with students, ensured that resident voices guided the design process and helped establish collective ownership.
Community residents helping to build the waterfront park.
Progress
The collaborative effort successfully transformed 6 kilometers of high-risk creek waterfront into two linear parks featuring recreational facilities, walking trails, green zones, agroforestry, and community gardens. The project created safe, accessible waterfront spaces while deterring future illegal occupations.
