Santo Domingo. The mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejia, presented the campaign this Tuesday “The City that Breathes”an initiative that collect before and after images of dozens of public spaces transformed during his management, and that seeks to demonstrate the direct impact of these interventions on the lives of the capital’s residents.
Accompanied by representatives of the Government, businessmen and allies of the private sector, Mejía assured that each project executed pursues the same objective: restore dignity and well-being to citizens.
“He My heart overflows with joy knowing that we have touched lives for the better. “We have been building well-being, transforming spaces that today are good for everyone,” said the mayor during the presentation.
The first steps: emblematic rescues
Mejía recalled that the first interventions focused on critical points such as the Honduras Boulevardhe Nations Pavilion and the fresh water parkin District 3, one of the areas with the highest population density in the city.
There, he explained, it was necessary move eight families to convert a degraded environment into a space for family coexistence. The mayor also cited the case of Mrs. Mayra, who lived for 30 years caring for the Hernández lagoon and was able to be relocated with the support of the central government.
A management model that combines planning and alliances
Mejía highlighted that the transformation of parks, squares and public spaces has been possible thanks to a management model based on planning, public-private collaboration and citizen participation.
“What is not planned cannot be executed effectively. Thanks to the management method that we have built together with the public and private sectors and citizens, things flow, are done and maintained,” he noted.
The mayor explained that, although they began to work with the official park inventory of the Council of Aldermen, along the way they were identifying more abandoned spacesincluding sidewalks, roadsides and improvised areas that today function as recreational or pedestrian areas.
The role of the “co-manager”: involved citizens
One of the central elements of the program is the figure of the co-manageran initiative approved by municipal ordinance that allows citizens to participate in the surveillance, use and preservation of the intervened spaces.
“Only with the help of citizens can we guarantee compliance with the rules in each recovered space. It is a concept of dignity, well-being and care for our children, young people and older adults,” he stated.
“The Breathing City”: a campaign to show the change
The campaign presented by Mejía compiles comparative images of previously degraded and now completely renovated spaces. According to the mayor, it is a way of render visual accounts and reaffirm the real impact of the interventions.
“It is a transformation program that has worked. We found a method that works and which has filled us with great satisfaction. Working together has been the great achievement,” he concluded.
The mayor reiterated that there are still important challenges, but guaranteed that the formula that has allowed the public sector, private sector and citizens to advance will continue to be the path to build a more humane, orderly and livable city.
