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San
Salvador, El Salvador:
Plan for the Revitalisation and Rehabilitation of the Historical
Centre
During
the long period of civil conflict suffered by El Salvador,
many urban problems became difficult to resolve, particularly
in San Salvador, the largest city (population 1,863,223) and
capital of the country. The centre of San Salvador was the
place of urban chaos and conflicts, in particular those related
to informal commerce, use of public space and public security.
OPAMSS, the Planning Office for the Metropolitan Area, identified
the Historic Centre of the City as a priority for intervention
and requested support from UMP to promote a participatory
process of city consultation.
Results
• An Action Plan for the City Centre was prepared in consultation
with the main users of the centre such as taxi drivers, street
sellers and youth
• Nine priority projects were formulated by stakeholders for
presentation to a donor round table
• Responsibility of the revitalisation of the City Centre
and of the consultation process was formally given to the
“office of the Historical Centre”. A Trust Fund for the Centre
is under study (formulated project) and the Development Corporation
of San Salvador was institutionalised
• A public Security Programme was created
• Informal street and parks traders were relocated and public
spaces made available for the people
• Squares, parks, pedestrian areas and buildings of historical
and cultural value were revitalised and restored
• Cultural activities open to the population are now occurring
in public spaces and buildings to revitalise the centre and
increase its symbolic value
Follow
up
The institutionalisation of the process is guaranteed through
the creation of the Office for the Historic Centre. Financial
support, requested at local and international levels but also
provided by the Metropolitan Municipality, will allow for
the Action Plan Proposals to be executed in practical terms.
San Salvador belongs to a network of Cities that hold historic
areas within the Region. Through this mechanism, the consultation
experience could be disseminated and eventually replicated
in other cases.
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