Green Corridor for the Seventh Avenue in Bogotá

The planned Green Corridor for the Seventh Avenue (Carrera 7) in Bogotá is an innovative urban planing policy that makes large use of civil society engagement mechanisms and interplays with regulatory planning mechanisms. It is one of the most emblematic roads in the city of Bogotá and connects the north and the south of the city, being the main artery road of the traditional centerand the so-called extended city center. The green corridor is an axis of urban transformation where sustainable mobility, ecology and the city's history come together and lay the foundations for future development. The entire corridor is classified into three sectors which, one of them being the green sector. The current plans envisage an increase of native species, ensure to provide a sustainable drainage system and that 50 % of spaces are dedicated to pedestrians. Public transport will be fully electric and 87 % of commutes will be zero emissions. The prioritization of sustainable and zero emission modes of transportation (walking, cycling and public transport which ensures zero fossil fuel emissions) is at core of the project. This implies a drastic reduction of emissions and improvement of air quality. The design of the Seventh Avenue shall recognise and celebrate Bogotá's natural biodiversity and facilitate its transit.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Knowledge, communication and innovation instruments›Other, please specify

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Air quality
Social cohesion
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

A focus of the project is its environmental integration. Tree planting will be carried out and measures for maintenance and care are put in place to integrate as many trees as possible. The current design includes numerous sustainable and environmentally friendly spaces for the enjoyment of citizens. The concentration on sustainable mobility contributes to a drastic reduction of emissions.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Support multifunctional NBS

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Inclusivity

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Bürgermeister/Rat von Bogotá

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

In particular, the mayor of Bogotá keeps pushing the project. However, citizens are at the forefront of designing the Green Corridor. The proposal for the tender should be build on consensus with citizens. Workshops are organized to share visions, exchange views and come to a mutual agreement. The goal is to have a shared vision of the citizenship-administration project. According to the law, documents have to be sufficient in order to publish a pre-bid which has not been the case yet.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Private sector, corporate, business

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Expert task force consultation

Civil society consultation through e.g. workshops, surveys

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

Although this initiative has been on the political agenda for a while now, it is still in its early stages. One of its characteristics is the strong involvement of Bogotá's citizens during the entire process. Citizen contributions continue to be the basis of the project. A special platform for the project was created ("septimaverde.gov.co") which also serves as a database. Moreover, it shall activate the public to send proposals and disseminate generated information regarding the conceptual design of urban spaces. Meetings with experts, in particular with academia/universities on the design and implementation of the project were organized in December 2022. Furthermore, expert meetings with NGOs (e.g. Alianza Construyendo Nuestra Séptima), other social stakeholders or technicians were conducted.

Targeted actors:

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs

Financing

Budget:

100 000 € 500 000€

Details about instrument financing:

The estimated costs for the construction of the Green Corridor is at 2.5 billion pesos. It is planned to be built in four years.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The Green Corridor highly emphasizes a participatory approach and includes citizens throughout the project process to reflect on and get a better understanding of the citizens' experience. In 2020, the process of co-creation of the conceptual design was launched with workshops (e.g. on the construction of agreements), public events and creation of toolboxes. In 2021, trainings and preparation for designs and studies were conducted as well as the design itself started by an inter-institutional coordination.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The involvement of Bogotá's citizens was very high, in particular due to different dissemination approaches and the easy accessibility through the webpage. 50,000 citizens sent their opinion with regard to the design of the Green Corridor, over 3000 ideas were received and 2641 forum and workshop participants counted. At the moment, the debate on the "Corredor Verde por la Séptima" continues in the Council of Bogotá, while waiting for the Institute for Sustainable Development (IDU) director's pronouncement on whether or not to open the bidding process.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

CO Government. (2021-) Septima Verde. Available at: https://septimaverde.gov.co/ (Accessed: 21.02.2023)

Further documents

Weblinks:

https://www.rcnradio.com/bogota/no-se-abrira-la-licitacion-del-corredor-verde-tr…

https://www.portafolio.co/economia/corredor-verde-por-la-septima-se-mantiene-en-…

Photos

@septimaverde.gov.co