Sweet Sidewalk Protocol- Costa Rica

This communication tool offers guidelines to beautify the city, increase biodiversity, manage heat islands, promote pollination and reduce the cost of infrastructure maintenance. This instrument is part of the vision of a biodiverse and sustainable city known as "Ciudad Dulce" that Curridabat has been developing since 2018, which in turn is part of the Municipal Strategic Plan (PEM) 2018-2022.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Knowledge, communication and innovation instruments›Communication/awareness raising

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Soil quality
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Flood risk: pluvial and fluvial / soil permeability
Heat stress and heat island effect
Landslide risk
Air quality
Noise
Social cohesion
Social equity
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The instrument seeks to create awareness in the population to restore gray spaces at the edge of the street that by law are public spaces that must be cared for by the owners of the adjoining land. It also seeks to collaborate with climate change adaptation and mitigation actions through the establishment of ecologically diverse planting schemes aimed at reducing the use of resources and providing habitats for pollinators and wildlife in general.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

External building greens

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Multifunctional NBS support

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Municipality of Curridabat

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The instrument was designed by an interdisciplinary team of the Municipality of Curridabat.

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

The owners of land adjacent to the sidewalks are the ones who decide to restore and improve the conditions of these spaces and apply the protocol.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public regional budget

Funds provided by non-governmental organization

Crowd-sourcing

Budget:

Less than 50 000 €

Details about instrument financing:

Since 2018 , the Municipality of Curridabat has invested approximately 35,000 euros to develop and maintain 5 km of sweet sidewalks.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Did an evaluation take place?:

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

5km of sweet sidewalks planted since 2018. Increased citizen participation in the initiative. A community with sweet sidewalks and increased biodiversity. Sidewalks that help mitigate air pollution and heat islands in Curridabat

Success factors and lessons learned:

Curridabat has a population interested in improving the conditions of the environment in which they live. A local government that seeks tools to involve the community in actions to improve biodiversity. It is necessary to provide funds from the municipality to sustain an initiative of this type. It would be convenient to look for other financing models involving NGOs, private enterprise and other actors.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Municipality of Curridabat ( 2018) Municipal Strategic Plan 2018-2022 Available at : https://www.curridabat.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Plan-Estrat%C3%A9gico-Municipal-2018-2022.pdf Accessed 24/06/2022 Municipality of Curridabat ( 2018) in Protocol for sweet sidewalks Available at https://www.curridabat.go.cr/archivos/Protocolo%20Aceras%20dulces-Gu%C3%ADa%20corta%20para%20jardines%20en%20aceras.pdf Accessed 24/06/2022 Municipality of Curridabat ( 2018) Sweet Plants Guide . Available at http://www.curridabat.go.cr/archivos/Gu%C3%ADa%20de%20Plantas%20Dulces.pdf Accessed 24/06/2022

Interview(s):

José Manuel Retana Vindas Municipality of Curridabat

Photos

Municipality of Curridabat 2021