Rosario: “Plazas de Bolsillo”

The “Plazas de Bolsillo” (“Pocket” Squares) initiative is an urban acupuncture and direct democracy strategy that transforms environmental liabilities—such as illegal dumping sites and degraded vacant lots—into safe spaces for social interaction, recreation, and community appropriation. Implemented in a complex social context in the city of Rosario, this initiative not only recovers urban land but also rebuilds trust between the State and citizens, bringing light and life back to areas previously marked by abandonment and insecurity.

The methodology breaks with the traditional “top-down” public works model by actively involving the community. Through Participatory Budgeting, residents identify critical sites and, using co-design canvases and agile methodologies, define the layout and character of their new public space together with technical teams. Implementation is rapid and tactical: upgrading and installing lighting, placing durable concrete street furniture, introducing native landscaping, and creating identity-based murals proposed by residents and carried out by local artists. This physical transformation becomes a powerful symbolic victory—where there was once waste and darkness, there are now children playing and neighbors reclaiming the street.

A diverse ecosystem of actors is key to the initiative’s resilience. A cross-cutting coordination unit aligns the technical vision of the Secretariat of Planning and Environment with the local reach of the city’s six District Directorates and the Secretariat of Proximity and Citizen Management. In addition, neighborhood coexistence centers (“Cuidar”), clubs, schools, and neighborhood associations assume stewardship and long-term sustainability of the spaces, strengthening them institutionally. The practice is supported by a solid regulatory framework and by the transparency provided through the digital platform Rosario Participa, which enables public monitoring and evaluation of environmental and community safety impacts.

The results are significant: more than 600,000 residents now have access to human-scale public gathering spaces. Beyond the square meters recovered, the true success lies in shared responsibility. In the intervened areas, the reappearance of illegal dumping has dropped dramatically as communities have taken ownership of the spaces. Plazas de Bolsillo demonstrates that even in vulnerable contexts, it is possible to manage territory with agility, beauty, and participation—turning each small park into a stronghold of hope, safety, and peace for the city of Rosario.

For more information, visit:

https://participa.rosario.gob.ar/processes/plazasdebolsillo?locale=de