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Rosario: “Plazas de Bolsillo” (Pocket Public Squares)

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The “Plazas de Bolsillo” Program emerged as a strategic and transformative response to the persistence of micro-dumps in Rosario. This innovative initiative, inspired by global experiences and supported by Ordinance No. 10.114/2020, aims to transform vacant or deteriorated lots into small, restored public spaces.

What distinguishes this program is its paradigm shift: moving away from reactive cleaning toward a focus on public space planning and community coexistence. After a pilot phase between 2021 and 2024, the program scaled up in 2025 into a citywide policy with the ambitious goal of eliminating more than 100 micro-dumps, directly benefiting over 9,000 residents across Rosario. The Secretariat of Proximity leads this transformation, integrating public works, citizen participation, and territorial and environmental management to ensure sustainability.

The methodology is structured around four key phases that combine technical planning with active and meaningful citizen participation: it begins with the identification and strategic prioritization of critical micro-dumps, followed by territorial immersion and participatory design; community validation consolidates these designs and fosters partnerships with local institutions. Finally, transformation and a playful inauguration mark the appropriation of the new space through cultural and sports activities, consolidating the change in land use.

The innovation lies in going beyond temporary cleaning solutions to achieve deep transformation at three levels: physical, functional, and symbolic. This participatory approach, which involves residents from problem identification to design and maintenance, is key to long-term sustainability.

The initiative is evaluated through a monitoring system that integrates residents’ feedback, insights from proximity teams, and technical assessments. This enables a continuous learning cycle, allowing strategies to be adjusted when eradication efforts are not fully effective.

The impact is tangible: 80 spaces have already been recovered, and the program represents significant savings for the municipality, transforming a reactive and costly approach into a strategic investment. In this way, the program helps institutionalize a participatory model for public space management and strengthens community life in Rosario’s neighborhoods.

More information:
https://participa.rosario.gob.ar/processes/plazasdebolsillo


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Rosario: “Plazas de Bolsillo” (Pocket Public Squares)

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