The project aimed to address the lack of inclusive public spaces for diverse populations, particularly immigrants, on two border clusters: Brazil-Argentina (Barracão, Bom Jesus do Sul, Dionísio Cerqueira, and Bernardo de Irigoyen) and Brazil-Paraguay (Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este). Despite their differences, both regions share strong cross-border interactions in work, education, and services, underscoring the need for integrated development. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted their interdependence and the importance of inclusive urban planning, emphasizing safe and accessible public spaces to foster social cohesion.
UN-Habitat, through the Urban Connections project, implemented the methodology of Public Space Assessment in Cities on both borders. The work consisted of analyzing dimensions related to the Quantity and Distribution of public spaces, Governance, Accessibility, Uses and Users, Physical Infrastructure, Comfort, Safety, and Green Areas.
Throughout this stage, local plans and laws were evaluated, and data were collected through field visits and key informant interviews with the population. The results aim to support and promote the development of research, policies, plans, and projects to assess and propose improvements for the network of public spaces in the cities. The methodology was implemented in 48 public spaces on the Brazil/Paraguay border and 32 public spaces in the Brazil/Argentina border.
The project also facilitated Public Space Design workshops for children aged 8 to 13. These workshops encouraged students to imagine and design public spaces that would foster integration and cultural diversity. The initiative included field research, the creation of physical models, and the development of architectural projects, which were then presented to and adopted by municipal governments for implementation.
First phase: Public Spaces City-Wide Assessment
In Brazil-Argentina, all 32 public spaces across four cities were evaluated.
In Brazil-Paraguay, 48 spaces were analyzed out of a network of 257.
Over 155 stakeholders (75 women) were trained in public space assessment methodologies, ensuring local capacity for future action.
Second phase: Public Spaces Site-Specific Assessment and Design Proposals
Four spaces were prioritized for detailed site-specific assessments and design proposals, with participatory workshops engaging 48 children aged 8-14 from diverse nationalities, mixing local and migrants.
Implementation of Public Space Interventions: The project’s participatory design proposals have led to tangible results, with one intervention already implemented. In Barracão, the municipal government constructed public space improvements based on the project’s recommendations.
Promotion of a joint advocacy campaign in the UN-Habitat Lebanon and UN-Habitat Brazil pages, reaching more than 13k views.
The project directly benefited over 24 children who participated in the workshops. Additional beneficiaries included the broader local communities of Foz do Iguaçu, Ciudad del Este, Barracão and Bernardo de Irigoyen as well as immigrant populations living on both borders.
UN-Habitat:
Global Public Space Programme
Brazil and Southern Cone Office
Lebanon Office
Funded by the United Nations Development Account (UNDA)
Partnership with municipal governments of Foz do Iguaçu, Barracão, Bom Jesus do Sul and Dionísio Cerqueira (Brazil), Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) and Bernardo de Irigoyen (Argentina), and with state governments of Paraná (Brasil) and Misiones (Argentina).
“I thought this project was really cool because I’ve never done something about immigrants in another country. We made a model, a map, and chose what we wanted. It will be great for everyone, all the immigrant children will be able to play there because it’s for everyone: Japanese, Arabs, Argentinians, Paraguayans, Venezuelans...”
-- Joaquin Rodriguez (8 years old, Venezuelan student)
“The square is for everyone, right? It’s not private, it’s public, for everyone. So, any child or person from any country can come to enjoy our square and other places in our city. Foz is a city with many tourists, right? They come to visit the Falls and many other things in our city. And the square will greatly help to welcome new people coming from other cities and countries.”
-- Yasmim Bogado da Sila (10 years old, Brazilian student)
“With our park, I learned that the old can become new. What I liked most about the project was the sports part and the rest area because anyone can come, rest, and enjoy the park.”
-- Maria Lujan (11 years old, Paraguayan student)
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With UN-Habitat, children propose publics spaces for the inclusion of immigrants in Brazil and Paraguay
Twenty-four students aged 8 to 13 participated in the Public Space Design workshops of the Urban Connections project, drawing the public space they envisioned and focusing on the diversity of people and activities. Architectural projects were presented this week and handed over to the municipal governments.
Prioritizing integration spaces for the local population, public spaces promote social cohesion and the welcoming of people from diverse cultures and nationalities.
In an effort to make public spaces welcoming places for everyone, 24 children from three nationalities – Brazilian, Paraguayan, and Venezuelan – were responsible for designing the squares they envision in Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este, cities that share the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Aged 8 to 13, they participated in the Public Space Design workshops promoted by the Urban Connections project, an initiative of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
The workshops were held in August at the Olavo Bilac Municipal School and the Nuestra Señora del Huerto School, where students created models advocating for the interventions they wanted in public spaces. This week, the project team returned to the schools to present the architectural projects that compile their proposals.
The projects were handed over to the municipal governments, which will be responsible for financing and implementing the work. To facilitate this process, the projects were developed in partnership with the Planning and Resource Mobilization Secretariat of Foz do Iguaçu and the International Relations Directorate of Ciudad del Este.
According to Camilla Almeida, the local project coordinator, public spaces are strategic for the topic of immigration as they support various cultural manifestations and appropriations. “Public spaces can be places of welcoming and integration for people of multiple nationalities. What makes a public space truly inclusive is the participation of the population, from listening in participatory activities to consolidating the design of a space and stimulating activities that allow cultural exchanges to happen,” she explains.
Square of Nationalities – In Foz do Iguaçu, the project focused on the Três Lagoas region, a peripheral area with a growing immigrant population and few available public spaces, reflecting the needs of other neighborhoods in the city. The integration of different nationalities also permeates the school context, which has 13 immigrant students and already works on initiatives to welcome them, integrating families into the school community.
The 12 children who participated in the workshop had diverse nationalities, including Brazilians from foreign families. During the activity, the children reflected on how the space could be a place for integration activities – from a multisport court for tournaments to an open space for artistic and cultural activities that promote diversity. At the end of the workshop, the name proposed by the students was “Square of Nationalities.”
The project respected the proposal to use the public space as a basis for the cultural appropriation of the local population, seeking to stimulate activation forms that promote this diversity. Additionally, features like a fountain, inclusive playgrounds, and a community garden reinforce neighborhood interaction.
“I thought this project was really cool because I’ve never done something about immigrants in another country. We made a model, a map, and chose what we wanted. It will be great for everyone, all the immigrant children will be able to play there because it’s for everyone: Japanese, Arabs, Argentinians, Paraguayans, Venezuelans...,” says Joaquin Rodriguez, 8 years old, a Venezuelan third-grade student.
“The square is for everyone, right? It’s not private, it’s public, for everyone. So, any child or person from any country can come to enjoy our square and other places in our city. Foz is a city with many tourists, right? They come to visit the Falls and many other things in our city. And the square will greatly help to welcome new people coming from other cities and countries,” reflects Yasmim Bogado da Silva, 10 years old, a Brazilian fifth-grade student.
“Niños del Huerto” Square – The urban imagination of Ciudad del Este is often associated with its large commercial center. However, the city behind it presents a different character with other vulnerabilities: the Km 11 neighborhood, where the school is located, borders the highway and lacks public spaces.
The project developed with the children aimed to enhance the space for existing appropriations – such as volleyball and soccer courts, also used for San Juan festivities – and potential new uses. This includes maintaining the courts and preserving local trees.
Furthermore, better integration of the square with its surroundings was proposed, providing more pedestrian safety, lighting, benches, other urban furniture elements, and restrooms. A playground, gym, and walking track are also recreational alternatives.
“With our park, I learned that the old can become new. What I liked most about the project was the sports part and the rest area because anyone can come, rest, and enjoy the park,” says Maria Lujan, 11 years old, a fourth-grade student.
Public Space Design - With the Public Space Design methodology, young people are encouraged to observe their communities and develop the dual capacity to imagine and design solutions to improve a public space. They are presented with a repertoire of solutions created worldwide, from which they adapt, reject, or adopt ideas in their projects as they see fit.
The methodology also includes a field research moment, where young people conduct an exploratory walk and discuss aspects of the route that catch their attention, sharing their experiences in the neighborhood.
To design solutions, UN-Habitat shares uncomplicated urban planning and mapping techniques, put into practice by creating physical models of the desired spaces. Subsequently, presentation moments of the projects are organized, showing that young people are capable of designing and advocating for the change they want.
As part of the Urban Connections project, the methodology was already applied in March 2023 in another region of the initiative, including the cities of Barracão and Bernardo de Irigoyen, on the border between Brazil and Argentina.
Urban Connections – Launched in 2022, the project aims to strengthen local governments through the participatory planning and design of public spaces by providing public policy recommendations, developing the technical capacities of staff, sharing knowledge, and supporting the regeneration of public spaces. The project operates on the Brazil-Paraguay border in the cities of Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este, and on the Brazil-Argentina border with the municipalities of Barracão, Bom Jesus do Sul, Dionísio Cerqueira, and Bernardo de Irigoyen. Additionally, the project encompasses two cities in Lebanon, implemented by the local UN-Habitat team in the country.
Funded by the United Nations Development Account (UNDA), the project has already conducted listening sessions with the population and local actors, held workshops with authorities and leaders from the territories, and developed a public space diagnosis using participatory methodologies.
Author: Alexia Saraiva
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