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Trends in Urban Resilience
The participative model of the Malecón Simon Bolívar When former president of Ecuador, León FebresCordero, took office as the mayor of Guayaquil in 1992, he wanted to restore the city’s image as well as citizens’ self-esteem through an urban regeneration process. Using his knowledge on the procedures of decentralised politics, he worked towards establishing an effective municipal autonomy. As city funds were at an all-time low, Febres first reorganised the city’s finances and administration. Next, he installed a civic campaign to tackle the issue of citizens’ appreciation of their city. Furthermore, a garbage collection strategy was set up and public services related to waste management were subcontracted to the private sector. Febres also conceived a new green areas department that approached the urban revitalisation from the idea of a network of green spaces – until the idea was integrated in plans for the regeneration of the Malecón Simon Bolívar. When La Previsora, a local private bank, proposed a large-scale urban renovation project in honour of the bank’s 75th anniversary, the mayor refocussed the
Revitalised Malecón Simon Bolivar in Guayaquil, Ecuador. © Flickr/Dave Lonsdale
city’s beautification on the waterfront, rather than on the entire city centre. Accordingly, La Previsora hired a team of urban experts from Oxford Brookes University (United Kingdom) to develop a waterfront regeneration plan, called ‘Image-Objective’, for the redevelopment of the Malecón Simon Bolívar, a 2.5km-long promenade.
Chaired by the mayor and consisting of members from public and private institutions and civil society, the Foundation Malecón obtained large operational power due to the commitment of the mayor to reduce legal and economic barriers.