1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Lima (FUA) Region Latin America and the Caribbean Native title of the NBS intervention Plaza Choquehuanca Short description of the intervention Lima is the capital of the region with the lowest coverage of green spaces. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a city should have at least 9m2 of green space per inhabitant. Lima is just over 3m2 square metres, which means a deficit of almost 60 million square metres. In this context, actions from the public and private sectors are essential to add this type of space to the city. In response to this need, Grupo Centenario carried out a green project on one of its plots of land in San Isidro, where real estate projects will be developed (1, 2, 3, 4). A square was built with a green area with wild and low-consumption species, knocking down the walls that surrounded the land for years, turning it into a place for everyone to see and use (1, 2, 3, 4). The Choquehuanca Square was built to contribute to the community and make it a better place to live. It is located on a plot of land that was previously enclosed by walls, converting it into an area of 3,945 m2 with a green space that occupies 70% of the square (1, 2, 3). This is a temporary project, as the green space was opened while projects are being developed on this land (1, 2, 3). Website of the intervention https://centenariooficinas.pe/plaza-choquehuanca-una-nueva-area-verde-que-poten… Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Implementation area characterization Climate Arid (Desert, Steppe) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Av. Jose Domingo Choquehuanca 722, San Isidro 15073, Perú San Isidro Peru Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image https://repositorio.lamolina.edu.pe/bitstream/handle/20.500.12996/5755/ochoa-balboa-luz-jazmin.pdf%3Bjsessionid=E5D2C60FF4C3449BA261174D22F8F878?sequence=3 Total area 3945.00m² NBS area 2761.50m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Central Business District / City Centre Vacant or abandoned land Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2022 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2022 End date of the intervention 2022 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention - Contribute to the improvement of the neighbourhood environment (1, 2, 3) - Increase green space area by planting several plants (approximately 20,000) and grass (4). - Improve pollination potential in the area (4) - Foster urban sustainability (1, 2, 3) - Build an open space for community enjoyment (1, 2, 3) - Promote spaces for recreation and relaxation (4) - Create sustainable green spaces (4) Key Priorities Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Regeneration, land-use and urban development Regulation of built environment Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Economic development and employment (SDG 8) Real estate development Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The project had two phases of intervention: the implementation of landscaping and the implementation of an automated irrigation system (4). For the landscaping area, it was requested that the green areas to be implemented should be composed of American grass and corridors of two varieties of Penninsetum setaceum, so that the area could be uniform and with conventional management, and the population that passes near it could use the space as a recreational or rest area (4). Likewise, varied vegetation was used to provide greater colour and diversity of textures, low water consumption and reduced maintenance, they built a pollinator garden, that could serve as shelter, food and/or rest for the pollinating or beneficial fauna present in the urban ecosystem (4). In addition, the plants were grouped in clumps with various combinations according to the development of their average height and growth rate, and a design of rocky components was made to generate the sensation of a more natural landscape when integration with the flora provided was achieved (4). Approximately 20,000 plants and 600 m2 of American grass were used for the project (4). Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of any other green urban spaces 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Parks and urban forests Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Pollination Mediation of smell / noise / visual impacts Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area With a population of 60,735 (2017 census) (5), San Isidro is characterized by its high socioeconomic status, as 100% of its households have a high per capita income (6). The district has a balanced gender distribution (43% male, 57% female) and a substantial floating population of 755,717 (5) Socio-economic profile of the area High-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Private sector/Corporate/Business Primary Beneficiaries Private sector/Corporate/Company Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries This project has been developed to contribute to the community and it can be used by young and old (3), opening a space that was closed and turning it into a visible square for everyone's use (1, 2, 3). On the other hand, the Centenario group, the executor of the project, obtained an honourable mention in the XIX Biennial of Peruvian Architecture 2022, in the category ‘Urban Design and Landscaping’, for the development of this project (1, 2, 3). Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative Inmobiliaria San Silvestre S.A.C. (part of the Centenario Group), owner of the land, initiator and investor of the project (1, 2, 3). Developed the project in coordination with the company BROTES VERDES PERU S.A.C., supplier in charge of the implementation of the landscaping and automated irrigation system, together with the supplier DSE Dechini S.A.C., in charge of the civil part of the project (4). Key actors - initiating organization Private sector/corporate actor/company Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Unknown Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Other Please specify other missing actor Real State Sector Land owners Real estate developer Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy No NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan No NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan No Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. This business group has developed projects that include NBS, for example in the Centro Empresarial Real de San Isidro, which is located in front of Plaza Choquehuanca, is the space in Lima with the highest concentration of buildings with LEED certification for sustainable construction and has more than 2,800 m2 of vertical gardens and 1,600m2 of roof gardens (1, 2) The project is located in a Special Regulation Zone designated for urban areas with particular characteristics, whose urban development seeks the improvement or maintenance of urban-environmental development, according to the land use zoning of the Municipality of San Isidro, ORD-2020-523-MSI (4) Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Standards, certifications or guidelines (e.g. standards for accessible green space; biodiversity standards) Arrangements for governance cooperation Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups) Barriers After its implementation, Choquehuanca Square has faced a recurrent problem: the constant deterioration of its vegetation due to misuse by visitors. To solve this, several measures were implemented. First, a programme of regular plant replacement was established, using cuttings from the garden itself. However, this was time-consuming and delayed other maintenance work. To mitigate this problem, protective fencing was installed in the newly planted areas and information signs were put up to make visitors aware of the importance of caring for the green space. These actions are intended to reduce damage to the vegetation, optimise resources and promote greater environmental awareness among users of the square (4) Financing Total cost €10,000 - €50,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) 35222,03 What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? n/a Source(s) of funding Corporate investment Type of fund(s) used Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS No Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Green densification model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Enhanced support of pollination Achieved enhanced support of pollination Restoration of derelict areas Achieved restoration of derelict areas Description of environmental benefits -Increased green space area: "This square consists of 3,945 m2 and is located on the corner of Calle Choquehuanca and Camino Real Avenue, where there used to be a plot of land enclosed by walls that have now been converted into a green space occupying 70% of the square." (1) -Increased number of species present: "Approximately 20,000 plants and 600 m2 of American grass were unloaded for the Plaza Choquehuanca sector" (4) -Enhanced support of pollination: "For the project to be conceptualised under the formation of more sustainable and sustainable green spaces, the possibility of generating more dynamic green areas was proposed, with varied vegetation that provides greater colour and diversity of textures, low water consumption and reduced maintenance, for this reason, the development of pollinator gardens, whose spaces serve as shelter, food and/or rest for the pollinating or beneficial fauna present in the urban ecosystem." (4) -Restoration of derelict areas: "This square consists of 3,945 m2 and is located on the corner of Calle Choquehuanca and Camino Real Avenue, where there used to be a plot of land enclosed by walls" (1) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 11 Green space area created (in ha) 0.27615 Economic impacts Unknown Social and cultural impacts Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 0.27615 Description of social and cultural benefits -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "American grass was used, it is a species widely used in open green spaces to create rest or recreation areas for the employment of the population." (4) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Yes Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts Researchers/university Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Process indicators Outcome indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports Yes Link to monitoring/evaluation reports https://repositorio.lamolina.edu.pe/bitstream/handle/20.500.12996/5755/ochoa-ba… Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Yes Transparency Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data) Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project Unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Reaching original project goals Most of the project goals were achieved Long-term perspective No Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Centenario Oficinas (n.d.). Plaza Choquehuanca: Una nueva área verde que potencia nuestra ciudad. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Eguiluz, O. (2023). Plaza Choquehuanca: de espacio amurallado a un área verde. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Bárcena, G. (2023). Plaza Choquehuanca, el terreno que será un parque verde hasta iniciar construcciones sostenibles. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Ochoa Balboa, L. (2023). IMPLEMENTACIÓN Y DESARROLLO DE JARDINES POLINIZADORES EN EL DISTRITO DE SAN ISIDRO, LIMA”. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. San Isidro Municipality (2020). COMPENDIO ESTADÍSTICO 2020. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (2020). Planos Estratificados de Lima Metropolitana a Nivel de Manzana 2020. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Additional insights This project was developed at the same time as the Choquehuanca Beach, the vacant space next to the park, where a landscaping project was carried out in the car park with an area of 10,845.28 m2. It was not included in this NBS as the green area is minimal. In the map uploaded in section 1, it can be seen the Choquehuanca Square in sector A, and the Choquehuanca Beach in sector B. Public Images Image Top view of Choquehuaca Square/Park. Located in the left down corner of the plot Apoyo Comunicación Image Plaza Choquehuaca Centenario Oficinas
Image Top view of Choquehuaca Square/Park. Located in the left down corner of the plot Apoyo Comunicación
