Asunción has presented an Urban Design Manual for the Historic Center that proposes widening sidewalks, creating pedestrian-only streets and adopting shared streets for people, bicycles and vehicles. The document was presented on August 13, 2024, and aims to standardize public-space projects in the central area.
The manual provides for different types of streets. On roads of higher hierarchy, the pedestrian area will be at least 1.20 meters wide, with sidewalks wider than 2 meters recommended to allow trees to be planted. Vehicle lanes must be at least 3 meters wide. There are also designs for streets with a single lane, bidirectional cycle paths of up to 2 meters and separators at least 0.35 meters wide.
Another model is the “shared street,” built on a single-level platform with bollards separating circulation spaces. The proposal is to prioritize pedestrians and the center’s architectural landscape while maintaining a minimum roadway width of 3.50 meters. Fully pedestrianized streets would be intended for commercial and administrative areas and the main routes connecting them on foot. Vehicles could enter only in exceptional circumstances, with clear space for emergency services to pass.
Minister of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) Claudia Centurión said Palma Street should receive a solution with sidewalks and pavement at the same level. The manual also establishes criteria for intersections, including crossing markings, safety signage and turning radii compatible with the predominant vehicle types.
The broader application of these guidelines depends on the projects and construction work to be carried out. The document consists of interchangeable sheets, allowing revisions as new demands and urban changes arise. In February 2025, Omar Cubas Fanego, then head of the Executive Directorate of Asunción’s Historic Center, identified Chile Street as a possible pedestrianized route connecting four squares, theaters and cultural centers, including the restoration of the former Cine Victoria.
The manual is part of Asunción’s Coastal Strip Urban Resilience Project, financed by a $100 million loan from the World Bank. The program provides for housing resettlements and improvements to public spaces in the Historic Center, Parque Caballero, Banco San Miguel and Asunción Bay. Interventions already completed or under way include Plaza O’Leary and Plaza Uruguaya, where work is being carried out by Consorcio Palma.