The Paraguayan government officially presented the Urban Design Manual for the Historic Center of Asunción (CHA), a binding document that establishes guidelines for revitalizing the capital's founding core. The initiative integrates the Urban Resilience Project for the Coastal Strip, carried out with technical and financial support from the World Bank, and aims to prepare the city for its 500th founding anniversary, which will be completed in 2037.
The manual was launched during the Asunción 500 Years International Forum, an event attended by President Santiago Peña, First Lady Leticia Ocampos, and Minister of Public Works and Communications Claudia Centurión. The forum seeks to coordinate public, private, academic sectors and civil society to plan urban development interventions, investment attraction, and heritage preservation.
The document is structured around four main axes: urban morphology, prioritizing pedestrians and expanding sidewalks; green and blue infrastructure, with nature-based solutions for drainage and tree planting; materiality, with a unified catalog of accessible floors and surfaces; and urban equipment, including furniture, LED lighting, and free WiFi points.
President Peña emphasized that the recovery of the historic center is also an economic strategy. "Recovering Asunción is not just an urban or heritage decision, it is also an economic decision," he stated, highlighting that public works should catalyze private investments, commerce, tourism, and job creation.
Claudia Centurión stressed that the manual is a starting point, not a closed document, and will be enriched by technical contributions and public input. She advocated for transforming the CHA into a meeting space, not just a transit area, with accessible sidewalks, revitalized plazas, and security.
Leticia Ocampos reinforced that the 500th anniversary should be an opportunity to replan the city's future, making it more inhabited and vibrant. "We don't want a historic center turned into a museum," she said, defending the reappropriation of spaces by citizens.
Among the ongoing projects mentioned are the renovation of O’Leary and Uruguaya plazas, Caballero Park, improvements to the Costanera, and the implementation of the commuter train. Miguel Báez, president of ANDE, reported that underground cable works and lighting on streets such as Palma and Presidente Franco are advanced, with completion expected by November 2026.