Pedestrian Promenade to Showcase Heredia Culture

ALREADY known as the “City ofCulture,” Heredia, 11 kilometers north ofSan José, is taking steps to make its culturalofferings more accessible and invitingwith the proposed Paseo de Cultura.A dream in the making for more thanthree decades, the new pedestrian promenadewould run six blocks along AvenidaCentral from Universidad Nacional(UNA) west to the Central Park downtown.Along the way, visitors would findart booths, streat musicians and otherculture, according to UNA spokesmanOscar Lepez.The idea is to incorporate the homes,businesses, institutions and services alongthe route into a unified identity in theheart of the city, according to the university,which is working with theMunicipality of Heredia and the HerediaPublic Services Company (ESPH) on theproject.“More than a walkway – like the pedestrianmall in San José – this will be a placeto stay, to enjoy, to share,” Lepez said.The pedestrian mall, also called aboulevard, is still a few years frombecoming a reality, Lepez said.UNA and other entities are in theprocess of holding community meetingsto gather public opinion about the designof the pedestrian mall with the hope ofcreating general consensus and support.A meeting last week drew 120 people.Another meeting is planned for thismonth, although an exact date is not yetknown.Once public input has been gathered,the UNA will do an economic projectionstudy and determine how to finance theproject. All funding will come from internationalsources and private businesses,Lepez said.