Costa Rica will soon establish three new natural urban parks in the Greater San José area, according to Franz Tattenbach, Minister of Environment and Energy. The former Simón Bolívar Zoo in San José, the Lorne Ross Conservation Center in Santa Ana, and the former INBioparque in Santo Domingo are set to receive this new designation, aiming to enhance green spaces within urban areas.
“By means of an executive decree, we will officially designate these areas as urban natural parks,” Tattenbach stated. “This designation will protect these areas by classifying them within a wilderness category, as part of protected wild areas, even though they are within the city. This step is vital to prevent future development,” he added.
Introduced under Executive Decree 42742-MINAE on February 24, 2021, the urban natural park concept describes geographic areas with significant scenic, biological, recreational, and ecotourism value, focusing on biodiversity conservation.
“We also intend to apply this management model to three additional parks: the Santa Ana Conservation Center, known as Lorne Ross, whose land was partially donated; and the former INBioparque, now part of the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). However, Simón Bolívar will be the first to complete the transformation due to advanced progress,” Tattenbach added.
Since the closure of Simón Bolívar Zoo, authorities have focused on reimagining it as a vital space for human connection with nature, prioritizing activities around conservation, recreation, culture, and education. “With this initiative, we aim to redefine it as a public meeting space promoting biodiversity protection and providing citizens with a unique opportunity to reconnect with nature,” said Diego Miranda, Mayor of San José.
Authorities also confirmed that this urban park model will be implemented in other parks, creating more spaces in Costa Rica’s urban areas for residents to experience and enjoy nature. They believe this new model will boost tourism while fostering conservation and educating both locals and tourists.
