Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) signed a decree last Friday to officially create the Parque Municipal do Rio Bixiga in central São Paulo [1], [2], [5].
The project represents the culmination of decades of disputes with previous landowners and intense community mobilization. By transforming the site into a public space, the city aims to recover the Rio Bixiga watercourse and establish an agro-ecological forest and cultural areas [2], [3].
The park will occupy a site of 11.1 thousand square metres [1], [2]. It is located in the Bela Vista neighborhood at the intersection of Rua Jaceguai and Rua Abolição, situated next to the Teatro Oficina [1], [2], [3].
City officials said they intend to use the space to integrate environmental recovery with urban culture. The plan focuses on restoring the natural water flow of the region while providing the central district with more green space — a rarity in the densely developed heart of the city [2], [3].
Construction timelines for the project are currently being established. Work is expected to begin in the second semester of 2027 [1], with a projected completion date in 2028 [2].
The decree ensures the land is now officially designated for municipal use, removing the legal hurdles that previously stalled the development of the site [2], [5].
“The project represents the culmination of decades of disputes with previous landowners.”
The officialization of Parque Municipal do Rio Bixiga signals a shift toward 'green infrastructure' in São Paulo's urban core. By prioritizing an agro-ecological forest over commercial development, the city is responding to long-term grassroots pressure to protect local waterways and increase permeable surfaces to mitigate urban flooding and heat islands.
