GEF-funded effort to clean up trash changed everything for a neighborhood near the Costa Rican capital a community in Costa Rica’s capital region is a bustling park that until recently was an open-air garbage dump the green space larger than four soccer fields includes walking trails Its transformation came from community organizing, local leadership, and international funding through the Global Environment Facility’s Sustainable Cities Program had long been seen as a place to leave garbage: glass bottles and other waste sat out under the sun and rain polluting the environment and causing peril for local residents "It was a place where people hid to commit crimes – full of mud a member of the La Guapil Community Development Association A lot of children come here to play and now green space where they can play safely," she said "The community of La Guapil is today full of families and young people enjoying this space that previously had no value and dedication of many people and institutions it became a living place," said Alajuelita´s mayor Modesto Alpízar and enormous heart to transform a toxic site into a safe There was wide agreement about the goal of giving new life to the troubled space. The project also benefited from existing cooperation between local, national, and international institutions through projects like Productive Landscapes "It was the power of the community’s heart that wanted a dignified and safe place to connect with nature," said TEVU’s project coordinator Miriam Miranda describing a strong push from the local government in alignment with international goals related to waste management and reforestation green spaces and contact with nature became essential for people's health and well-being," she said But how exactly do you turn a “dead space” into a park the TEVU project focused on architecture and landscaping The municipality also invested in site maintenance including pruning The community was also directly involved – picking up trash and planting native saplings that could help restore the ecosystem and support wildlife They were also closely involved in efforts to create social spaces with benches and pergolas Neighbors remain closely involved through committees related to waste management Skyline of San Jose with Alajuelita in the foreground The new space has changed life in the community and its enduring success will require ongoing effort the challenge is the maintenance and conservation of the space and efforts to address the quality and safety of water runoff into the Tiribí River which borders the park and the rest of the community This includes a proposed artificial wetland to reduce run-off through a nature-based solution La Guapil is modeling a new approach for urban areas where environmental challenges can be compounded by poverty and inequality Its achievements to date offer lessons to city planners Do you have a community challenge that could follow the La Guapil model? Would you like to visit the project or volunteer with its next phase? We’d love to hear from you – please contact: info@tevucr.org Subscribe to our distribution list to receive the GEF Newsletter Sign up © 2025 Global Environment Facility, All Rights Reserved.  |   Legal COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER When the bodies of six girls and one adult woman were found on April 6 1986 lying in two rows in a ditch in front of La Cruz de Alajuelita the landmark metallic cross that hovers over southwestern San José it was quickly dubbed the worst crime in Costa Rican history Thirty years later,that grizzly distinction remains unchanged The slaying of 41-year-old Marta Eugenia Zamora alongside her three daughters and three nieces led investigators on a chase to find the killer known as “El Psicópata,” or The Psychopath Zamora had taken the girls on a pilgrimage to the cross to give thanks to God for helping her recover from a chronic disease Zamora’s husband Carlos Luís Salas was quoted in the April 11 I can’t explain how something could happen like this to innocent little girls,’ he said They were little girls and they didn’t know anything about life… They were just beginning to live.’ Below is the entire Tico Times story on the massacre from then-reporter Julia Meeks: [documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2790854-CruzAnniversary.html”] Though arrests were made in the Psicópata murders bodies began to stack up throughout the eastern suburbs of San José The serial killer continued to target women sometimes while they were engaged in sexual activity the statute of limitations ran out on the still unsolved crimes making any prosecution of a potential suspect impossible barring new evidence The legend of the most feared serial killer in Costa Rican history made an eerie prelude to the most recent chain of killings in the slums of some of San José’s deeply impoverished neighborhoods last year There, a killer stalked drug-addicted prostitutes, killing nine women in six months known as “Mata Indigentes” or “Killer of the Poor,” earned his name by going after society’s most vulnerable targets A suspect whose DNA has been linked to at least three of the bodies is currently being held in San Sebastián prison Costa Rica is a success story: one of the most prosperous countries in the Latin American region it is a global leader in its response to climate change and biodiversity conservation and it is well-known for its sustained economic growth and stable democratic institutions.  Stagnant poverty rates and rising inequalities manifest in the country’s urban centers where pockets of poverty persist in some of the most economically dynamic and affluent parts of the country.  with deep canyon rivers and mountains acting as natural barriers to connectivity between the different population centers The Costa Rica Urbanization Review “Connecting the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica” zooms in on an urban subregion of the Greater Metropolitan Area that rarely comes into view but that concentrates the country’s most problematic urban dynamics: the municipalities of Desamparados Alajuelita and Asseri that form the so-called South Corridor an expansive area to the South of the municipality of San Jose.  Despite its proximity to the country’s economic center Most of its population rely on central areas like San Jose penalizing poorer families that rely on the transport system Increasing dependence on private cars leads to highly-congested roads high levels of transport-related emissions and dangerous levels of air pollution.  Much of the difficulty plaguing the South Corridor stems from this history of unplanned and informal urbanization the South Corridor’s population grew even more rapidly than that of the wider metropolitan areas Informal land occupation and squatting in the South Corridor was so significant that the country’s social housing system was engineered on its heels Families living in informal settlements in the area many of them edged along riverbeds or high slopes the World Bank is working with the Government to develop a new methodology for land use planning to empower municipalities to update – and enforce – their land use plans.  The Urbanization Review also points to the need to improve housing conditions and to address the complex challenges facing informal settlements Here too the World Bank is supporting the government with an analysis of the institutional and financial instruments to provide poor and vulnerable households with high-quality public spaces and access to basic services and resilient housing in a way that informs the future formulation of a national program for integrated slum upgrading.  This will benefit services in the South Corridor and will contribute to the country’s decarbonization agenda Using land wisely and increasing options for public mass transport and active mobility alongside targeted investments to improve housing and informal settlements will help Costa Rica’s cities live up to expectations and continue being at the forefront of sustainable development You can download Costa Rica's Urbanization Review here To receive weekly articles, sign-up here Thank you for choosing to be part of the Latin America and Caribbean community The latest blog posts and blog-related announcements will be delivered directly to your email inbox Urban Development Specialist at the World Bank MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Tropical Storm Nate roared toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 22 deaths and forecasters said it could reach the U.S Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend Louisiana officials declared a state of emergency and ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall early Sunday and evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf National Hurricane Center said Nate could cause dangerous flooding by dumping as much as 15 to 20 inches (38 to 50 centimeters) of rain as it moved over Honduras It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) by Friday morning and was likely to strengthen over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Friday before a possible strike on the Cancun region at the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula at near-hurricane strength Nate's arrival followed two weeks of near-constant rain that had left the ground saturated and rivers swollen Authorities placed the whole country on alert and warned of flooding and landslides Nicaragua's vice president and spokeswoman said that at least 15 people had died in that country due to the storm She didn't give details on all the deaths but said two women and a man who worked for the Health Ministry were swept away by a flooded canal in the central municipality of Juigalpa Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Organism blamed seven deaths in that country on the storm and said 15 people were missing Flooding drove 5,000 residents into emergency shelters The forecast track showed that Nate could brush across the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a tropical storm late Friday night John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and mobilized 1,300 National Guard troops with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there With forecasts projecting landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane Edwards urged residents to ready for rainfall storm surge and severe winds — and to be where they intend to hunker down by "dark on Saturday." Louisiana's governor says Nate is forecast to move quickly rather than stall and drop tremendous amounts of rain on the state State officials hope that means New Orleans won't run into problems with its pumps being able to handle the water Officials ordered the evacuation of part of coastal St Bernard Parish east of New Orleans ahead of the storm a voluntary evacuation was called in the barrier island town of Grand Isle south of New Orleans New Orleans officials outlined steps to bolster the city's pump and drainage system Weaknesses in that system were revealed during summer flash floods The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's New Orleans office said in a news release that as of midday Thursday out of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf but one moveable rig was taken out of the storm's path The agency estimated less than 15 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in which equates to 254,607 barrels of oil per day the storm was centered about 275 miles (445 kilometers) south-southeast of Cozumel and was moving north-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph) Residents of several communities in Alajuelita and Tibas who have been affected by the lack of water in recent months raised their voices to respond to the statements made by the executive president of AyA, Juan Manuel Quesada. Quesada said last Tuesday that “it seems disproportionate to demand that drinking water be supplied 24/7 in a context in which we are going through an extremely dry and hot summer.” The head of the AyA denies that the affected communities spend more than 4 days without potable water community members describe a different reality The neighbors are willing to open the doors of their homes so that he can see that what we tell him is not a lie and we aren’t just making things up,” said the representative of the neighbors of Alajuelita The neighbors allege that the palliative measures implemented by AyA are insufficient to address the water crisis “He says (AyA president) that we do not go without water because he sends a cistern and the cistern is not equivalent to the potable water that comes through the pipes for which we pay,” Calderón argued A senior citizen from the community of Tibás also commented that water shortages impact the whole area.  “The executive president of AyA insists that the communities are liars when the reality is that it is true that it is three or seven days in the houses The executive president lies to the communities,” he said AyA plans to incorporate 30 new sources that will produce more than 82 million liters per day during the remainder of the year and by 2025 The population of Alajuelita assures that while these measures are necessary they do not provide a solution to their current problems Another concern of the affected neighbors lies in the billing of a service they have not received for weeks While the effects of climate change are undeniable Quesada had pointed out in a recent interview that Costa Rica doesn’t have a water supply problem but rather lacks sufficient infrastructure due to poor planning from the AyA Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States, visited the Alajuelita canton on Monday to learn about the progress of “Sembremos Seguridad” a drug and crime prevention program developed to help favor adolescents and young people in general The event took place at the Municipal Stadium in Alajuelita Biden learned about the five initiatives established by the program implemented in particularly vulnerable areas along with the municipalities and the Ministry of Public Security have worked together to ensure the success of this initiative the program benefits around 1,500 members of the community and is promoted through the Bureau of International Narcotics this canton faces problems regarding insecurity and drugs The program involves different activities such as educational workshops These are the tools the Alajuelita Prevention Center has been using to rescue young people from dysfunctional homes and children who had dropped out of school especially when they are young and want to experiment when they don’t have the guidance of a family When a young person belongs to a group (such as those in the program) it is less likely that they will drift to the wrong direction because the same group is in charge of pulling them along,” the Mayor explained The United States aids 33 centers with construction materials Modesto Alpizar mentioned that his canton recently received a donation of two motorcycles and a police patrol car from the United States Jill Biden was accompanied by Ambassador Cynthia Telles, the Casa Banca press team traveling with her and a huge security operation coordinated by local and US authorities As part of the event, the First Lady of the United States observed a demonstration by a group of girls who practice taekwonndo. Afterwards Biden had a close look at the artwork created by the drawing and painting group of the Centro Cívico por La Paz from the Capri of Desamparados local community Biden also observed the Police Athletic Leagues program which consists of three major groups that practice boxing from the Municipal School of Integrated Arts of Santa Ana the San José Municipal Band interpreted the song Soy Tico The First Lady was really pleased with the program and encouraged young people to continue working hard and sharpening their talents Brace yourself: The International Arts Festival (FIA) might just take over your life Venues are scattered across the Central Valley And the 11-day schedule is so dense with activity that looking at the program too long will make you cross-eyed To help you navigate this goulash of cultural happenings we’ve put together this handy guide to the first weekend this covers only a fraction of the events taking place between Thursday and Sunday and the moment you arrive in Alajuelita (for example) you will find yourself in a labyrinth of artists’ kiosks and volunteers – and that’s before you even reach the concert stage If you’ve never been to FIA, note that this year, events are happening in several different places at once: Alajuelita is a centralized town close to San José, and most events are taking place in the central square or at the Don Bosco Technical College (down the road). Desamparados is also nearby, and most activities are taking place at Parque La Libertad a magnificent facility located on the eastern edge of “Desampa’.” you can drive out to San Ignacio de Acosta a town located about an hour’s drive from downtown San José It’s a pastoral community that’s definitely worth a visit and the town will host an endless tidal wave of music For a full schedule (in Spanish), visit FIA’s website the program’s pdf is remarkably easy to follow Note: You may have heard that Desamparados and Alajuelita have a bad reputation for poverty and petty theft organizers do not anticipate serious problems for cautious visitors gauge your surroundings and make sure you have dependable transportation home The festival’s opening night is always a major event and you can expect fireworks over Alajuelita to ring in the occasion Compañía La Tal is the perfect group to kick off the festival Entitled “Carilló” (Catalan for “Glockenspiel”) this multimedia clown show started in Spain in 1986 and has toured worldwide But watch yourself: These seasoned street performers love to interact with their audience Ernesto Villalopos’ offbeat comedy features a man Whether you understand what’s happening or not the audience should be roaring with laughter Screening takes place at the Don Bosco Technical College but The Vargas Brothers are considered “the oldest rock band in Costa Rica” and even “an urban legend.” Their story was captivating enough to warrant Juan Manuel Fernández’s 2012 documentary about their lives and career Check it out in Desamparados on Friday evening this fusion band offers one of the most unique auditory experiences in Costa Rica But before you join Santos y Zurdo on their psychedelic journey you may want to warm up with an entire afternoon of music – including Erth this funk-rock-jam band has become one of the most beloved outfits in Costa Rica We’re pretty sure that the moment Cocofunka takes the stage on Saturday night the crowd is going to collectively lose its mind (And dance like crazy.) But Cocofunka caps off a long afternoon of almost nonstop Costa Rican music in Alajuelita’s central park – a lineup that includes Guayabo Blü You can also catch international guests La Zimbabwe (Argentina) and Colectro (Colombia.) You couldn’t find two more opposite films: Released just before the 2014 World Cup biopic “Italia 90” recounts La Sele’s landmark performance in Italy in 1990 Learn how a group of working class soccer players reinvigorated the game helping create the national team we root for today “Viaje” is a two-character drama about a pair of youths who meet at a costume party and decide to take a road trip “Viaje” recently won acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival Screening takes place at the Don Bosco Technical Institute Costa Rica has already enjoyed two blues festivals in a single year and this weekend the nation’s oldest blues band will do an encore in Alajuelita If you’ve been aching for that sultry sound Sunday is your day: The Blind Pigs will share the afternoon with Racio Azul y Los Gatos Blues if you’re in Alajuelita anytime between 1 and 7 p.m. Approximately 100,000 residents of Costa Rica’s Greater Metropolitan Area will be impacted by the water rationing AyA will implement during the dry season “We are trying not to carry them out until it is strictly necessary but it is believed that at the end of this month we will start with night rationing while trying to have the minimum impact on the population,” officials stated 84% of Costa Ricans will have a continuous supply The population will be notified about the new interruptions through social networks Director of Production and Distribution of AyA and parts of Alajuelita will be among those affected and that more sites will be disturbed “as we move through the summer.” two phenomena affect the supply: people consume more water due to the high temperatures and the water sources decrease their production due to the lack of rain This has forced institutions such as AyA to implement the necessary measures to ensure water shortages don’t have catastrophic consequences for the populations could become a shortage of drinking water distribution we have been working on investment plans that will improve the situation and minimize the impact,” said Alejandro Picado Although the 2022 rainy season was very strong in the Pacific the Caribbean did not receive significant rainfall It is crucial to save water and take care of this resource Costa Rican authorities ask the population to use water rationally,  especially during the dry season Costa Ricans have been dealing with a critical situation regarding the supply of drinking water the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewerage (AyA) has been unable to resolve the issue The Ombudsman’s Office pointed out several causes for this problem lack of protection in water recharge areas and poor coordination between the AyA and local authorities The reality is that the country has been facing a severe supply problem for quite some time preventing it from meeting the nationwide demand for this service and Alajuelita are among the most affected in the Greater Metropolitan Area These areas complain about continuous rationing which often occurs without prior notice and lasts longer than expected The Ombudsman’s Office considers that the efforts made by AyA have not been sufficient The institution has implemented some emergency actions incorporating new wells into the metropolitan aqueduct system and installing tanks in highly vulnerable areas these measures fail to address the underlying problem AyA must implement efficient planning and execution of medium and long-term infrastructure projects to improve the water and hydraulic capacity of the aqueduct systems Recent reports by the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) show that the institution has 57% of drinking water losses incomplete project executions that take 10 to 15 years and 80% of meters under-registering consumption The report also revealed non-compliance in the verification of water quality by all service providers in the country and the absence of a strategy to keep water quality information updated annually by the National Water Laboratory The Ombudsman’s Office highlighted that they had called AyA’s attention to the lack of foresight and implementation of measures to meet the population’s supply needs years ago They also indicated that they would prepare a report for each community affected by the water problems The central cantons of Limón and San José top the country’s cantonal crime index according to the latest report released this week by the Peace Vice Ministry – part of Costa Rica’s Justice Ministry – and the Institute for Municipal Development a summary of which was released on Tuesday and didn’t include some serious crimes like rape and kidnapping The “IX Cantonal Analysis of Violence and Insecurity in Costa Rica” is a ranking based on the number of crimes reported to the Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) in 2011 Actual data on the number of complaints filed are not included in the final report which reflected the country’s security situation one year into the administration of President Laura Chinchilla shows that four of the five cantons with the highest crime rates were located in the Caribbean region: Limón (Central) The central canton of San José ranked second The two cantons with the least number of reported crimes that year were Hojancha and Nandayure in the northwestern province of Guanacaste Researchers used the data to create two other crime indexes the cantons with the highest rates were San José (Central) The cantons with lowest rates in this category were Tarrazú and Dota (both in San José) Jiménez (Cartago) and San Mateo (Alajuela) Type 2 crimes included burglary and petty theft the largest number of crimes occurred again in the Caribbean cantons of Talamanca and Limón Central Tarrazú (San José) and Aguirre (Puntarenas) Cantons with the lowest rates in this category were Tibás and Alajuelita (both in San José) Hojancha (Guanacaste) and Santo Domingo and Belén (both in Heredia) Peace Vice Minister Max Loría said the rankings were released to show that different types of crimes vary depending on the region “We have been supporting the development of local plans for violence prevention and this analysis can help us improve our local strategies,” Loría said round-trip hike up into the cool and windy mountains is just the ticket My family wound our way up the hills of San Antonio above Escazú and arrived at the loosely marked trailhead for one of my favorite local hikes The trail is aptly named for — you guessed it — the three crosses that mark the spectacular viewpoints over San José and the Central Valley Parking the car on the road outside Valle Azul Restaurant meandering beside pastures on the path before starting the sharp climb Peekaboo vistas as well as some grand sweeping views punctuate even this first portion of the hike The view opens up suddenly at the first cross: a cement icon looming over the hillside I looked out toward the national stadium and the congested streets of San José and took in the feeling of floating above it The path climbs steeply to the second cross About an hour or so into the hike we arrived at the huge monument that houses the second cross sat with our bag of lime-flavored peanuts and took in the gorgeous It’s the reason why this hike is so popular “I love the fact that this hike is so close to the city You’re hiking along and suddenly there are wildflowers I hang out happily at the second cross while the rest of my intrepid family makes the final ascent to the third cross The final portion of the path is super-steep but it’s the shortest of the three sections The gigantic white cross at the top has a smaller view than you get from the second but it’s a fun addition to the hike — if only to have the bragging rights of saying you did the whole thing Here comes the warning: Parts of the trail are quite steep and can get really muddy because the trail is super-slippery when wet and gives the impression that it might have the capacity to turn into a giant slip-‘n’-slide if the skies really open up The wetter season also means that the trail can be overgrown in places so some thrusting about and kicking of vines may be necessary the dirt is chalky and has little traction Along the path there’s barbed wire and steep dropoffs razor-sharp tall grass and some spiny plants with thorns like viper fangs the second and third crosses are visible landmarks Remember to wear long pants and closed-toed shoes for safety in numbers as well as the fun factor teacher and parent Ilana Long explores fun things to do in Costa Rica that cost absolutely nada.