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Rio City Hall announces requalification of parks with projected R$1,5 billion in economic benefits
Published on 05/06/2025 - 09:36 | Updated
Madureira Park has become an icon of leisure in the North Zone - Marcos de Paula/City Hall of Rio On Thursday (05/06), World Environment Day, Rio de Janeiro City Hall launched a public notice for the revitalization of six urban and natural parks in the city: Madureira, Orlando Leite, Célio Lupparelli, Garota de Ipanema, Dois Irmãos and Cidade. The action is part of the Parques Cariocas program, one of the largest green area requalification projects in the world. The goal is to increase safety and accessibility, mitigate the effects of high temperatures, enhance the natural landscape and encourage cultural, sports and leisure activities with free public access. The concession of the parks could generate an estimated economic impact of up to R$1,5 billion, including private investments, relief from public coffers with maintenance, and collection of concessions and taxes.
– It is very important to make it clear: there is no privatization of public parks. All parks that are entering this concession process will continue to be public, with free admission, as it has always been. What we are doing is ensuring that these spaces are better cared for, better maintained, at no cost to the City Hall and, on the contrary, with savings in resources that can be applied to health, education and other priorities. The private concessionaire will be able to explore economic activities within the parks, such as kiosks, restaurants or events, but access to the park will always remain public and free – declared Eduardo Paes, alongside Vice Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere, at a press conference held at the Operation and Resilience Center, in Cidade Nova.
The bidding process will be carried out by the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment and Climate (SMAC), in partnership with the Companhia Carioca de Parcerias e Investimentos (CCPar) and with technical support from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) to prepare the project model. The initiative ensures environmental preservation and the permanent improvement of the visitor experience. The call for bids was divided into two blocks to meet the demands of society, in contributions made during the public consultation period, and foresees initial private investments of R$48,9 million in the first three years, reaching R$73 million during the concession contract, with a term of 30 years.
– With this notice, the City Hall takes another strategic step towards positioning the Parques Cariocas as an international model of sustainability, leisure and promotion of socioeconomic development. This initiative will bring more quality to the parks, more services for the population and less expenses for the city – highlighted the Municipal Secretary of Economic Development, Osmar Lima.
In Madureira Park, for example, plans include increasing the number of trees, creating shaded areas, organizing street vendors, and setting up a restaurant and visitor center. The notice also includes specific actions in other parks, which seek to restore equipment and leisure areas, revitalize viewpoints, and increase the number of food outlets, such as kiosks and restaurants.
Concession model and impacts
In addition to encouraging private investment, the model adopted in the notice ensures that the parks will continue to have free public access, in accordance with the municipal policy guidelines for natural and leisure areas.
With a focus on environmental preservation and improving thermal comfort for visitors, the project foresees the allocation of between 2,5% and 6% of the revenue obtained by the private partner to carry out socio-environmental initiatives, to be indicated by the City Hall.
The Parques Cariocas program seeks to generate positive socioeconomic impacts in the surrounding communities, stimulating sustainable tourism and boosting the local economy. Therefore, the notice also includes mechanisms to encourage the hiring of labor from the community surrounding the park.
– Parques Cariocas represent a transformative project for Rio. The requalification of these six spaces is crucial to our environmental and climate agenda, preserving the natural landscape, urban resilience and the well-being of the population. It is an investment in the future of our city, so that we can have more well-maintained and accessible green areas, validating an agenda for the construction and renovation of these spaces – stated the municipal secretary of Environment and Climate (SMAC), Tainá de Paula.
In a similar model, the Catacumba and Jardim de Alah parks have already been put out to tender, which together total more than R$120 million in private investment. This reinforces the model as a public policy instrument to attract private investment, promote environmental sustainability, improve urban infrastructure and boost socioeconomic development.
Program benefits parks in different areas of the city
Block A includes the urban parks:
• Madureira Mestre Monarco Park — investments in tree planting, shading, implementation of a restaurant, visitor center and internal transportation.
• Orlando Leite Park and Célio Lupparelli Park — new playground areas, outdoor gyms, sports courts, as well as works to expand accessibility and general renovation.
The total investment planned for this lot is R$41,3 million.
Block B covers three important natural and tourist areas:
· Dois Irmãos Municipal Natural Park — implementation of a new lookout walkway, restaurant, visitor center and internal transportation.
· Municipal Natural Park of the City — improvements to the Mirante das Margaridas, installation of a food point and visitor center.
· Garota de Ipanema Park — refurbishment of viewpoints, new kiosks and access points, improvements to the Arpoador Academy and implementation of a visitors center.
The amount forecast for this lot is R$31,7 million.
The notice
The criterion for judging this call for bids will be the highest fixed grant. Envelopes with bids can be sent until July 25, and the auction will be held at the Stock Exchange, B3, in São Paulo, on July 31. The full call for bids, attachments and more information are available on the CCPar website: ccpar.rio.
