City Park bids farewell to the public this Sunday (17), before closing for COP30
The space welcomed visitors in a temporary farewell atmosphere; the public praises the structure and hopes for a return after the conference
The sunny afternoon of this Sunday (17) marked the last day of operation for City Park, before the setup of COP30 structures. Families, children, and groups of friends enjoyed the space once again before the closure. In just under two months of operation, the space recorded over 670,000 visitors.
The public took advantage of the main areas of the site, such as the Esplanade of Fountains, the Skate Park, and the Water Ballet. Kelly Vaz, 29, was present on the last day accompanied by her 6-year-old twin children. For her, the atmosphere was one of farewell, but she couldn't miss this last experience before the closure. "Unfortunately, I couldn't come earlier, so I took advantage of the programming ending on the weekend to bring the kids to have fun at the Esplanade of Fountains. It's a shame it will be closed, but with the experience we had today, I definitely want to come back with them [the children] as soon as it reopens," she stated.
The next steps
Starting this Monday (18), the area will be handed over to the Federal Government and the United Nations (UN), which will begin the installation of the Blue Zone and Green Zone pavilions, where negotiations and plenary sessions of the international conference on climate change will take place.
Nostalgia
The atmosphere in the park was one of celebration, but also of early nostalgia. Families took the opportunity to have picnics, as was the case with Alessandra Carvalho, 36. A resident of Marituba, a metropolitan area of Belém, she went to the Park with friends and family.
“We came in a group of 7, and I can say that I am impressed with the space. It’s always a great opportunity to bring the kids to have fun. My daughters have already run around, played in the playground, and went to the Esplanade of Fountains. I loved the programming, and I’m sure they did too,” she said.
Administrative assistant Leonardo Valois, 42, visited the space with friends who had never been there before. “I thought: ‘it’s their [the friends'] last chance to get to know this wonderful place soon!’ It’s a very good environment for the city and very well designed. We hope that in the near future, after COP30, we can enjoy it again,” he stated.
Considered the largest urban intervention in Belém in the last 100 years, the park's structure includes sports courts, a skate park, bike paths, playgrounds, a pet area, kiosks, and a children's water park, with interactive toys and accessibility. After the United Nations conference, the park will reopen and will also feature buildings for gastronomy and creative economy, which are in the final stages of construction.
Text: Painah Silva - Ascom Secult
