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Anyone who has attempted to walk in and around San José knows the many challenges of being a pedestrian.
Whether it be the utter lack of crosswalks, gaping holes, high curbs that you can’t push a baby stroller up, slippery patches from rain and algae, or garbage strewn about, walking the city streets can often be unpleasant.
A new Costa Rican non-governmental organization called “Hagamos Aceras,” which translates to “Let’s Do Sidewalks,” is dedicated to reclaiming these vital public spaces which suffer from the same neglect as many of the country’s parks and other public areas.
Several talented and renowned Costa Rican visual artists have come forth to donate their time and talent to the initiative, and have started painting some main walkways.
“We are aiming to bring our sidewalks to life by returning to our Costa Rican roots, painting them with chalks, stones, charcoal, water paintings, paper, canvases, etc. to generate a positive sociocultural impact, but without damaging public spaces,” said Patricia Osorio, a spokeswoman for Hagamos Aceras, in an interview with the online media ElGuardian.cr.
Elizabeth Arguello, an outstanding Costa Rican muralist, and Ariane Garnier, and International renowned Costa Rican artist have helped launch the initiative with sidewalk paintings in San José, one on Paseo Colón and another near Ucimed in Sabana Oeste.
Hagamos Aceras is carrying out their community improvement work with support from the Municipality of San José and the Costa Rican Institute of Sports and Recreation (ICODER).
You may get lucky next time you are downtown and see these welcome improvements to the city-scape.
And if you want to do some sidewalk beautification in your community, find Hagamos Aceras on Facebook, as they are seeking to expand this effort to as many places as possible by drawing on volunteer efforts.
