Mayor of Ponce (Puerto Rico) María “Mayita” Meléndez laid the foundation stone for the development of the new Urban Ecological Park, a space for family recreation that will serve as the lungs of the city center. The park, located along Miguel Pou Boulevard, will be a center for education and the promotion of sustainable practices in urban development and landscaping. 

The mayor explained that the plan was implemented through a collaborative agreement between the municipality and the and she thanked the Inter-American University, President of the Board of Trustees Luis Plaza, President Manuel Fernós, and Dean of Faculty Vilma Colón “for the commitment they have shown towards Ponce.” Meléndez added that she was sure of the positive impact of the park in that it will help “create a greater awareness among our citizens about the importance of promoting and protecting what is ours, what nature has given us. This contribution will remain generation after generation.”

Meléndez maintained that this is one of the flagship projects of her administration, through which she seeks to promote sustainable development and a better quality of life, to educate on ethics and environmental processes, to increase environmental awareness, to provide an educational center on matters related to the flora and fauna of Puerto Rico, and to educate people about water processes and recycling resources.

She commented that the residents of the neighboring communities are being consulted because they are an integral part of the concept that the Bonnin Orozco architects have designed; therefore, the communities have been invited to provide their input. With regards to the agreement with the Inter-American University, Meléndez said that in 2012, the institution is celebrating 100 years since its founding and 50 since the founding of the Ponce campus. The urban ecological park is an extraordinary opportunity for the university to extend beyond the compound and to extend the scope of its educational services to the communities as well as for the people of Ponce “to receive the benefits that this represents.”

For original article (in French), see http://www.primerahora.com/colocanlaprimerapiedradelparqueecologicourbano-482146.html

For more information and images, see http://www.periodicolaperla.com/~laperla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2279:proxima-la-construccion-del-parque-ecologico-de-ponce&catid=81:locales&Itemid=198