Tutuvén Urban Park
“Landscape architecture should be an interdisciplinary discipline, combining the theory and practice of architecture, urban planning, ecology, and other related disciplines.”
James Corner, architect and landscape designer
Tutuvén Urban Park is a 2.3-hectare green space located on the banks of the Tutuven River, in the commune of Cauquenes, Maule Region. This park reclaimed a riverside space that had historically been used as a garbage dump and served as a debris dump after the 2010 earthquake.
This park, designed and promoted by the Cosmos Foundation and the municipality of Cauquenes, was inaugurated in 2019 and has increased the urban green areas of Cauquenes by more than 60%. Today, this space benefits the city’s more than 40,000 residents, providing natural areas for the community and contributing to the regeneration of the commune’s socioecosystem by connecting the historic center and peri-urban populations with the wetland ecosystem created by the Tutuvén River.
To design the park, a citizen participation process was implemented, involving more than 600 people from various organizations, including neighborhood associations, sports clubs, senior centers, and cultural centers, who shared their needs and interests.
The design concept included working with elements that are deeply embedded in the collective memory of the local residents, such as reviving the hilly terrain surrounding the city. Thus, the project is structured around two large hills that run through much of the project. These hills, in addition to providing movement and creating a visual impact, allowed for the reuse of some of the earthquake debris and the creation of various spaces in the new park, such as a sports area, spaces for mass gatherings, picnic and contemplation areas, children’s play areas with rustic elements, hopscotch and chess, a viewing platform and a descent to the river, and the Los Robles promenade that connects the Fernández neighborhood with the rest of the city.
The park was built thanks to the Maule Region’s Regional Development Fund (FNDR), which contributed approximately 2 billion pesos to its construction. In addition to donating the design, the Cosmos Foundation collaborated with the Municipality of Cauquenes in preparing the technical file for approval by the Regional Council (CORE).
In this way, Tutuvén Park contributes to improving the quality of life for the residents of Cauquenes by connecting the city’s historic center with the outlying neighborhoods and the river, fulfilling a role as a territorial organizer and connecting with the wetland that forms the waterway.
The park provides various benefits associated with green infrastructure, such as recreation in green areas, sports, community activities, neighborhood safety, cultural and artistic gatherings, and social exchange in an environment of complete harmony with nature.
The recovery of this space represents a change of perspective that contributes to the regeneration of the socio-ecosystem of the city of Cauquenes. The Tutuvén River crosses the commune to flow into the Cauquenes River, and both tributaries supply water to its inhabitants, irrigate the commune’s fields, and constitute a wetland ecosystem that is home to hundreds of species. Converting this former rubble dump into a park is a symbol of repairing the relationship between residents and their territories.