ABSTRACT
The urban parks, if well managed, are spaces that can positively influence diverse aspects of the functioning of the cities. However, several cities face difficulties raising the funds required to properly take care of these spaces. As a consequence, several urban parks are deteriorated or underutilized. This paper discusses possibilities that may rise from the transfer of urban parks’ management to private parties, whether for profit or not. As per the methodology, we chose the case study of three urban parks located in the city of São Paulo, which were the only ones that experienced some sort of public-private arrangement at that time. The study allowed us to discuss the possibilities and challenges present in the management models that are based on the private assumption of the management of these parks, preferably without the need of budgetary resources. As a result, the experiences studied have shown that legal instruments designed to support cooperation and delegation of park management can operate as important instruments to ensure financial sustainability and adequate governance of these areas.
Keywords:
urban parks; public goods; management by private parties; environmental law; urban law