Opinion – É Logo Ali: In São Paulo’s first public park, downtown issues are left out

Of all the parks that São Paulo offers the population, few must have to live so strongly with the stigma of being surrounded by a highly dangerous area such as Jardim da Luz, in the Bom Retiro neighborhood, in the central area of ​​the capital. But, despite the frightening images of the movement of the cracolândia flow in the vicinity of the place, it is one of the most beautiful green areas in the city and offers, in addition to 192 species of plants distributed in its gardens, the possibility of seeing 98 species of animals — most, 80, birds, but also fish, tortoises and even, with any luck, sloths.

Created in the 19th century as the Botanical Garden, it was opened in 1825 under the name Jardim Público da Luz, and is the oldest public park in the municipality, listed by Condephaat (Council for the Defense of Historical, Archaeological, Artistic and Tourist Heritage) in 1981. The name refers to the fact that one of the first residents of the region, Domingo Luis, built, in 1601, a small chapel in honor of Nossa Senhora da Luz, becoming a reference in the neighborhood for devotees and visitors.

With a total area of ​​113,400 square meters, the park’s avenues are more than worth a visit for those who like to know the city and its history. Next door to the Pinacoteca do Estado, it is also an open-air museum (and free), where you can appreciate 50 sculptures by renowned Brazilian artists such as Victor Brecheret, Amilcar de Castro and Caciporé Torres, among others owned by the Pinacoteca itself, which takes care of its maintenance. Several reflecting pools and an artificial cave, built in 1880 as a water reservoir that supplies the park’s 3 lakes and from which you reach a viewpoint that allows you to contemplate the structure of the nearby Luz station, complete the tour.

This cave, which gained artificial stalactites and stalagmites, today no longer has a waterfall inside it, which according to the park administration will undergo extensive renovation in the coming months. Explaining geological terms, stalactites are stone structures that descend from the ceiling of caves, and stalagmites are those that form from the ground.

Of course, all this beauty contrasts violently with the encampment of homeless people leaning against its bars. As it is a park, the place is completely fenced and its visitation is limited to the period from 6 am to 6 pm, from Tuesday to Sunday. Surrounded by tourist attractions that, in addition to the Pinacoteca, include the Museum of the Portuguese Language and the Museum of Sacred Art, the surrounding area is ostensibly policed. For those taking the subway, just cross Praça da Luz avenue and forget about the police news. Those who prefer to walk, like this wandering blogger, should choose to avoid the narrower and less crowded streets in the vicinity and, preferably, go with someone. Sure, we know, he died of old age.

“We’ve had a lot of feedback from people who visited the park and were surprised by the lightness of the environment inside”, celebrates Vinícius Almeida, director of Parks at the São Paulo Secretariat for Green and Environment. He credits much of this surprise to the fact that the agency had its budget doubled by the City Hall from 2021 to this year, “after having spent 10 years with the same frozen budget of R$200 million”, he explains. With the investment, it was possible to make bids to hire cleaning, gardening and security personnel, which today has a team of 10 employees.

“These days, a parks specialist was talking to us and pointed out that the main thing for the success of a public space was the offer of good bathrooms”, says Almeida, who guaranteed four employees exclusively dedicated to the hygiene of the bathrooms. On the day of the blog visit, on a busy sunny Saturday, the effort to maintain these spaces proved successful. Points for those involved.

“In addition, we have made good partnerships with the GCM (Municipal Civil Guard) and the Sé Subprefecture, and practically every week we have activities in the park, including health and cultural activities, which attract the residents and merchants of Bom Retiro”, he adds.