Master Plan for Urban Development in Honduras
The mayor of the city of San Pedro Sula, Armando Calidonio, has launched an ambitious project called “Master Plan for Urban Development” which aims to turn this city into a “Smart City” in 25 years. Intelligent cities are intimately related to the use of technologies and the powerful weapons they offer us; they are those cities capable of using information and communication technology (ICT) with the aim of creating better infrastructures for citizens, from public transport to energy saving, sustainability and efficiency in all its aspects.
This plan should result not only in its conclusive stage, but during its development in the time stipulated, in the creation of superior conditions for both national and foreign investment, in addition to improvements in the quality of life for its inhabitants that entail such far-reaching social and community transformations.
As part of the Master Plan, the Mayor’s Office of San Pedro Sula signed an agreement with the World Bank on June 3rd for the disbursement of about USD 3,500 million dollars through the mechanism of reimbursable advisory services (RAS). RAS programs operate at the request of the client country to receive, in addition to funds, advisory, analysis services and implementation support. During this first stage of collaboration between the two entities, the areas to be served are mobility, competitive cities and convention tourism.
The members of the municipal institution that participate in the development of the Master Plan should never lose sight of the fact that for the success of this initiative to be successful, the negative social factors that have long afflicted not only San Pedro Sula but the entire country, such as organized crime, must also be taken into account. Finally, there must be an awareness of how relevant citizen participation can be through human factors such as private mercantile entrepreneurship.
Mauricio Zarruk Hasbun
Senior Associate
García & Bodán
Honduras