“Monteverde: Authentic and sustainable?

Diego Najarro Sedar

Urban Sustainability Course

Professor Andrea San Gil León

Word count:
 Costa Rica is one of the most well-renowned ecotourism destinations, in part owing to

it being home to 5% of the global biodiversity (Vivanco, 2006,p. 10). Ecotourism began in the

1970’s in this Central American country, an industry that has grown to account as one of its

most important economic sources (Miller, 2012,p. 8). Monteverde, a tiny mountain town lo-

cated in the province of Puntarenas, is one of the nation’s eco-touristic hotspots. Surrounded

by cloud forest, this town, consisting of about 6,700 inhabitants, has eco-friendly hotels, ad-

venture activities such as canopy zip-lines, as well as protected areas -- all elements assisting

to promote economic growth and development in the area. Due to the economic expansion

Monteverde has experienced in the past 30 years, it was formally registered as a “Concejo Mu-

nicipal” in 2001, and the rustic, dirt road that once led to this mountain town is currently

paved (Monteverdeinfo, 2011).

Although tourism has brought many positive adjustments to Monteverde, it also brings

great challenges, such as unplanned urban development and increasing pressure on the quality

and quantity of natural resources. Other factors, for instance patterns in land use and climate

change, among others, also present serious challenges for the conservation of biodiversity, natu-

ral resources, and the scenic beauty of our region. This essay first aims to discuss the key chal-

lenges related to urban sustainability in Monteverde, and then recommend specific initiatives to

address one of these challenges, afforded by the unique perspective of a local who grew up in

Monteverde. Suggestions as to potentially appropriate interventions that can halt the urban deteri-

oration of a community and the loss of a space that gives us identity will be proposed. Considera-

tion will be given to the characteristics, values, and possibilities we posses, without ignoring the

most important element, the diverse range of human beings who inhabit this special region.

First to be analyzed is the saturation of space from the excessive commercial use in the

small, central locality of Santa Elena, demonstrating a need for more organized and proper plan-

ning of land use to prevent urban sprawl, inappropriate construction practices, and the loss of

pedestrian and recreational spaces. The lack of appropriate planning in choosing a location and
the larger scheme development of different areas of the community has led to the construction of

buildings and urban infrastructure in areas not suitable for these purposes, topographically unsta-

ble areas, flood areas, drainage areas, among others. This reality has also resulted in small, un-

linked housing centers/neighborhoods that contribute to the deterioration of the natural and urban

landscapes. There are different community components, such as the church, primary school, high

school and the clinic, which are scattered throughout the community, without linkage nor articu-

lation of a sustainable urban space.

This situation detracts from the center of the town, since each nucleus formed seeks to

meet its community needs individually. The reality is reflected in an increase in ‘pulperías’ and

establishments of various services in each zone, with houses transformed into commercial spaces,

thus promoting the continuous change in the use of land of the town. Important to note, it is not

necessarily negative for subcommunities to have the opportunity to develop separately and self-

satisfy needs of a specific area. However, if “el centro” of the community is perceived as mainly

being a place for errands, without social enrichment, it can lead to the creation of a disinterest to-

wards this community space.

In Costa Rica contributing factors to poor urban development and improper land use are

multi-layered and inter-institutional, including a wide range from an absence of or evasion of reg-

ulations to a lack of knowledge around opportunities. Notably, common practice before the estab-

lishment of the municipality of Monteverde, locals would be required to travel to downtown

Puntarenas to obtain permits. From one single to any combination of the aforementioned factors,

the granting of construction permits and services in inadequate areas results in urban sprawl, a

lack of social organization and seriousness around the urban development of the community. Ad -

ditionally, the introduction of recreational spaces or meeting areas such as a park for locals was

not on the radar until recently. Poor community planning is also demonstrated by a lack of prior

analysis of road patterns, in addition to the lack of sidewalks and general urban infrastructure.

Parallel, with the constant erosion of roads due to climatic and physical conditions in the area,
vehicles become protagonists with the urban space, also diminishing the experience of the passer-

by within the public space.

The scant participation or lack of invested dialogue on behalf of the communities making

up the district of Monteverde: San Luis, La Lindora, Santa Elena, Cerro Plano, Los Llanos, Cerro

Plano and Monteverde, in the development processes, along with little environmental control in

some sites, demonstrate the limited commitment to an urban environment. The main concern and

focus of this zone have been around the conservation of our natural resources. El Centro Cientí-

fico Tropical de Monteverde, the Conservationist League, and the Monteverde Institute are some

of the groups involved in research and protection of the Monteverde area reserves. But they, and

many other community members, have ignored the fact that these resources are part of an entire

territory and that urban development must go hand-in-hand with protectionism, dedicating atten-

tion and energies to both.

Current urban community development must align with the improvement of human living

conditions and life quality. Therefore, all planning within urban spaces must aim to improve land

use along with the quality of the environment. Accessibility, the existence of good public spaces,

the presence of the natural landscapes and the use of new urban technologies can improve this. If

within the same community we can identify changes in the current environment, anticipate for

the future, understand the current reality, and assess the importance of the impact on urban devel-

opment, our community will be able to make decisions that switch challenges into opportunities

for future development.

Much of the social dynamic of Monteverde is based in Santa Elena, where not only locals

spend their time but also large numbers of visitors arrive daily to the zone. As such, the design of

the public space must be cognizant of the dynamic of the continual use of space of locals along

with the temporality of the latter individuals, their immediate needs, and the response of the in-

habitants to these visitors. It is of great importance not to ignore the value of a community whose

urban social behavior is well defined within its everyday activities. Only by keeping present the
reality of the mixture of all the users of the urban space and the various functions it contains, is it

possible to interpret how the society surrounding the space is composed and how it operates.

Creating safe and inclusive public spaces is essential for integration and social cohesion.

Wherever there are people - in buildings, neighborhoods, city centers, recreational areas, etc. –

their presence, along with the respective human activities, attract each other in a cyclical fashion.

When someone starts to undertake an activity, there is a tendency for others to participate,

whether actively or as an observer. Physical space planning defines and influences the future

character of outdoor activities and so decisions are important to improving conditions for devel-

opment and to generate a more active experience within the community.

The community of Monteverde is presented as a starting point for urban development of

the area, beginning at the location of the Cheese Factory, extending to the neighboring communi-

ties of Santa Elena, Cerro Plano, San Luis and Los Llanos. From its inception, Santa Elena has

remained the central urban center, perhaps due to its relatively central location in respect to the

other communities of the district. Accelerated economic and urban development, driven by the

tourist boom and population growth, saturated the population center of Santa Elena. As demands

of the tourist market increased so did the demand for space, as well. The concentration of the

large number of services found in the center of Santa Elena led to an urban shift toward the pe-

riphery, creating residential areas that would satisfy the housing demand of the growing popula-

tion by giving the center a purely commercial character over the years.

The reality is, for tourists the Santa Elena center is a point of arrival, without great tran-

scendence beyond a necessary arrival point within their journey, as it is not representative of a re-

ceiving space that provides an authentic image of the locals and their attractions. What visitors

find is a saturation of vehicles, road chaos with narrow streets, invoking a need to simply grab

their luggage and mobilize to their intended destination. What we perceive through our eyes can

serve as an invitation for action and participation; if there is nothing to see, nor spaces that exude

life energy, engaging activities and authentic meetings, there will be no participation, recreation,
and most importantly, coexistence and collective appropriation. A scarcity of spaces dedicated to

encouraging the interaction of residents is evident; the few that can be found are conceptualized

for the tourist and "seen" in this way by the inhabitants, further diminishing the possibilities of

interaction among the residents.

This important case in point, the center of our community - Santa Elena – currently re-

flects a saturation of its space and the loss of authenticity of social character and such results in a

type of rejection by both locals and visitors alike. As a sector where the permanent population

and visitors merge, with the opportunity to share the space as well as meet needs for services and

commerce, meaning it is a place where most of the daily activities of the area are concentrated

but is lacking. The primary initiative is to create more sustainable urban conditions to improve

this offer of services and amenities.

From a regional perspective, Santa Elena serves as the center of a network of urban com-

munities. The need to create urban conditions to improve the supply of cultural services and

amenities, while solving the problems the community faces: road chaos, pollution, and the loss of

landscape and urban space, is key. To achieve this, an initiative that converts Santa Elena into an

“urban center of tourist attraction”, while at the same time enjoyed by inhabitants and visitors,

this through well-defined, comfortable, safe and physically and visually connected urban spaces

is possible. The goal must be where the leisure, the daily activity and the different tourist services

offered by the area are combined, becoming an urban network of public spaces, creating an urban

network of public spaces and architecture in which the tourist character of Monteverde is re-

flected in the center, one that is to be enjoyed by all.

A primary objective of this initiative is for the visitor to capture and appreciate the dy-

namic of the urban center, and be invited to participate in such a way where people feel more in-

clined to leave their car in the hotel, AirB&B, hostel, or surroundings areas, and spend time en -

joying the urban atmosphere, whether for lunch, a casual stroll, or for leisure, so that the “going

to ‘el centro’” becomes a another tourist activity of the area. Another main objective is to pro-
mote the social life of locals, providing an environment conducive to interaction, where public

space has as its main function to serve as a place of meeting and leisure, aspiring to develop a

true sense of belonging and identity within the community.

Intervention 1:

Motorized vehicles have taken over the urban center, the public space has been absorbed

by parking spaces, which together with the quantity and constant flow of traffic, have displaced

pedestrians to a secondary and unsafe plane, incurring a marked deterioration of the public space.

Although Santa Elena is a very small area, the large slopes and hard-to-travel terrain increase the

use of the car travel for short distances within the same area. The intention of this intervention is

to convert pedestrians into the star protagonist of the show; this would guarantee quality and safe

spaces, achieving an atmosphere more in line with the natural character of Monteverde, by limit-

ing the circulation of cars and reducing the number and possibilities of parking, without ignoring

the transport needs of the population and the town itself. (benefits overall health and well-being,

also helps reduce carbon emissions and mitigates climate change )

 Guidelines:

a) Create streets or boulevards that have pedestrians as the priority in Santa Elena, with

crossings around the center where different colored paving serve as a signaling and division be-

tween the space intended for the vehicles and the pedestrians.

b) Promote the use of the bicycles by building cycle paths and parking spaces for the cy-

cles.

c) Implement urban furniture to sit on the periphery of the streets, providing a visual point

of daily life in the public space.

Intervention 2:
 Within the urban sustainability framework in referencing the SDGs, food security is

another important factor to include. Ecotourism has also introduced negative impacts on the

formerly predominant agricultural sector. Even with former farmers being able to shift to the

tourism service sector, the disadvantageous results of land purchases due to the fairly rapid

growth of ecotourism can still be observed among the local population of Monteverde, includ-

ing the repercussions specific to times of crisis, as the ones we are currently living.

Monteverde, and Costa Rica as a whole, depending only on this industry is one of the

weaknesses of the economy. Owing to climate change, scientists estimate that in as few as 25

years, climate change could shrink and dry 60-80% of Western Hemisphere cloud forest

which means ecosystem losing many of the characteristics specific to its uniqueness (sci-

encedaily,2021). Eventually the forest of Monteverde will not differ from forests in other parts

of the world, and the incentive for visitors to travel to Monteverde will be reduced. The ques-

tion is then, what will happen to the tourist-based economy created in Monteverde if people

stop coming? In my lifetime I have experienced two deep economic crises, both to a level that

experts usually determine could happen but “once in a lifetime”, the first back in 2008 and the

current global crisis due to COVID-19. Without doubt Costa Rica’s reliance on tourism will

make her citizens and future generations food insecure. Creating and guaranteeing an indepen-

dent and food secure community is one of the biggest challenges faced not only in Mon-

teverde, but in all of Costa Rica. A pre-tourism snapshot of Monteverde, but one focused on

the precepts of proper sustainable development, could have provided a blueprint for guarantee-

ing economic security to the future generations of my community. As a current task this is not

easy, since as previously mentioned, many people no longer have their own land after essen-

tially being forced to switch to the tourism industry to secure their livelihoods.

In Cerro Plano, Monteverde we converted a bullpen that was used for 10 days out of

the year to a full time communal garden that benefits families in the area. (Convierten

Redondel En huerta comunitaria, 2021). This initiative recently began 7 months, but in other
places of the world, for example, we can find inspiration in cities like Atlanta, Georgia with

Global Growers which is a successful established project that our community can learn from.

This organization prioritizes serving individuals who came to Georgia as refugees/immigrants

and who were experienced food producers in their countries of origin, this with the sole pur -

pose of growing healthy foods while providing farming resources, access to land, skill-build-

ing, business coaching, and market relationships. The primary objective of Global Growers is

to increase the number of food producers who create access to healthy, sustainably-grown

food and also to prepare farmers to be competitive in their local marketplace. As a result of

this work, there is significantly more fresh food in metro-Atlanta, particularly in food insecure

neighborhoods (Global Growers, 2019). This is an interesting solution for communities around

the globe who have struggled to cope with the challenges of economic and climate-based mi-

gration and urbanization. We need a sustainable solution that protects the lives and livelihoods

of both rural and urban dwellers. (mention more: social sustainability benefit of bringing

community togetherer- equality and how everyone can participate )

Intervention 3:
 One of the projects for the improvement of the urban environment within the revital-

ization initiative is to restructure roads to divert the traffic flow through the urban center, in re-

sponse to a proposed closure of roads and a road change in the streets that remain enabled for

cars; by creating an alternate route that allows the departure of Santa Elena, while enhancing

the stimulation of other places in the area whose development has been much smaller and

much slower. The proposal is to set up from an already low traffic established route and subse-

quently enabling it to meet the transit needs. The following image shows in red the proposed

route as the main exit of Santa Elena, as well as the proposed road changes in the urban center.

Red: alter-
nate route
leaving Santa
Elena
Yellow: Road
to Mon-
teverde and
 Final Thoughts:

The deterioration of the Santa Elena community , road chaos and the lack of leisure

spaces, are determining factors of the degree of comfort in the users of the public space. The

close relationship and the continuous exchange between nature and the urban space that the

community of Santa Elena possesses as previously mentioned is due to the fact that it is im-

mersed in a natural environment and of great tourist attraction, therefore we must reflect the

urban image of “el centro” through a unifying action that can be achieved with an intervention

in this space that will integrate all actors within a framework of participation. Moving away

from the current unsustainable urban system requires a recognition of our societies as a space

with a plurality of actors and visions for a multidisciplinary approach for other areas of urban

sustainable development. We must expand our perceptions to act and react differently, seeking

a variety of trajectories of action – all at a national, regional, sectoral and local level.
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