The efficacy of the city’s regeneration has set new standards.

HE SPEED and scope of Guayaquil’s urban renovation is a Latin American success story that has been recognized and awarded internationally. Not only is Guayaquil the only city in Ecuador to receive loans directly from the Andean Development Corporation, but it also received a distinction from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which declared the city a model of leadership and human development in its local government project. The UN distinction was based on the unprecedented rapid physical overhaul of the city’s districts, as well as the significant improvement made in its public services and the effectiveness of its municipal government. It also recognized efforts made in Guayaquil during the last decade towards achieving sustainable development.

While visiting the city in 2003, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan commented that Guayaquil was known the world over for its farsighted urban planning and that its inhabitants should feel proud of the example that they were setting for citizens of the rest of the world. The UNDP took into consideration factors such as the recovery of public spaces and urban renewal, enhancement in the mobility and mass transportation of passengers, improvements in access to health services, progress in the administrative efficiency, and also the promotion of strategic alliances for the development and growth of the city. Only the second city in Latin America to receive the UN distinction, Guayaquil was praised for having formed constructive relationships between its various political, economic and social actors. It was also commended for its strong institutional capacity and leadership.
Guayaquil’s experience has raised the bar throughout Latin America, as other cities refer to it as a successful development model that has effectively responded to the needs of its inhabitants. Mayor Nebot has devised a system whereby citizens have a greater say in how their tax money is spent; companies and individuals are given the option of channeling 25 percent of their tax revenues into the social project of their choice. The flagship development Malecón 2000 was financed in this way as during five consecutive years, taxpayers chose to dedicate a quarter of their contributions to the project. In addition, only one dollar for each ten the local government collects is spent on administration costs such as wages. The other 90 percent is spent on public services, infrastructure development and investment promotion.