The Master Plan of Green Public Spaces of the Metropolitan Area published in 2006, identified 64 structural ecological networks, of which 48.5% of the total surface of the metropolitan network is occupied by urban green spaces; 36.7% are dominated by trees or bushes, and only 30.5% are public properties. These figures demonstrate that access to these spaces, which are essential for the conservation of biodiversity and citizen wellbeing, is unequitable.

The project has the following objectives:

• Carry out planting and maintenance of forest and host seedlings in green areas suitable for implementing ecological rehabilitation measures.
• Identify potential strategic areas to implement ecological restoration measurements.
• Incorporate socialization and communication strategies to create participation schemes for different stakeholders that are part of the area of influence of the Parches Verdes (green spots).
• Extend strategies used to conserve urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, many of which can also be applied to configure new urban protected areas or complementary conservation strategies.
• Consolidate actions to mitigate climate change through CO2 capture and thermal regulation in urban areas where heat island phenomena are generated. 

In October 2020 the Interadministrative Contract 955 of 2020 was signed between the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley and the Más Bosques Corporation to establish microforests in urban contexts in the 10 municipalities of the Aburrá Valley. In 2021 (CI-857 of 2021) the activities continued seeking to consolidate a goal of 80 green spots in the Aburrá Valley.

Active restoration: Consists of a process that rescues the natural functions of ecosystems through human intervention.  68,200 native trees were planted in the initial phase. In a second phase, 111,604 trees were added. Species such as Willow, Quiebrabarrigo, Guadua, Guineo, Chachafruto, Mortiño, Camargos, Guamos, Chirlobirlo, Guayabos, Mísperos, Acacias, Encenillos, Arrayan, Roble, among others, were planted.

Maintenance: Maintenance activities include planting, fertilization, pest and disease control and are carried out up to 5 times in a process of revitalizing the planted species.

Community engagement: From October 2020 to August 2022, 50 visits were made to communities and municipal authorities. In addition, 21 training workshops were held on the protection and management of micro-watersheds, climate change and reforestation.

The programs have been maintained in 2021 and 2022, involving different entities including educational institutions, the military and public space departments raising awareness of the importance and value that forests provide to living sustainably.

The lead agency for the project is the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá and is funded by internal investment resources.

The project “Parches Verdes: Lungs for Life” aims to improve air quality in public spaces that have emerged due to the large amount of construction, the density in the territory and other problems associated with air quality.

The project also aims to restore degraded areas through the planting of micro forests in urban spaces. By increasing local biodiversity and improving air quality, the project seeks to regulate temperature in areas of greatest impact, beautify public spaces and contribute to a more sustainable city.

The program contributes to the increase of green public spaces in the Aburrá Valley.

The main challenges that have arisen have been the difficulty of obtaining land that is suitable for intervention, securing land tenure, and the costly legal processes involved in guaranteeing the sustainability of future forests in urban environments.

This project demonstrates the importance of re-naturalizing empty spaces on a small scale in an urban environment. By intervening in these spaces, it is possible to highlight the inadequacy of areas that are not conducive to sustaining arboreal vegetation and other species. This, in turn, can lead to the transformation of structures into more sustainable ones.

Other considerations identified were the scarcity of areas that comply with the purposes of the green spaces in the different municipalities of the metropolitan area. These areas are either too small, or there are legal issues with the land that need to be resolved before any development can take place. In addition, there are often situations that arise that can hinder the development process of the project.

It is a relevant fact that historically urban design has not considered the importance of incorporating nature, such as trees, into the cityscape to achieve improved environmental conditions.

The findings of this project offer valuable insights for other cities struggling to maintain green spaces. The identification of different typologies can be used as a guide for reconfiguring spaces to better integrate natural environments and promote models that address the fragmentation of ecosystems and the loss of ecosystem services.