What Happened
The Panama City municipality put out a public tender for the construction of 10 pocket parks across seven corregimientos in the capital district, with a budget of $1.075 million. Only one company submitted a proposal: Educational Furniture & Technology, S.A., which offered a figure close to the municipal reference price.
The proposal was presented on Tuesday, May 12. A municipal evaluation commission will now review the paperwork and decide whether to award the contract.
Where the Parks Will Be Built
The first phase of the project covers Calidonia, Bella Vista, San Francisco, Parque Lefevre, Pueblo Nuevo, Río Abajo and Juan Díaz. The plan is to recover small urban spaces that are currently underused or left over from road layouts and development patterns.
The municipality describes pocket parks as small public spaces designed for community use. The concept began in Europe after the Second World War as a low-cost way to create gathering areas when resources were scarce.
Why the Project Matters
In Panama City, the municipal government says these interventions are aimed at addressing the effects of rapid urban growth and a city model centered on cars. That pattern has left gaps in the urban fabric, including intersections, street edges and traffic islands that can be turned into safer, more useful public spaces.
The tender documents say the selected areas commonly face problems such as missing or broken sidewalks, obstacles in pedestrian space, lack of shade, scarce vegetation, poor public lighting and the absence of proper stormwater infrastructure.
The project is intended to improve pedestrian access and movement while also strengthening road safety. If approved, the parks would add small but functional public spaces in neighborhoods where daily walking conditions remain difficult.
Context for the Capital
Urban public space has become a growing issue in Panama City as congestion, dense development and limited pedestrian infrastructure continue to shape how residents move around the capital. Pocket parks are one way local authorities are trying to make better use of small leftover plots without requiring large-scale construction.
By targeting seven corregimientos at once, the municipality is signaling that it wants to spread these interventions across central and residential areas of the city. The outcome now depends on the evaluation of the sole bid and the next administrative step in the contracting process.