Scaling up neighborhood upgrading to boost urban resilience in Bolivia

Seven out of ten Bolivians live in urban areas. In La Paz, where land is scarce and the topography is extreme, this has led to the occupation of unstable slopes, housing exposed to landslides, and neighborhoods with limited access to basic services and public spaces—hard‑to‑reach enclaves where physical risk and social exclusion undermine the impact of social investment.

Although Bolivia allocates 14.5 percent of its GDP to social investment, above the regional average of 11.6 percent, gaps in basic infrastructure, urban informality, and climate vulnerability persist, especially in Andean cities. To address this disconnect, the country has adopted a new urban policy that prioritizes improving the quality of life in peripheral areas, reducing vulnerability, expanding access to services, and strengthening territorial integration.

It’s in this context that the Urban Resilience Project (PRU) has become the key instrument that translates this agenda into practice by linking social investment with resilience and territorial development in critical neighborhoods. La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra are demonstrating that targeted investment, well-integrated with urban planning, yields greater returns in terms of resilience, social mobility, and community cohesion —serving as an emblematic model of urban improvement for the region.

But the Urban Resilience Project set out to do more than build infrastructure. Its objective is to demonstrate that a well‑designed urban policy can transform these enclaves into safe, walkable, and connected neighborhoods that can absorb and recover from extreme climate events with fewer losses.

How La Paz built its neighborhood upgrading model

Building on decades of experience, the “Barrios de Verdad” and “Mil Colores” programs, co‑financed by the World Bank, helped consolidate technical capacity and laid the foundation for structuring the Urban Resilience Project. The operation promotes a comprehensive model that combines risk reduction, mobility, public space, and social infrastructure with participatory planning and implementation led by residents.

It brings together three core dimensions: climate resilience, improved neighborhood‑city integration, and institutional strengthening. The interventions raise urban design standards and connect more effectively with transport and services, improving accessibility. The approach deepens community participation, with a more visible role for women and other traditionally excluded groups.

The Alto Las Delicias, 3 de Mayo, KoaKoa, Lazareto, Pokeni–Chapuma, Condorini, Pacasa, and Rosasani neighborhoods illustrate this progress: areas once considered unviable are being transformed into nodes of opportunity for low‑income households through integrated neighborhood upgrading schemes that are now being replicated across the periphery of La Paz.

To date, more than 6,150 people—most of them women—have already seen tangible improvements in their daily lives: all‑weather streets, safer and more reliable access to public transport, lighting that helps reduce insecurity, recreational areas, and community facilities that expand opportunities for meeting, caregiving, and productive activities. In addition, three hectares of new public space have been created, improving stormwater management and hillside stability.

Condorini is one of the clearest examples. Previously, dirt footpaths predominated, drainage was lacking, natural springs created landslide risks, community infrastructure was precarious, and sanitation services were insufficient. The local population—mainly between 40 and 59 years old—is particularly sensitive to disruptions in access and in health and care services, so the intervention prioritized vehicular access, pedestrian mobility, hydraulic works, slope stabilization, stormwater drainage, and social infrastructure. According to perception surveys, more than 80 percent of residents consider the changes “beneficial” for their quality of life. Vehicular access has gone from intermittent to reliable, reducing travel times and facilitating the delivery of services, and 91 percent report that social activities have strengthened social cohesion and the sense of ownership.

In Pokeni and Villa Chapuma, where steep slopes and water seepage were major challenges, a high proportion of children was identified, guiding the design toward care‑oriented facilities. The Chapuma Child Center, sports courts, community spaces, upgraded roads, and stormwater drainage have created better conditions for access, recreation, and early childhood care.

These testimonies highlight the transformation: streets that once flooded are now passable, sports courts are full of children playing, and mothers report feeling more at ease. More than 90 percent of respondents say they are willing to help maintain public spaces. When investments are designed with communities, urban assets become shared heritage and a source of protection in the face of climate uncertainty.

The World Bank as a development catalyst

With 20 million dollars for La Paz—of which 7.3 million are dedicated to neighborhood upgrading—the World Bank plays a catalytic role by aligning these investments with the national urban resilience agenda, strengthening municipal implementation units, and integrating climate, gender, and community‑participation criteria throughout the project cycle.

Collaboration with the Sustainable Urban and Regional Development (SURGE) Program, supported by SECO, has been critical to translating these lessons into concrete rules of the game, including a neighborhood upgrading manual, information systems, and pilots for participatory projects.

Lessons learned

• Clarifying maintenance responsibilities and co‑financing arrangements between municipalities and neighborhood organizations helps safeguard investments, optimize life‑cycle costs, and strengthen the sense of ownership.
• Combining information on risks, service gaps, and socioeconomic profiles with community participation processes provides a robust basis for prioritizing neighborhoods and sequencing investments.

Beyond the physical works, La Paz is building capacities, tools, and institutions ready to support a new generation of neighborhood upgrading programs that can be scaled up in Bolivia and across the Andean region. Social investment is not measured by GDP alone, but by whether the children of Pokeni have a place to play and whether women can catch the bus close to home. La Paz is building those answers — and its experience charts a path for the cities of the region facing the same challenges.