elevated linear park reclaims canal runing along brazilian city center

Natureza Urbana revives Belém’s waterfront as a linear park

Doca Linear Park is a landscape-led urban regeneration project by Natureza Urbana located in Belém do Pará, Brazil. The project occupies the former Igarapé das Almas, a 1.2-kilometer canal running along the central median of Visconde de Sousa Franco Avenue. The intervention addresses the historical disconnection between the city and its waterways by reintroducing water as a central element of public space and urban infrastructure.

Belém’s urban development progressively buried and fragmented its rivers and igarapés, prioritizing road infrastructure and reducing the presence of water in everyday life. The canal corridor was previously characterized by limited vegetation, low soil permeability, and a lack of public amenities, resulting in an underused and environmentally compromised urban space. Doca Linear Park forms part of a broader strategy to restore ecological and spatial continuity while improving environmental performance and public accessibility.

Designed as one of the key urban legacies for COP30, the project transforms the former canal into a continuous linear park structured around green infrastructure and water-sensitive urban design principles. The historic watercourse becomes the organizing element of the project, shaping a sequence of public spaces for leisure, sports, and everyday use. The design integrates nature-based solutions to improve water quality, reduce diffuse pollution, and support microdrainage, while resilient hydraulic systems address flood mitigation and public safety.

all images by Manuel Sá unless stated otherwise

Doca Linear Park builds A Continuous Network of Public Spaces

Increased soil permeability and the introduction of extensive native vegetation contribute to passive cooling, improved drainage, and the regulation of the local microclimate. The design team at Natureza Urbana follows these landscape strategies to support biodiversity and ecological connectivity within the urban fabric. Along its 1.2-kilometer length, the park incorporates viewpoints, elevated walkways, kiosks, playgrounds, a dog park, shaded seating areas, a continuous cycle path, and sports facilities, creating a varied sequence of spaces connected by pedestrian and cycling routes.

The design prioritizes universal accessibility, safety, and comfort, ensuring continuous use throughout the day. Community participation informed the development process through engagement with local residents, schools, and organizations, contributing to programmatic and spatial decisions aligned with local needs. Integrated within a wider framework of sanitation, drainage, and urban revitalization works in the Doca area, the project serves approximately 500,000 residents.

By converting a former canal into combined ecological and public infrastructure, Doca Linear Park reintroduces water into Belém’s urban experience and establishes a model for landscape-based regeneration within the Amazonian context.

Doca Linear Park occupies the former Igarapé das Almas canal in Belém do Pará

the 1.2-kilometer park runs along the central median of Visconde de Sousa Franco Avenue | image by Leonardo Finotti

landscape design replaces a previously underused canal corridor

the project reintroduces water as a key element of public space

elevated walkways provide views across the canal landscape | image by Leonardo Finotti

playgrounds and sports facilities activate the public realm | image by Leonardo Finotti

Doca Linear Park combines ecological infrastructure with public space

shaded seating areas support everyday use of the park

kiosks and gathering areas support leisure and social interaction

the park integrates pedestrian and cycling routes along its length

the intervention addresses Belém’s historical separation from its waterways

project info:

name: Doca Linear Park

architect: Natureza Urbana | @naturezaurbana_br

location: Belém do Pará, Brazil

area: 40.080,24 sqm

project leader: Giulia Corsi
design team: Claudia Jaegerman, Julia Ximenes, Juliana Santos, Luan Neske, Nicollas Rangel, Yan Azevedo

coordination: Manoela Machado and Pedro Lira
partners: Vallenge Engenharia, Geasa Engenharia and Marcello Sanguinetti Estruturas Ltda

photographers: Manuel Sá | @omanuelsa, Leonardo Finotti | @leonardofinotti

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom