Tampa’s Guidance Helps Barranquilla Win the Ross Center Prize for Cities

February 15th, 2023 - Tampa, FL. On February 1st, 2023, our sister city, Barranquilla, in Colombia, won the Prize for Cities by the Ross Center of the World Resources Institute for the most innovative project of sustainable urban transformation worldwide, called "Todos al Parque" (Everyone goes to the park). Barranquilla was the only Latin American finalist competing with cities in Europe and Asia.

We are especially proud of this achievement, as the Tampa-Barranquilla Sister Cities committee played a significant role in connecting Barranquilla's parks delegation to Tampa's parks officials. In 2014 a delegation of Barranquilla's parks administrators and city officials visited Tampa to tour various Tampa parks and recreational and sports facilities. They learned how Tampa facilities were developed, managed, maintained, and modernized. The visit has profoundly impacted Barranquilla's parks administrators and planners, who have rehabilitated and modernized more than 67 parks and 100 sports fields through the initiative "Todos al Parque." The 10-year initiative of "Todos al Parque" promotes inclusive development through environmental consciousness, health, and citizenship participation, by creating safe and healthy green areas for residents in different areas of Barranquilla. The $250K prize will go towards developing social impact projects to strengthen the work performed so far.

Thanks to the exchange of experiences and best practices in design, budgeting, and logistics of maintenance of green areas, Tampa contributed to helping her sister city, Barranquilla grow and be a model of excellence in urban transformation worldwide. This is a practical example of a good sister cities relationship between Tampa and Barranquilla since 1968. Our sister city, Barranquilla, has been recognized globally for its innovative and sustainable urban transformation project. It is a testament to the power of international collaboration and the positive impact of sister cities' relationships. Congratulations to Barranquilla!

About Tampa Sister Cities

Tampa Sister Cities Committee, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that aims to involve people and organizations at all levels of our society in personal diplomacy. Incorporated on July 12, 1967, as a non-profit corporation and defined in its articles of incorporation as a membership organization to foster better international understanding and cooperation through Sister City relationships.

Citizens of Tampa who desire to become directly involved with another culture and share their culture by linking with a community in another country can join the Tampa Sister Cities Committee, Inc. and participate in the many affiliations' activities. To learn more about Tampa Sister Cities, visit their website at https://tampasistercities.org/.

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