Minhocão, São Paulo

Aligning São Paulo’s city agencies around a major infrastructure project

For over a decade, the City of São Paulo has been working to determine a new future for the city’s storied “Minhocão” or “the worm” – an elevated stretch of highway dividing the city into east/west halves, and reminding residents daily of a sensitive era of military rule.

With competing interests and visions grinding the process, the City worked with Public Sentiment to develop alternative paths forward, aligning inter- agency government stakeholders around a community-centered process designed to anticipate and balance needs and priorities within key agencies, and bring in specialized partners for urban design and public space activation.

“Este é um momento para transformar o centro da cidade. Precisamos de um novo começo para provocar novas ideias sobre um caminho a seguir.”

“This is a moment to transform the downtown. We need a fresh start to provoke new ideas about a way forward.”

Spurred by decisive Mayoral action informed by Public Sentiment’s Engagement Plan and coalition-building, agencies have coalesced around piloting a converted potion of the road into a public space serving local residents with new space for exercising and gathering.