The contribution of public-private partnerships to public leisure spaces: the case of Costa Azul Park

The aim of this study was to analyze the changes that have taken place in Costa Azul Park as a result of private investment, investigating their impact on the use and appropriation of public space. This qualitative research involved the following data collection procedures: document analysis, field surveys and observations, and semi-structured on-site interviews. The park has consolidated itself as a relevant leisure space within the municipality and the surrounding conurbation, given the fact that ten (10) of the seventeen (17) interviewees did not know the space before the revitalization and that five (5) interviewees lived in the neighbouring municipality. More than half of the interviewees, and above all all those who knew the area before the revitalization, identified improvements in its infrastructure and safety, which in turn had an impact on the appropriation of the place by a larger and more diverse public due to the greater diversity of facilities on offer. Less than half of those interviewed saw the revitalization's influence on real estate appreciation, and few were aware of the public-private partnership that allowed the space to be revitalized.