Sustainable Urban Rehabilitation in Vulnerable Historic Contexts: Evaluating Alternative Intervention Strategies for Walkability, Safety, and Environmental Quality in Callao's Historic Center

Abstract

The Historic Center of Callao, Peru, faces physical deterioration, high crime rates, and decades of failed rehabilitation attempts, creating urgent need for effective intervention strategies. This research evaluates three rehabilitation strategies to identify which approach optimally balances urban impact with implementation feasibility in this politically unstable, resource-constrained context. Literature shows that political discontinuity and insufficient funding have caused previous rehabilitation attempts to fail. Currently, the PDM Callao 2040 (Metropolitan Development Plan) includes planning provisions for this zone. However, researchers have not adequately examined intermediate strategies that balance viability and transformative impact. This study employs methodological triangulation, combining semi-structured stakeholder interviews (n=10), focus group discussion (n=6), and weighted scorecard analysis across four dimensions: Walkability, Safety, Environmental Quality, and Viability. The research evaluates three strategies: A1 (Tactical), A2 (Intermediate combining pedestrianization, pocket parks, lighting, and façade rehabilitation), and A3 (Comprehensive transformation). Findings demonstrate that alternative urban rehabilitation strategies in the Historic Center of Callao differ in perceived effectiveness for two main, interdependent reasons. The first is the capacity to address security, which is the community’s primary concern. The second is the perceived credibility of interventions within existing institutional constraints. This research contributes the strategic implementation zone concept and provides evidence-based guidance for municipalities navigating viability-impact trade-offs, with broader applicability to Latin American historic centers.