Is São Paulo really getting its own Puerto Madero?

Walking around the Rio de la Plata in Buenos Aires is among the most pleasant experiences the city has to offer. Puerto Madero’s pool of bars and restaurants framed by the Puente de la Mujer bridge, coupled with a beautiful park and the calm waters of the river creates one of the most picture-perfect scenes of the Argentinian capital—enough to make tourists pay no attention to the fact that the charming landscape sits on top of an old landfill. That’s the kind of experience Governor João Doria is looking to build on the São Paulo Pinheiros River.

Mr. Doria, who already served half a term as São Paulo’s mayor, has promised to clean the river—which has been declared biologically dead for years—by the time he leaves office in December 2022.

“The deadline established by the governor to Sabesp, Emae, DAEE, Cetesb, and related agencies by way of the Infrastructure and Environment Department is December 2022 for us to deliver a clean river and riverbanks for São Paulo’s population,” he said.

Mr. Doria also plans to privatize the Usina Traição, a now-empty water-lifting station built in the 1940s. It is located nearby the Ary Torres bridge, connecting two of São Paulo’s most expensive neighborhoods, Cidade Jardim and Vila Olímpia. Due to its privileged location, the government aims to transform the space into São Paulo’s very own Puerto Madero, complete with bars and restaurants. 

A Herculean task for São Paulo

To carry out this plan, the government plans to privatize the space—which currently belongs to Emae, a state-owned company that manages energy generation in São Paulo’s...