The city of Valencia is currently undergoing a major transformation, with the redevelopment and pedestrianisation of many of its squares (plazas) moving along at great speed. Ten squares have already been pedestrianised, two are currently in the process of being pedestrianised and another five projects are in the pipeline.
The architects of the ambitious city pedestrianisation project hope the project will tackle climate change from two angles: reducing emissions in the city by limiting traffic to certain areas, and creating a greener environment with more trees and more areas for peope to socialise in. The long-term plan is to "re-naturalise" the city and re-direct the city's growth towards a more sustainable model.
Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Urban Development, Sandra Gómez, says the way forward is to tackle climate change from within our cities. "The main aim of the project has been to study the city, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, reclaiming vital areas so as to improve people's quality of life and support sustainable development", she explained.
Valencia's urban planning, she said, is now geared towards "reclaiming te city's squares as places for people to build a stable and sustainable sense of community". Valencia's squares need to become places where neighbours can "grow, share, play, have fun and live together" she said, adding that before the pedestrianisation project was launched, these squares "were just congested concrete parking lots with barely passable pavements".
Plaza de Rojas Clemente in the Botànic neighbourhood was one of the first to be pedestrianised. It now has trees, seating areas, a children's play area, and bicycle parking to promote the use of pedal power.
The Cabanyal area was one that the city council deemed in need of "urgent intervention" so Plaza Rosario and Plaza Lorenzo La Flor have already been redeveloped. One of the latest redevelopments was carried out in the Plaza de San Sebastián (Botànic), and work has also been done in Plaza San Jerónimo (Rascanya), Plaza Río Segura (Forn d’Alcedo), Plaza San Felipe Neri (Algirós) and Plaza Arzobispo Olaechea (San Marcelino).
Plans are also in the pipeline to pedestrianise the Plaza Grup Marqués de Vallterra in El Perellonet and the Plaza Ceramista Gimeno in Malilla, where the Rafael Mateu Cámara school is located.
Still to be approved are the more ambitious projects for some of the city centre's most emblematic areas like the pedestrianisation of the Plaza de San Agustín and the redevelopment of the Ciudad de Brujas and the area around the Lonja (Silk Exchange) and the Central Market, not forgetting plans to redevelop the Plaza de la Reina and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
Pictured: the newly redeveloped Plaza de Rojas Clemente, Valencia
