Plans to create a 145,000 square metre “urban forest” in the Spanish capital Madrid are one step closer after the city selected two architecture firms – West 8 and Porras Guadiana – out of 40 applicants, announced the online magazine Cities Today in an article. The urban transformation project was first mooted 25 years ago, but only recently received planning permits.
Known as Madrid Nuevo Norte, the project aims to make transport more sustainable and transform the urban landscape from concrete to greenery. One of its key goals is developing a central business district around the train station, according to the article. The project also includes a park that could reduce temperatures in the Spanish capital by between three and four degrees.
Lola Ortiz Sanchez, General Director of Planning and Mobility Infrastructure in Madrid, told Cities Today that the development of a north-south axis will connect the city’s bike lanes. “We’re also going to incorporate the high-speed train system and rapid bus transit – so we’ll have to adapt a lot of infrastructure in a short period of time,” she said.
The main construction phase of the project is expected to start in two years’ time, according to Cities Today. It follows the launch of the sustainability strategy Madrid 360 in 2020, which comprises over 200 initiatives to boost public transport networks, improve infrastructure and reduce emissions.
