Linear parks understood as vertebration instruments of the city

Abstract

Introduction: to recover the scale of the cityThe thesis proposed by this text is that linear parks within cities can be a highly effective instrument for integral, sustainable and participatory urban development, capable of transforming the city and consequently regenerating it.In order to study the keys for linear parks, it is convenient, as always, to go back to the origin and to recognize in history how they have arisen and how they have evolved from what can be described as elemental linear park, to the current parks of Great complexity. First actions: row plantings on roads and roads outside the wallsIn 1552, Henry II King of France ordered "all lords, the justices , and all the rulers and inhabitants of cities, towns and parishes, to Abstract. This research raises as thesis the idea that Linear Park is an urban instrument capable of vertebrate the city and, consequently, of regenerate it. To this end, ten parks strategically located in big cities such as Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, or in medium or small cities such as Valencia, Castellón or Figueres, have been analyzed. Of this analysis we have deduced some characteristics that are considered key in the linear and transversal vertebration of the city, such as: green axis-corridor approach; sequence of events with integration of public buildings; continuity derived from the union of different areas; promotion of active leisure activities, individual or collective: sports, cultural, ...; capability of relation and regeneration of ecosystems: forest, meadow, orchard, nurseries, water, city, ...; capability to restore environment, with reduction in CO2, in noise pollution, ...; establish relations between the thermal inversion in the city; establish a beginning and an end as recognizable elements in city; confrontation of opposites: static or dynamic; soft (green) or hard (pavement); unitary or fragmentary, cartesian or organic, ... The parks thus understood can be organized in diverse typologies, such us: classic order; in net; upholstery-continuous map; linear order with grooves, tapes or bands; landscaper and naturalist; ... The work delves into these themes by recognizing tools of interest such as: harmonic relationship; human scale; non-guided tours; sensory experimentation: spaces, sights, aromas, sounds, colorful, ...; unexpected and random; pragmatic and passionate; order within disorder; evocations; ...

Sustainability Analysis of the M-30 Madrid Tunnels and Madrid Río through the MIVES Method After 14 Years of Service Life

“…However, the SI of the buried M-30 built with new materials is only 0.5 higher than by using conventional materials. These scores may be attributed to the premise that the M-30 regeneration was designed with consideration of the environmental and socio-economic and l enhancement of the area [11,28,34] (Table 1 and Table 2). In this sense, it may be observed that several of the indicators selected have the same value regarding the use or not of greener and high-performance materials, as they evaluated the difference between the buried and non-buried solutions ( Table 2).…”

“…Additionally, the average price of dwellings around the M-30, considering the size and real-estate characteristics of the districts, the real-estate value between 2005 and 2015 increased by approximately 500 euros per square meter due to the improvements provided by works [39]. This increase in real-estate values is directly related to the creation of Madrid Río which has boosted cultural and leisure activities, as well as commercial activities, in the vicinity [11,28,34]. Due to the new green area created and its connection with relevant tourist attractions of Madrid, such as the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, the Matadero cultural and exhibition centre and the Campo del Moro Gardens, Madrid Río has become a new tourist point of interest of the city.…”

“…Lastly, the main action performed to improve the environmental sustainability of the south-west section was the creation of Madrid Río and recovery of the fluvial system and its ecosystem (C12, Table 2). The burial of the road and reuse of the land around the area as a green area with more than 33,000 newly planted trees and 470,000 shrubs, and 210,000 square meters of low water demand meadow, enables a reduction of 35,000 tons of CO2 from the air pollution, as well as the significant reduction of noise pollution [11,28]. However, the enhancement of these indicators has been considered medium because the original design of Madrid Río did not contribute to restoring the natural characteristics of the Manzanares river and additional actions were performed in subsequent years [54].…”

“…They also influenced the mobility patterns in the area, increasing the permeability among the neighborhoods that had been historically separated due to the barrier of the Manzanares river and the M-30 [54]. The purpose of the renovation design was to improve the accessibility of the section, not only for drivers but also for pedestrians, creating a park with slopes ranging from 4 to 6%, a wide network of pedestrian paths, 30 kilometers of segregated bike lanes, and bridges that cross the river [11,28]. The park also enhances the leisure, sport and cultural activities with development of childrens playgrounds, basketball, handball and tennis courts, and cultural centres [29].…”

“…Madrid Río is a linear park with 429 hectares of new green areas distributed along the banks of the Manzanares river with the aim of integrating the river environment into the urban landscape of Madrid [10]. Thus, the park offered not only an improvement of the environmental conditions but also eliminated the previous road barrier, linking the south with central Madrid, thus producing extensive urban regeneration of the area [11]. The materials used to build the tunnels should also be taken into account, as it is known that cement production contributes to global warming with 7-8% of global CO2 emissions [12].…”