1. General information
2. Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
This intervention is part of a broader effort for urban regeneration in Bilbao. (Ref 4,5) It aims to transform the derelict industrial area of the Abandoibarra district to an international cultural district and tourist destination. Its design considerations include: expanding the amount of textured green space, incorporating sustainable design practices, making Abandoibarra the most pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of Bilbao, and unifying the Abandoibarra with the Nervion River. (Ref 1)
Quantitative targets
1. 3 major green areas: Campa de los Ingleses Park (2.5 ha), Plaza Euskadi (1 ha), The Garden that climbs the Stairs (80 sqm) (Ref 1)
2. Serving 51.718 inhabitants (Ref 2)
3. Plant 66 Lime and Large Plane Trees to buffer the park from the traffic. (Ref 2)
2. Serving 51.718 inhabitants (Ref 2)
3. Plant 66 Lime and Large Plane Trees to buffer the park from the traffic. (Ref 2)
Monitoring indicators defined
1. Area of green space created (Ref 1)
2. Number of citizens benefiting from this NBS (Ref 2)
3. Number of trees (Ref 2)
2. Number of citizens benefiting from this NBS (Ref 2)
3. Number of trees (Ref 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Implementation activities
The project made Abandoibarra an integral part of the city by extending the city grid to the area and by adding new green spaces that link to existing ones. A linear park links the 19th-century Doña Casilda Park with the river’s edge. The project created a long promenade beginning at the old park, passing the museum and concert hall, Abandoibarra’s two cultural focal points. The large drop from the street to the river was corrected by creating a smooth sloping street that comfortably accommodates pedestrians. The pedestrian edge of the river has two levels: The lower level allows pedestrians to walk near the water. A parallel walkway on the second tier is a more formal promenade. Large streetlights along the walkway recall the scale of the cranes found in the old port. (Ref 2)
A new light rail connects the Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall with the rest of the city. (Ref 1,3) The rail line runs on a width of green lawn to give continuity to the greenspace. (Ref 2) To slow down vehicles, a main high-speed roadway became a boulevard with ample pedestrian crossings. (Ref 1,3)
A new light rail connects the Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall with the rest of the city. (Ref 1,3) The rail line runs on a width of green lawn to give continuity to the greenspace. (Ref 2) To slow down vehicles, a main high-speed roadway became a boulevard with ample pedestrian crossings. (Ref 1,3)
Type of NBS project
3. NBS domains, ES and scale
4. Governance and financing
5. Innovation
Type of innovation
Please specify technological innovation
This NBS is a product innovation since instead of an Industrial Lawn, a Freedom Lawn was planed by introducing various grass species, clover and wildflowers that fixes nitrogen and reduces the need for pesticides. The Freedom Lawn was “invented” by a trio of Yale Forestry and Environmental Studies professors in the early 1990s, a concept rooted in low maintenance residential turf areas that aren’t watered, chemically managed or mowed with powered equipment, offering up the joyously weedy landscapes as a more environmentally-responsible replacement for the intensively-managed suburban lawn. The paving contains an additive called GeoSilex which absorbs Co2. (4)
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
This NBS makes a reference to the West Kowloon Cultural District Project, as a point of reference when establishing the initiative (2)
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
This NBS does not make a reference in terms of its transferability (1)
