1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Málaga
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Via Verde del Valle del Guadalhorce
Short description of the intervention
A 5km section green corridor in the province of Malaga. The initial intervention was planned and opened in 2015, converting non-operational train tracks into a green path for pedestrian and cyclist use. (ref 1,4). The whole corridor will unite the Natural Site of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes with the natural site of the mouth of the Guadalhorce river. (ref 3)
Address

Malaga
Spain

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Previous derelict area
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
Non-operational train track (ref 1,4)
Website of the intervention
http://www.valledelguadalhorce.com/comarca-Rutas-por-la-comarca
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2014
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2015
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
The first section (5km stretch on the old railway tracks) has been finished, but the remainder of the 50 km route is still being developed.
Goals of the intervention
Develop green corridor in Malaga (ref 1-7)
Conserve natural environment (ref 3)
Provide access to the environment of the river and strengthen its surroundings (ref 3)
Guarantee universal accessibility (ref 1)
Provide a space for leisure and cycling activities (ref 6)
Create opportunities for tourism and economic growth in the region (ref 7)
-'People with reduced mobility (especially the disabled, the elderly and children) are the biggest beneficiaries of these safe, easy and accessible infrastructures.' (ref 1)
Quantitative targets
5km of rehabilitated path along the old train tracks between Malaga and Coin (ref 1)
Monitoring indicators defined
Green corridor length [km] (ref 1,2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social cohesion
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Improving physical health
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Economic development: service sectors
Tourism support
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Implementation activities
Phase 1 (2015): 2.4 km of rehabilitated path between Venta Casa Pedro, Coin and Alhaurin (413 383 euro financed by province of Malaga). (ref 2)
The whole corridor will unite the Natural Site of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes with the natural site of the mouth of the Guadalhorce river. (ref 3)
Creation of rest areas (ref 5)
Improvement of pavement (ref 5)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Transformation of previously derelict areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Railroad bank and track greens
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Green corridors and green belts
Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Trees
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
Rest areas (ref 5)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Other
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Tourism
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Young people and children
Marginalized groups
Elderly people
People with functional diversities
Please specify other local relevant strategy
Green Ways of Spain (Vias Verdes España), a plan to convert non-operating traintracks into green corridors for civilian use. (ref 1 and 4)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Deputy of Malaga (Diputacion de Malaga)- main initiator and allocator of funds (provincial government) (ref 4)
Overall effort had to be coordinated with 7 city councils involved in the long-corridor. (ref 3)
Spanish Foundation for Railways (Fundacion Española de Ferrocarriles)- supporter of the project. (ref 4)
“It is agreed to promote the project along with the Junta de Andalucía, the Group of Rural Development, Tourism and Planning of the Costa del Sol SLU and the rest of the municipalities involved, which are: Ardales, Álora, Pinarra, Coín, Alhaurín el Grande, Cártama and Alhaurín de la Torre.” (ref 3)
Key actors - initiating organization
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Land owners
No information found
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Private foundation/trust
Citizens or community group
Please specify other participatory methods
The GDR del Valle del Guadalhorce is a community group that focuses on citizen participation on activities around the Valley. However, their initiative and involvement was not mentioned in connection to the discussed intervention.
Land owners
No information found
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
Green Ways of Spain (Vias Verdes España), a plan to convert non-operating traintracks into green corridors for civilian use. (ref 1 and 4)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
Green Ways of Spain (Vias Verdes España), a plan to convert non-operating traintracks into green corridors for civilian use. (ref 1 and 4)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Other
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Green Ways of Spain (Vias Verdes), a program in Spain that supports and connects created green corridors throughout the territory of Spain. Initiated in 1993. (ref 1)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
700 000 (Ref 1, 4)
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
700 000 euros for the greenway development, from Provincial Council (ref 1,4)
413 383 for first section of the project, via subsidies from the Diputación de Málaga (Ref. 2)
Source(s) of funding
Public regional budget
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Please specify other Business model
Rural development (ref 3)
Business models
Green densification model
Other
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The intervention is cited as the first green way of its kind in the province of Malaga, which joins the networks of “Vias Verdes” in Spain. (ref 4)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The innovation joins the already existing network of 107 Vias Verdes in Spain. It is the first in the Province of Malaga and so designed specifically for the environment it will be transforming along the banks of the Guadalhorce River and the former train tracks. (ref 4)

Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Restoration of derelict areas
Description of environmental benefits
Achieved Impacts:
Phase 1 (2015): 2.4 km of rehabilitated green path between Venta Casa Pedro, Coin and Alhaurin (ref 2)

Expected Impacts:
The whole corridor will unite the Natural Site of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes with the natural site of the mouth of the Guadalhorce river. (ref 3)
The intervention is cited as the first green way of its kind in the province of Malaga, which joins the networks of “Vias Verdes” in Spain. (ref 4)
Economic impacts
Attraction of business and investment
Description of economic benefits
Expected Impacts:
- ‘A route that will open up new business opportunities in the Guadalhorce region’ (ref 4,6)
Social and cultural impacts
Safety
Increased perception of safety
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Protection of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Description of social and cultural benefits
Expected Impacts:
- Opportunities to do sports and other activities with family for healthy lifestyle (ref 6)
-'People with reduced mobility (especially the disabled, the elderly and children) are the biggest beneficiaries of these safe, easy and accessible infrastructures.' (ref 1)
- Green corridor passes through area of great natural, cultural, and historical value (ref 3)
- Opportunities to connect with culture, gastronomy, and traditional agriculture of neighboring municipalities (ref 3)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
green corridor length [km] (ref 1,2); business opportunities (ref 4,6); opportunities for recreation (ref 6)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of 22 September 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Valle del Guadalhorce
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5 Video about Green Corridor of Guadalhorce Valley
Ref. 6
Ref. 7
List of references
1. Imalda. (2015). La Via Verde Valle del Guadalhorce estara lista a final de año. Available at: http://www.imalaga.com/2015/02/la-via-verde-valle-del-guadalhorce-estara-lista-a-final-de-ano/ [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
2. La Opinion de Malaga. (2016). El primer tramo de Vía Verde en el Guadalhorce se iniciará a final de año. Available at: http://www.laopiniondemalaga.es/municipios/2016/08/11/primer-tramo-via-verde-guadalhorce/869357.html [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
3. Sau, Jose Antonio. (2017). El Ayuntamiento de Málaga apoya impulsar un gran Corredor Verde en el Guadalhorce. La Opinion de Malaga. Available at: http://www.laopiniondemalaga.es/malaga/2017/05/16/ayuntamiento-malaga-apoya-impulsar-gran/930671.html [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
4. Diputacion de Malaga. (2015). La Diputación habilitará la primera vía verde de la provincia con una inversión de 700.000 euros. Available at: http://www.malaga.es/medioambiente/1330/com1_md-3/com1_ct-0/com1_fb-0/com1_cb-0/com1_md3_cd-22463/diputacion-habilitara-primera-verde-provincia-inversion-euros [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
5. Gran Senda de Malaga. (2015). Via Verde Valle del Gudalhorce, Una Realidad Muy Proxima. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA2-X2seV_M [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
6. Angel, M. (2016). Diputación entrega al Ayuntamiento la documentación del Proyecto de la Vía Verde. Available at: https://www.rtvalhaurinelgrande.com/via-verde/ [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
7. Guadalhorce.net. (2016). Guadalhorce Greenway. Guadalhorce.net. Available at: http://www.guadalhorce.net/columnista.php?fuente=V%EDa+Verde+del+Guadalhorce [Accessed: 22 September 2020].
Comments and notes
Additional insights
50km of connected green corridor. (ref unknown)
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/screen_shot_2017-07-18_at_16.17.54.png
Public Images
Guadalhorce 1
Source: Ref. 3
Guadalhorce 2
Source: Ref. 7