Redevelopement of Paseo Ramon y Cajal
Basic information
Project Title
Redevelopement of Paseo Ramon y Cajal
Full project title
Redevelopment and network renewal of Paseo Ramon y Cajal in Huesca, Spain
Category
Reconnecting with nature
Project Description
The renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal in Huesca has become an accessible and sustainable urban space to meet its neighbors’ needs.To ensure a physical, sensory and cognitive accessibility, the curbs and steps have been removed and the varied textures of the floorings delimit the areas that have been reorganized in a more intuitive way. The Hymalayan cedar trees, the garden areas and the use of filtering pavement make up a new ecosystem that offers a healthier environment to stroll or to simply relax
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Huesca, Spain
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
The renovation of the Ramón y Cajal Street (Paseo Ramón y Cajal) was promoted by the Town Council of Huesca and focused on its stretch running from the river Isuela to the town centre. Its main goal was to turn this axis of the town, which had been traditionally taken up by the heavy vehicle traffic running along its 5 existing traffic lanes, into a friendlier and more livable area. This way, the neighbors of the quarter of Santo Domingo and, more generally, the people of Huesca could win the Paseo Ramón y Cajal back, after decades of relegation to the only two meager sidewalks that ran on both sides of the street, next to the façades of the buildings.
For this purpose, our proposal put forward, on one side, the enlargement, improvement and overall reorganization of the pedestrian areas-with special focus on the new garden zones-and subsequent reduction the number of traffic lanes; and, on the other side, the full renovation of the utilities network running beneath the surface and the implementation of sustainable watering and electricity supply systems.
After six years of works, and as a result of the launching of the aforementioned approaches, the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal has become today an accessible, sustainable and safe urban space specifically designed to meet its neighbors’ needs, by building upon them a greener and more welcoming context, while preserving its worth saving pre-existing elements and social and historic features.
For this purpose, our proposal put forward, on one side, the enlargement, improvement and overall reorganization of the pedestrian areas-with special focus on the new garden zones-and subsequent reduction the number of traffic lanes; and, on the other side, the full renovation of the utilities network running beneath the surface and the implementation of sustainable watering and electricity supply systems.
After six years of works, and as a result of the launching of the aforementioned approaches, the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal has become today an accessible, sustainable and safe urban space specifically designed to meet its neighbors’ needs, by building upon them a greener and more welcoming context, while preserving its worth saving pre-existing elements and social and historic features.
Key objectives for sustainability
The main objective of the project in terms of sustainability was to drastically reduce the levels of air and light pollution of the area, as a way to improve the living conditions of the neighbors through a cleaner and healthier environment. Also, the project sought to preserve the Himalayan cedar trees aligned in the North side of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
Those aims have been successfully met through the following measures:
-Reduction of the number of traffic lanes, from 5 to 2 + an occasional service lane;
-To foster the use of cleaner means of transport, several charging points for electric vehicles, a bus stop and new cycle stands have been installed among the parking spaces;
-Enlargement of the existing garden areas, and implementation of new ones;
-Replacement of the lawn in the garden areas with native species that need much less irrigation water and require almost no maintenance at all, as they develop according to their own natural growth;
-Construction of the new sidewalks using a filtering system consisting of drainage slabs which filters more than 90% of the rainwater, thus enabling the ground to breath and avoiding the overloading of the drainage network;
-Reparation and improvement of all the utilities network running beneath the Paseo, implementation of more sustainable watering and electricity supply systems:
-the new watering and drainage systems avoid water leaks, and the subsequent waste of water;
-the lighting system of the promenade has been modified to use LED luminaries with digital controllers, which improves the lighting conditions and drastically reduces the energy consumption;
-LED technology has been also used in the curved luminaries that outline the promenade under the cedar trees and enable to keep the Paseo Ramón y Cajal safe also at nights, with a significant reduction in light pollution.
Sustainability means not only the reduction of energy and water consumption, but also a more eco-efficient design of the spaces.
Those aims have been successfully met through the following measures:
-Reduction of the number of traffic lanes, from 5 to 2 + an occasional service lane;
-To foster the use of cleaner means of transport, several charging points for electric vehicles, a bus stop and new cycle stands have been installed among the parking spaces;
-Enlargement of the existing garden areas, and implementation of new ones;
-Replacement of the lawn in the garden areas with native species that need much less irrigation water and require almost no maintenance at all, as they develop according to their own natural growth;
-Construction of the new sidewalks using a filtering system consisting of drainage slabs which filters more than 90% of the rainwater, thus enabling the ground to breath and avoiding the overloading of the drainage network;
-Reparation and improvement of all the utilities network running beneath the Paseo, implementation of more sustainable watering and electricity supply systems:
-the new watering and drainage systems avoid water leaks, and the subsequent waste of water;
-the lighting system of the promenade has been modified to use LED luminaries with digital controllers, which improves the lighting conditions and drastically reduces the energy consumption;
-LED technology has been also used in the curved luminaries that outline the promenade under the cedar trees and enable to keep the Paseo Ramón y Cajal safe also at nights, with a significant reduction in light pollution.
Sustainability means not only the reduction of energy and water consumption, but also a more eco-efficient design of the spaces.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
In terms of aesthetics and quality of the people’s experience, the renovation of the Paseo Ramón aimed not only for the expansion of the pedestrian areas, but also –and especially- for the improvement of the spatial quality that it provides for the people of Huesca.
The new Paseo has then been designed as a new meeting place with large green and play areas and equipped with high quality pieces of tailor-made street furniture that build spaces to enable the people’s gathering and socialization. As a result, attention has been paid not only to the enlargement of the sidewalks, but also to the quality of the materials and pieces of street furniture placed along them.
From a aesthetic point of view, our proposal also aims for creating a relaxed scenario for a healthy and cordial coexistence, through the use of contemporary architectural language: all along the 500 meters of the promenade: fluid shapes predominate in the layout of the green and walking areas, in the design and layout of the pieces of street furniture and street lighting, and neutral colors and tones were selected when defining the materials and elements to be used in them.
At the same time, the installation of new equipments such as a news stand, a children play area and all the curved luminaries system, expressly designed for the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, have contributed not only to enrich the range of available uses, but also to enhance the aesthetics of the ensemble by means of the use of site specific equipments.
Lastly, this improvement of the spatial quality of the renovated area and of its aesthetics has also been undertaken from a respectful look to the pre-existing worth-preserving elements of the Paseo, such as the Cedar Trees, the street market that is held every Saturday…This allows the people of the neighborhood to still recognize and relate to the area and the memories that they keep in it, and help them to accept and embrace it in its refurbished version.
The new Paseo has then been designed as a new meeting place with large green and play areas and equipped with high quality pieces of tailor-made street furniture that build spaces to enable the people’s gathering and socialization. As a result, attention has been paid not only to the enlargement of the sidewalks, but also to the quality of the materials and pieces of street furniture placed along them.
From a aesthetic point of view, our proposal also aims for creating a relaxed scenario for a healthy and cordial coexistence, through the use of contemporary architectural language: all along the 500 meters of the promenade: fluid shapes predominate in the layout of the green and walking areas, in the design and layout of the pieces of street furniture and street lighting, and neutral colors and tones were selected when defining the materials and elements to be used in them.
At the same time, the installation of new equipments such as a news stand, a children play area and all the curved luminaries system, expressly designed for the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, have contributed not only to enrich the range of available uses, but also to enhance the aesthetics of the ensemble by means of the use of site specific equipments.
Lastly, this improvement of the spatial quality of the renovated area and of its aesthetics has also been undertaken from a respectful look to the pre-existing worth-preserving elements of the Paseo, such as the Cedar Trees, the street market that is held every Saturday…This allows the people of the neighborhood to still recognize and relate to the area and the memories that they keep in it, and help them to accept and embrace it in its refurbished version.
Key objectives for inclusion
Traditionally, both sidewalks of the Paseo have shown very marked socio-cultural differences that the renovated promenade intended to mitigate, by means of blurring the boundaries arising from the neighbors’ different background, culture orpurchase power.
The renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal has turned a street that had seen for decades as a “border” into a new space for coexistence that is being equally used by the neighbors of both sides of the street, and also by the rest of the population of Huesca. Thanks to the appeal of the new enlarged sidewalks and the improved equipments (gardens, promenade, play areas for children…), the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal has now become a lively place where citizens go not only to visit the pubs and restaurants or quickly run their errands in the existing retail shops: they can now take their children to play, have a stroll, or simply have a seat and relax.
At the same time, all the physical, sensory and cognitive barriers needed to be removed to make sure that the new pedestrian area became a safe and accessible space for everyone: the curbs and steps have been eliminated, the varied roughness and textures of the materials work as boundaries or signs, and the whole space has been reorganized in a more simple and intuitive way. The fluid nature of the routes, fully equipped with a wide range of elements of street furniture and lighting, invite everyone to find their own place and turn the Paseo Ramón y Cajal into an inclusive promenade.
This is, with no doubt, one of the main achievements of the project: to contribute to the conquest of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal by all the inhabitants of Huesca without exceptions, be they children or seniors, local or foreign, and notwithstanding any physical or intellectual impairment that they may suffer from.
The renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal has turned a street that had seen for decades as a “border” into a new space for coexistence that is being equally used by the neighbors of both sides of the street, and also by the rest of the population of Huesca. Thanks to the appeal of the new enlarged sidewalks and the improved equipments (gardens, promenade, play areas for children…), the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal has now become a lively place where citizens go not only to visit the pubs and restaurants or quickly run their errands in the existing retail shops: they can now take their children to play, have a stroll, or simply have a seat and relax.
At the same time, all the physical, sensory and cognitive barriers needed to be removed to make sure that the new pedestrian area became a safe and accessible space for everyone: the curbs and steps have been eliminated, the varied roughness and textures of the materials work as boundaries or signs, and the whole space has been reorganized in a more simple and intuitive way. The fluid nature of the routes, fully equipped with a wide range of elements of street furniture and lighting, invite everyone to find their own place and turn the Paseo Ramón y Cajal into an inclusive promenade.
This is, with no doubt, one of the main achievements of the project: to contribute to the conquest of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal by all the inhabitants of Huesca without exceptions, be they children or seniors, local or foreign, and notwithstanding any physical or intellectual impairment that they may suffer from.
Results in relation to category
First of all, we consider worth flagging that the works were completed on time and on budget, as the reports drawn up by the Councils’ technicians give evidence of. If this is already a remarkable achievement in regular circumstances, the team’s merit is even more notable if we take into account the timeline of the project (works started in 2018 and were completed in 2022), during which events of worldwide impact, such as the COVID 19 Pandemics and first steps of the invasion of Ukraine, took place.
We also find that the most relevant impact of our project, as aforementioned, is the warm acceptance given by the people of Huesca and, especially, the neighbors of Santo Domingo. The activity in the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal is relentless and intense, and the retail shops, pubs and other small business located on both sides of the street are well aware of that. After a major transformation like this one, it’s not unusual that these businesses experience a shift in the regular consumers’ profile, that is why we are proud to confirm that this has not been the case of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, whose renovation has been successfully accomplished while preserving the characteristic idiosyncrasy of the neighborhood.
As a consequence of all the above, our project has been recently awarded in October 2023 by the Aragon Official Association of Architects with a special mention as the most environmentally friendly intervention of the year. This award recognizes the improvement of the green spaces, of the sustainability as well as the inclusion of all the neighbors in the project. In a nutshell, it acknowledges the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal as an important tool for the creation of a renewed space for harmonic and pacific coexistence.
We also find that the most relevant impact of our project, as aforementioned, is the warm acceptance given by the people of Huesca and, especially, the neighbors of Santo Domingo. The activity in the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal is relentless and intense, and the retail shops, pubs and other small business located on both sides of the street are well aware of that. After a major transformation like this one, it’s not unusual that these businesses experience a shift in the regular consumers’ profile, that is why we are proud to confirm that this has not been the case of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, whose renovation has been successfully accomplished while preserving the characteristic idiosyncrasy of the neighborhood.
As a consequence of all the above, our project has been recently awarded in October 2023 by the Aragon Official Association of Architects with a special mention as the most environmentally friendly intervention of the year. This award recognizes the improvement of the green spaces, of the sustainability as well as the inclusion of all the neighbors in the project. In a nutshell, it acknowledges the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal as an important tool for the creation of a renewed space for harmonic and pacific coexistence.
How Citizens benefit
In 2015, the Town Council of Huesca kicked-off a process of citizen participation whose outcome was the drafting by the Councils’ technicians of a preliminary design for the renovation of the stretch of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal running from the river Isuela to the town centre. Once it was drawn up, the design was publicly displayed, so that all the citizens could examine it and raise any concerns thereto.
In 2017, once the preliminary design had the approval of the inhabitants of Huesca, the Town Council called a competition for proposals to develop it, which had to ensure that the specific demands of the neighbors were duly fulfilled. As it was a large-scale project, the Town Council decided to undertake it in three phases.
Our subsequent proposals were selected for the said three phases by the appointed jury, and each time, they were also publicly displayed, so that both the citizens of Huesca and the Town Council could audit the design process and make sure that all the required elements and uses were being duly taken into account.
During the execution of the works, that started in 2018 and were completed in 2022, the Town Council appointed a specific claim service to collect all the citizens’ suggestions and complaints, to inform them of the specifics and to provide any extra information on the renovation process.
All these inputs, aimed for enabling the citizens’ direct and indirect participation in the project, have contributed to enrich the design process, but also to engage them throughout the whole process. This way, the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal has been perceived by the neighbors as a work of their own, thus inviting them to welcome and embrace it as a community project in which they have been involved and whose outcome they have contributed to.
In 2017, once the preliminary design had the approval of the inhabitants of Huesca, the Town Council called a competition for proposals to develop it, which had to ensure that the specific demands of the neighbors were duly fulfilled. As it was a large-scale project, the Town Council decided to undertake it in three phases.
Our subsequent proposals were selected for the said three phases by the appointed jury, and each time, they were also publicly displayed, so that both the citizens of Huesca and the Town Council could audit the design process and make sure that all the required elements and uses were being duly taken into account.
During the execution of the works, that started in 2018 and were completed in 2022, the Town Council appointed a specific claim service to collect all the citizens’ suggestions and complaints, to inform them of the specifics and to provide any extra information on the renovation process.
All these inputs, aimed for enabling the citizens’ direct and indirect participation in the project, have contributed to enrich the design process, but also to engage them throughout the whole process. This way, the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal has been perceived by the neighbors as a work of their own, thus inviting them to welcome and embrace it as a community project in which they have been involved and whose outcome they have contributed to.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
As explained, our proposal for the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal intended to solve the main challenges raised by the Council and the neighbors during the citizen participation process (and that could be summarized in the need for improvement of the area’s livability, sustainability and accessibility) by giving also a special attention to the esthetic quality of the ensemble. For this purpose, we worked on the creation of a new specific architectural language to be used in the renovation process upon which we could build a new inclusive space for neighbors to meet.
Based on this approach, the team expressly designed many of the elements to be installed in the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal, to make sure that they complied as closely as possible with the requirements of the project: the curved luminaries, the benches, the railings, the newsstand, the garden areas, the play area…they are all examples of tailor-made solutions and, as such, they perfectly adjust and adapt to the project’s specific needs, while keeping a uniform aesthetic appearance (mainly in the color and material used) to help build a coordinated ensemble.
To create an integrated scenery, a uniform color (white) and the same architectural language (curved and slender forms) have been used to build the handrails that delimit the different areas, the LED luminaries under the cedar trees and circling the roundabout, the news stand, the benches and elements in the play area…As a result, all the pieces of urban furnishing laid out within the area, provide a whole site specific coordinated solution for the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
The innovative character of our project lays also on the use of a contemporary architectural language to upgrade and update the utilities and equipments of the Paseo, and to design site-specific elements for it, while paying a special attention to spot and highlight the preexisting elements where the identity of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal lays.
Based on this approach, the team expressly designed many of the elements to be installed in the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal, to make sure that they complied as closely as possible with the requirements of the project: the curved luminaries, the benches, the railings, the newsstand, the garden areas, the play area…they are all examples of tailor-made solutions and, as such, they perfectly adjust and adapt to the project’s specific needs, while keeping a uniform aesthetic appearance (mainly in the color and material used) to help build a coordinated ensemble.
To create an integrated scenery, a uniform color (white) and the same architectural language (curved and slender forms) have been used to build the handrails that delimit the different areas, the LED luminaries under the cedar trees and circling the roundabout, the news stand, the benches and elements in the play area…As a result, all the pieces of urban furnishing laid out within the area, provide a whole site specific coordinated solution for the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
The innovative character of our project lays also on the use of a contemporary architectural language to upgrade and update the utilities and equipments of the Paseo, and to design site-specific elements for it, while paying a special attention to spot and highlight the preexisting elements where the identity of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal lays.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The proposal selected for the renovation of the Paseo Ramon y Cajal was drafted by a team composed of an architect and a civil engineer. A landscape architect also helped to its final definition, and a technical engineer and an electric engineer were further involved during the development of the execution works.
The success of our proposal lays precisely in the multidisciplinary background of the participating agents, so that everyone could contribute to the design and execution process with their own expertise. The promenade’s architectural design was just as important as the updating of the network services running underneath it, and the measures adopted to ensure the universal accessibility of the project were as crucial for us as the measures aiming for the improvement of the environmental conditions.
As a result, every design decision and every modification was previously discussed and agreed among all the agents taking part in the renovation process, so that all the different inputs that should be taken into account were duly coordinated in advance.
This way, the design and layout of the different areas displayed on the surface correspond to the design and layout of the service networks running beneath it, so the pipes and wires are located below those areas free of street furniture and plant beds, to ease the works execution and the subsequent repair and maintenance works. Also, a prior coordination between the landscape and urban planning architects and the civil and electric engineers lead to an adequate and sustainable design of the water and lighting supplies to the walking and garden areas in the promenade.
A previous brainstorming and a coordinated teamwork among the different technicians is key to a successful design, execution and subsequent maintenance of the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
The success of our proposal lays precisely in the multidisciplinary background of the participating agents, so that everyone could contribute to the design and execution process with their own expertise. The promenade’s architectural design was just as important as the updating of the network services running underneath it, and the measures adopted to ensure the universal accessibility of the project were as crucial for us as the measures aiming for the improvement of the environmental conditions.
As a result, every design decision and every modification was previously discussed and agreed among all the agents taking part in the renovation process, so that all the different inputs that should be taken into account were duly coordinated in advance.
This way, the design and layout of the different areas displayed on the surface correspond to the design and layout of the service networks running beneath it, so the pipes and wires are located below those areas free of street furniture and plant beds, to ease the works execution and the subsequent repair and maintenance works. Also, a prior coordination between the landscape and urban planning architects and the civil and electric engineers lead to an adequate and sustainable design of the water and lighting supplies to the walking and garden areas in the promenade.
A previous brainstorming and a coordinated teamwork among the different technicians is key to a successful design, execution and subsequent maintenance of the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
Methodology used
For the design of the renovated Paseo Ramón y Cajal, the drafting team used a methodology based on a three-step process (ANALYSIS-DIAGNOSIS-PROPOSAL) which works in a crosscutting and multi-scale level.
First, the team carried out a previous analysis, based not only on the expertise and knowledge of each member, but also on the feedback received from the citizens as a result of the public display of the proposal and the subsequent participative process. Also, a careful study of the preexisting materials, the history and the demographic and sociologic fabric of the area was carried out during this analytic phase. The drafting team did not only focus on the updating of the urban space from a technical and functional point of view, as the project also aimed for the integration of all the neighbors into a common public space, so all the historic, sociologic and demographic features of the area, that is, the Zeitgeist of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, was also taken into account.
For the diagnosis, based on all the information gathered and its careful study during the analysis phase, the drafting team drew a set of cross-cutting conclusions to (i) help define which were the strengths and weaknesses of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal (ii) design a set of issues to be addressed and of prioritized actions to be developed through its renovation process, in order to optimize the strengths and solve the weaknesses spotted.
As a result, the list of necessary actions and the strategy and architectural language to be used to address them were determined in the final proposal, where all the specific needs are fulfilled and the formalization of the designed solutions are detailed. This way, through the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, Huesca has successfully recovered a space that was occupied by the traffic and was traditionally considered as a border rather than as a street, and it has now turned it into a lively, green safe and accessible area for everyone to gather and meet.
First, the team carried out a previous analysis, based not only on the expertise and knowledge of each member, but also on the feedback received from the citizens as a result of the public display of the proposal and the subsequent participative process. Also, a careful study of the preexisting materials, the history and the demographic and sociologic fabric of the area was carried out during this analytic phase. The drafting team did not only focus on the updating of the urban space from a technical and functional point of view, as the project also aimed for the integration of all the neighbors into a common public space, so all the historic, sociologic and demographic features of the area, that is, the Zeitgeist of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, was also taken into account.
For the diagnosis, based on all the information gathered and its careful study during the analysis phase, the drafting team drew a set of cross-cutting conclusions to (i) help define which were the strengths and weaknesses of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal (ii) design a set of issues to be addressed and of prioritized actions to be developed through its renovation process, in order to optimize the strengths and solve the weaknesses spotted.
As a result, the list of necessary actions and the strategy and architectural language to be used to address them were determined in the final proposal, where all the specific needs are fulfilled and the formalization of the designed solutions are detailed. This way, through the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, Huesca has successfully recovered a space that was occupied by the traffic and was traditionally considered as a border rather than as a street, and it has now turned it into a lively, green safe and accessible area for everyone to gather and meet.
How stakeholders are engaged
Several administrations at different levels have been engaged in the renovation of the Paseo Ramon y Cajal: the Government of Aragón and theTown Council of Huesca have played different roles in its design and further execution of the works.
Due to the large scale of the intervention, the project was mainly financed with regional funds. As main financer, the Government of Aragón carried out an ex-post control of the correct and accurate use of the investment in the project.The government technicians were also in charge of monitoring the progress and suitability of the works from an archaeological and environmental point of view. This financial and technical supervision has provided an extra guarantee for the accomplishment of the works on budget and on schedule.
Provided its first-hand knowledge of the town’s and its citizens’ needs and demands, the Town Council of Huesca was who ultimately decided which were the objectives that the renovation should pursue,and the most appropriate technical solution to achieve them. It was also in charge of managing the citizen participation in the process and of calling for proposals for the design and project management of the works. As aforementioned, the municipal technicians also drafted the preliminary design, and monitored the progress of the works by drafting and reviewing the certifications on a monthly basis.
The collaboration of both administrations, and their relevant contribution to the project, has been key to the successful achievement of the objectives pursued for the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
Due to the large scale of the intervention, the project was mainly financed with regional funds. As main financer, the Government of Aragón carried out an ex-post control of the correct and accurate use of the investment in the project.The government technicians were also in charge of monitoring the progress and suitability of the works from an archaeological and environmental point of view. This financial and technical supervision has provided an extra guarantee for the accomplishment of the works on budget and on schedule.
Provided its first-hand knowledge of the town’s and its citizens’ needs and demands, the Town Council of Huesca was who ultimately decided which were the objectives that the renovation should pursue,and the most appropriate technical solution to achieve them. It was also in charge of managing the citizen participation in the process and of calling for proposals for the design and project management of the works. As aforementioned, the municipal technicians also drafted the preliminary design, and monitored the progress of the works by drafting and reviewing the certifications on a monthly basis.
The collaboration of both administrations, and their relevant contribution to the project, has been key to the successful achievement of the objectives pursued for the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal.
Global challenges
Sustainable Development Goals 3, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15: The greatest challenge in the renovation of the Paseo Ramon y Cajal was precisely the need to turn a traditionally polluted area into an environmentally friendly place by locally implementing a catalogue of very specific measures, to meet that global goal: reduction of the traffic –and the air pollution that comes with it- by reducing the number of traffic lanes; subsequent enlargementof the walking area and the green areas all along the promenade; replacement of traditional polluting materials, such as concrete and asphalt, with natural or filtering pavements; use of energy-efficient LED lighting technology that also contributes to reduce the light pollution; replacement of traditional lawn by endogenous plants that require much less maintenance and watering…
Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, 10: Secondly, but not less important, the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal has also contributed to create a new meeting space for social integration and coexistence, were people of all ages, origins, backgrounds and purchase power, notwithstanding any physical or intellectual impairment that they could suffer from, can coexist in harmony: Both sidewalks are now divided longitudinally in different zones, by pieces of street furniture or street lighting, or through the installation of different floorings, with varied roughness, to delimit the different uses that the areas are designed for. These elements work as a permeable partition among them, rather than as an enclosure, allowing pedestrians to easily wander from one to another and enabling universal access throughout all the walking area.
Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, 10: Secondly, but not less important, the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal has also contributed to create a new meeting space for social integration and coexistence, were people of all ages, origins, backgrounds and purchase power, notwithstanding any physical or intellectual impairment that they could suffer from, can coexist in harmony: Both sidewalks are now divided longitudinally in different zones, by pieces of street furniture or street lighting, or through the installation of different floorings, with varied roughness, to delimit the different uses that the areas are designed for. These elements work as a permeable partition among them, rather than as an enclosure, allowing pedestrians to easily wander from one to another and enabling universal access throughout all the walking area.
Learning transferred to other parties
We consider that the following elements and tools of the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal are susceptible of being replicated in other contexts or transferred to other similar projects:
- The aforementioned methodology of “analysis-diagnosis-proposal”that we have developed in a cross-cutting and multi-scale manner; that is, following not only technical and functional, but also historic, sociologic and demographic criteria, and taking also into account the feedback provided by the final recipients of our work: the citizens of Huesca.
- Rather than pursuing a full renovation of the affected area, this project works as an example of “restrained renovation”, through which those elements worth preserving are being kept and restored, thus allowing the neighbors to still recognize and relate to a part of the town that, though updated and transformed, still has reminiscences of their common past.
- The use of a contemporary architectural language as a mean to respectfully accommodate the renovated area to the new technical and functional demands, such as accessibility and sustainability. In the case of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, we chose to use curved elements, organic shapes and neutral colors and tones, but different features of contemporaneous architecture could be found more suitable in different contexts.
- Moreover, we believe that the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal represents an accurate example of how the use of the new technologies and materials (such as the LED lighting and the filtering pavements) can contribute to improve the sustainability of an area, by significantly reducing the consumption of energy and enhancing the environmental quality of the public spaces.
- The aforementioned methodology of “analysis-diagnosis-proposal”that we have developed in a cross-cutting and multi-scale manner; that is, following not only technical and functional, but also historic, sociologic and demographic criteria, and taking also into account the feedback provided by the final recipients of our work: the citizens of Huesca.
- Rather than pursuing a full renovation of the affected area, this project works as an example of “restrained renovation”, through which those elements worth preserving are being kept and restored, thus allowing the neighbors to still recognize and relate to a part of the town that, though updated and transformed, still has reminiscences of their common past.
- The use of a contemporary architectural language as a mean to respectfully accommodate the renovated area to the new technical and functional demands, such as accessibility and sustainability. In the case of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal, we chose to use curved elements, organic shapes and neutral colors and tones, but different features of contemporaneous architecture could be found more suitable in different contexts.
- Moreover, we believe that the renovation of the Paseo Ramón y Cajal represents an accurate example of how the use of the new technologies and materials (such as the LED lighting and the filtering pavements) can contribute to improve the sustainability of an area, by significantly reducing the consumption of energy and enhancing the environmental quality of the public spaces.
Keywords
urban renovation
citizen participation
sustainable design
inclusive environment
contemporary architectural language
