FEATURE :: Urban Waterfront Facelift

In the past decade, urban waterfronts have been making a comeback. From Manhattan's Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway to the Paris Plage along the Right Bank of the Seine. Municipalities have begun to sit up and take note of the transforming nature such projects can have on a city. Madrid is the most recent city to follow suit. The city has plans to develop an “ecological boulevard” along the Manzanares River (yes, Madrid has a river) with 42 kilometers of walking paths, 32 kilometers of cycle paths and a beach.

Along the river banks, the city will plant 25,000 new trees to provide shade and a pleasurable aesthetic during Madrid's long, dry and hot summers. This riverside park joins an additional 20 hectares of parkland currently inaccessible to the public and expands an already developing green network when married with Casa de Campo – a major park on the western periphery of Madrid. In total, an open space network of approximately 820 hectares will come out of this innovative regeneration project. Hey, more parks and greenery is always a good thing!

The urban waterfront project is scheduled to begin at the end of the year with an estimated completion date of 2011 and a cost of approximately €250m. The benefits of this redevelopment project are twofold: environmental (creation of more open space and a continuous network to existing park as well as the recovery of the Manzanares River) and social (it reconnects isolated communities on either side of the river that coupled with the Inner-city ring-road, created an economic barrier).

A series of nine pedestrian walkways will span the Manzanares River linking residents on both sides of the motorway. Most importantly, providing walking access to the heart of the city within which they live. Madrid’s mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon hopes this improvement will provide a boost to the isolated communities.

Madrileños use their parks and leafy green boulevards daily. It is not uncommon to see young city residents running through Parque del Buen Retiro on a weekday afternoon, elderly women sitting with dogs in tow along the Paseo de Casellana and young mothers with strollers walking and chatting in public gardens. Madrileños love to socialize outdoors and the open space network created by the submersion of the motorway and the regeneration of the riverfront provides a new place for city dwellers to congregate and a revitalized riverfront to appreciate.

Some may find the goals of this regeneration project to be far reaching. Can an urban park really address issues of social exclusion? While this urban design scheme makes physical steps towards addressing social inclusion in Madrid the city or region would do well to incorporate its growing population (mostly immigrants) into a long-term economic growth strategy. Beyond that, this project is a good example for municipalities looking to capitalize on their underutilized assets and provide innovative ways to boost the city's social capital. In the mean time, the municipality should continue to look to Paris for innovative management ideas and ensure the long-term success of the park.

See also:

• Bruxelles les Bain