The new General Plan for Palma includes in its proposal four new large green areas that, if approved, will oxygenate the city and allow it to have several ecological corridors that will cross it from the outskirts to the sea. The idea of โโthe project, in line with European regulations, is to set up a network of parks or green spaces that connect the different points of the city center taking advantage of newly built areas, which will have to be adapted to regulations, or using the banks of the streams.
The document proposes the creation of a large green area between the Sound Moix stadium and Your Ximelis called the Son Roca corridor. Part of this land is developable, but future developments will have to respect an ecological strip that will eventually end, associated with the torrent de sa Riera and the so-called Falca Verda.
The second major proposal of the Plan provides for another large linear park taking advantage of the banks of the great torrent, from the border between Palma and Marratxi Sea. The current Plan, which dates back to 1998, allows the construction of buildings near torrents, but with the new regulations it will be prohibited by declaring it undevelopable. "The idea is to avoid the overflows that can be generated by constructions in or near torrents and, at the same time, recover resources since, in case of heavy rains, the water will filter through these reforested areas and reach the aquifers," He says. Gabriel Horrach, General Director of Urban Planning of the Palma City Council.
The banks of the Torrent Gros will become a linear park. Credit: Juan Miguel Gimenez
The third planned large natural area will be located in the Nursery area, in Son Ametler, where a space will be created that will end up linked to the aforementioned Torrent Gros corridor.
Finally, in the I raised area, an ecological corridor will be created next to Son Gรผells and the Torrent de Bรกrbara which, like the others, aims to increase the environmental value of the district by taking advantage of the new constructions to link the parks that will be created. "With this urban planning, future developments that are carried out will allow us to move from isolated green areas to interconnected green areas," says Horrach.
The general director of Urban Planning explains the philosophy of the General Plan, the concept of 'Environmental Justice' that guarantees access to green areas for all neighborhoods in the municipality, highlights the importance of urban green connectors, streets with sufficient width, speaks of 20 meters, which will connect with the large green corridors and create an ecological structure in the form of a spider web over the city. Another advantage of these connectors is that they reduce dependence on the private vehicle since they will be made up of landscaped spaces and streets for pedestrians and bicycles.
