Comprehensive planning

Today's cities need profound transformation processes in all areas. The challenges faced by societies and cities are enormous and to address them it is essential to carry out comprehensive diagnostic and planning exercises and, subsequently, to make shared decisions that are sustainable over time. And, of course, the decision and approval of public policies for the regeneration and transformation of cities requires the active participation of neighbors and neighbors permanently, what if not?

But where do we start such a complex exercise? Although it is difficult, as the planning of these transformations requires time, resources and consensus, it is also difficult to do so as soon as possible, to respond quickly, increasingly and more. How do I combine rhythms and lyrics?

And how do you do all that? How can we move from being a consumer hole to being a producer of energy or some of the food? How can the concept/urban area be reconciled with fair and healthy living conditions? How to implement public areas and services at the center of transformation? And how do you make neighbors a protagonist?

One of the keys is the scale, that is, where to act, that is, the point of life, the neighborhood. Thus, within the challenges of climate change and the energy transition, it is necessary to address new mobility paradigms to, among other things, carry out a day-to-day based on proximity. The planning of the socio-economic transformation of the cities must be integral because of their obvious social effects on daily life.

It should be borne in mind that the institutions (the European Union, the States and the countries of the Basque Country) have adopted a number of plans and strategies that the right obliges them to comply with. Among other things, the European Nature Recovery Act requires the restoration and recovery of 20% of Europe’s land and marine areas by 2030.

Also in urban areas. Both state and foreign laws to deal with climate change are full of commitments to the regeneration of cities. In the 21st century, the adaptation and mitigation measures that must be carried out in the face of natural climate change require us to overcome and change the “nature friendly” formulas of the past. Friendly awareness-raising actions are not enough, effective measures must be put in place. Others are no more than cheap greenwashing, and they can even go against the spirit of today’s climate law.

A beginning, a neighborhood

Both the world and the cities of Euskal Herria have these challenges in hand, and they are not fragile. In addition, in many aspects of the transformation we are late, it has caught us without doing forecasting and domestic tasks (the energy transition is clear). But how can it be carried out through a sustainable, long and effective strategy? How does it target medium- and low-scale areas and projects? At the neighborhood level, this means how to transform the neighborhood itself.

Perhaps we can focus on our own neighborhood structure (des) that shapes our lives, as it can be a clear example, at least for us. We are in the first steps to take to resolve the knots of the main traffic and infrastructure that completely conditions the daily life of the Sanduzelai district (our) in Pamplona (as well as solid). How to transform a living condition of the neighbors, an infrastructure that divides the neighborhood into four, improving the quality of life, affecting health and avoiding urban exclusion? In short, how to dignify the quality of life of a neighborhood? To address the challenges faced by cities, we can take as a starting point, among many others, those of Pamplona.

The problems that the roundabout has historically had (45,000 vehicles a day) are known. It is also clear that the urban solutions of a few decades ago have no place at present and there is a need for innovative and comprehensive formulas (based on the neighborhood). Of course, the dynamics and mobilizations of neighbours and neighbours have also been necessary, once again, to identify the size of the problem and to ask for measures (certainly social innovation), as well as from now on.

In this regard, it would be important to highlight two ideas. On the one hand, urban investments are essential to transform neighborhoods and reinvent them to the measure of citizenship. Urban investment is often the key to social and environmental policies. Urban investment will not achieve its objectives unless other social, environmental and mobility policies are implemented.

Following the roundabout of San Jorge, urban intervention is essential to transform the urban space and place the neighbors over the vehicles in the urban hierarchy. Because life and the neighborhood have to be ahead of CO2. But in order for urban transformation to work, we really have to reduce the number of vehicles going through the neighborhood. And, at the same time, implement a series of measures for the realization of life (shopping, leisure, etc.). in the neighborhood. Otherwise, we're hiding the trash under the carpet.

Preparation

A few months ago, after years of rupture of the vicious circle, the compromise and the work proposal of the City Council of Pamplona came to the neighborhood. Since then, steps have been taken to reach the stage we have today: three proposals for the transformation of the neighborhood are on the table through a participatory process to carry out a specific work (who would tell us that we would be here a few months ago? ).

What comes to us can be as exciting as it is intense, but … the moment requires it, because it is the time. They invite us to the following steps: elaboration, adaptation, improvement and decision of the proposals for rehabilitation of the roundabout environment until reaching the last draft proposal. Only with a feasible project that will inevitably change the neighborhood and our living conditions!

In the coming days and weeks we will have the opportunity to get to know, discuss and work in depth on the proposals “Green-ANDO”, “Three in line” and “More neighborhood less barriers”. In short, it is up to us to bring the personal option to the group and to elaborate proposals that can be of many, both in a learning process, collaboration and intense pedagogical.

A roadmap

In short, the starting point for this whole process is to define a comprehensive planning, an orderly roadmap for the coming years (while taking steps). To do this, it is essential to have solid columns, with previous works, one of them is the short but robust step: Commitment by the City Council (and the Government of Navarra) to develop as soon as possible the approved planning for the processing of budgets.

Meanwhile, it is up to neighbors and neighbors to define a plan that will lead to the transformation of the neighborhood. Things are like that, but they're not going to be like that. The next steps in the participatory process are to conduct the discussion workshops and the exhibition that we have organized in each quadrant.

Because it's going to be a big transformation. But if it is for St. George!

Aritz Romeo Ruiz and Joseba K. Arbaiza Álvarez, San Jorge neighbours