Sustainable Basque urbanism?

Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana

Elhuyar Zientzia

It seems that sustainable is a fashion label, since in recent times it appears next to any name: sustainable development, sustainable tourism... But not in vain. This adjective means: "Do not jeopardize the natural resources needed by present and future generations." And that is the goal of sustainable urbanism. But it is not easy.
Sustainable Basque urbanism?
01/01/2007 | Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana | Elhuyar Zientzia Komunikazioa

(Photo: A. A. Galarraga)
In 2005 the Euskal Hiria Congress organized by the Basque Government focused on territorial planning and sustainability. That of 2006, for its part, was recently realized in November, being the landscape the main theme. In all the conferences the experts pointed out the importance of the landscape and, above all, the landscape that was perceived as protagonist of the congress. However, it does not displace sustainability.

It seems that the key is to be sustainable, also in urbanism. It seems complicated and, in addition, there are those who do not have clear what sustainable urbanism means. But the concept is no longer so new or the intention to carry it out. The United Nations held in 1996 a conference on cities and places of residence, in which they created a Habitat II Program in which sustainability is one of the fundamental pillars.

The document that presents the framework of action for the sustainable development of the cities of the European Union dates from 1999, and sustainable urbanism continues to advance here. For example, the Department of the Environment of the Basque Government published in 2003 the document “Sustainability criteria applicable to urban planning”.

As recognized in the introduction of the document, earlier urbanism was mainly related to architecture and engineering, and was concerned about sustainability in the field of natural sciences. Later, when the concept of sustainability was introduced in the urbanism, it was applied quite slightly, limiting itself to aspects related to the environment (noise, water purification, energy, waste...).

Formerly compact neighborhoods emerged. Recently, however, the trend towards the construction of dispersed dwellings has spread.
A. A. Galarraga Galarraga

Today, however, the terms urbanism and sustainable appear together. It is still early to know if sustainable urbanism will remain in an idea or will become a reality, but politicians, at least in theory, have defended it.

To move from theory to practice, many steps must be taken. For example, it is essential to take into account citizen participation and this is recognized by the Department of Environment in the aforementioned document. According to them, Local Agenda 21 and processes like this are important elements for the integration of sustainability criteria in urbanism.

City and land

It is evident that there are more and more people in the cities, not only in Euskal Herria, but all over the world. However, cities are expanding, as the surrounding lands are destined in part to their uses.

Here, in addition, there is a change in the aspect of cities, which increasingly occupy more land. In the 1960s and 1970s, the population grew a lot, while cities grew rapidly and without excessive controls. Many new neighborhoods emerged, mostly compact. Since the 1990s, however, the growth of the population has stagnated, but not the consumption of soil. The trend towards the substitution of compact neighbourhoods by dispersed urbanizations with low population density is expanded, even in places where the orography delimits the space.

The city and sustainability united: Utopia or essential objective?
A. A. Galarraga Galarraga
It is clear that this model of urbanization needs more land and resources than the rest. The European Union, however, warns that soil is a scarce resource and in its sustainable urban development document, published in 1998, recommends limiting dispersion.

Therefore, in the document of the Basque Government on criteria of urban sustainability, the first criterion in addressing an urban planning is as follows: "the evaluation of the ecological footprint of the city, the calculation of the cargo capacity of the territory in which the object city is located and the analysis of the possibility of reuse of the urban soils used before the loading of the unused soils".

Eleven criteria: Eleven criteria

This criterion appears in the initial part of the document and in the conclusions appears first. But the following have no less interest and relevance. Some are related to soil and nature, such as respect for the initial natural ecosystem and protection of the areas of greater ecological value.

Although it is not new, it is an essential criterion. It is so necessary, but perhaps less heard, to capitalize on the potential of the site (climate, orography...). The goal is to achieve a comfortable city, with the lowest possible energy consumption and the lowest possible impact.

The cities must have spaces that facilitate coexistence.
Ayto. of Bilbao

The consideration of the city as a living organism and the talk of the metabolism of the city remains rare for some. Well, in another of the criteria we talk about a deep analysis of the functioning of the urban metabolism and the conditions of the environment to serve as a base for planning.

Along with this, another criterion is the design of the network of green spaces. This network would cover elements of all levels, both the urban natural spaces and the protected spaces of the environment. In this way, the fragmentation and/or abandonment of natural systems is avoided. The idea is to integrate nature into the city.

Other criteria refer to urban facilities, services, public spaces, etc. For example, the document indicates that equipment and services must be distributed in a balanced way to achieve a short distance city.

To facilitate coexistence, it is recommended the creation of a system of public spaces and the need for the renovation of all spaces to be integrated to avoid the creation of marginal neighborhoods. In short, it is a question of achieving a balance between urban nuclei.

This affects mobility directly, since when the distances are small and when the services are close, there is the possibility of walking or cycling, thus avoiding the increase in traffic. But this is not enough to solve mobility problems and another criterion is to prioritize the use of collective transport.

A balanced distribution of services and facilities within the city reduces mobility problems as it allows to travel on foot or by bicycle.
A. A. Galarraga Galarraga
All these criteria are included in the conclusions of the document Sustainability criteria applicable to the urban planning of the Basque Government. They also warn that the solution to be sustainable must be adapted to each place. That is, there is no unique and magical solution for everything.

From paper to street

However, the reference document has been in place for several years. On the other hand, some of the ideas previously were considered necessary and, to some extent, were being executed in different places. In addition, the regulations and laws issued by the European Union in recent years go the same way and affect the decisions of the administrations.

Thus, although it is difficult to pass from morning to night, some have taken great steps in that direction. For example, it is worth mentioning the urban waste management program of the Region of Pamplona. This program was launched in 1986 and is still an example. He was the first to apply the principles of reuse and recycling in the Spanish State and in the Basque Country. The participation of society was spectacular.

The Sarriguren ecocity project is approved by the United Nations Habitat II program.
Habitat II

The program has advanced and has received numerous awards and distinctions, some international. In addition, it has been applied in other municipalities, adapting to the place, both in Navarre and outside (Madrid, Barcelona, Cordoba...), since it has been shown that it is theoretically coherent and at the same time practical.

In the case of Navarre, it is worth mentioning the idea of carrying out an eco-city in Sarriguren. Sarriguren is located in a rural area close to Pamplona and currently has 10 inhabitants. In this place they want to create an exemplary city with 4,200 homes of limited price and the plan is part of the Habitat II program of sustainable cities of the United Nations.

These are two examples of Navarre. One of them has been in progress for a long time, the other is still in the project phase, but both are examples and have recognized it, among others, in the Habitat II program of the United Nations. The program includes other cities of Euskal Herria as the green belt of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the regeneration of Barakaldo...

In addition to these mentions, the territory has received more general awards, such as the Council of European Urbanists, which has awarded the Planning of the Territory of the CAPV, and the Partial Plan of the Low Must, which has received a special mention. The awards were presented at the Euskal Hiria 2006 Congress, which received from the President of the European Council of Urban Planners, Jan Vogelij, the Basque Country Environment Council, Esther Larrañaga.

Polycentric model and means of transport

Experts are committed to collective transport and, especially, to the railway. However, they have many doubts about the Basque Y.
A. A. Galarraga Galarraga
According to Vogelijen, the VI European Planning and Territorial Planning Plan. The awards have chosen to award the CAPV Territorial Planning Guidelines for the proper implementation strategy of the polycentric model of urban planning. The Plan, based on interurban balance and regional development, considers that “the Plan is especially innovative and can be an example of application elsewhere in Europe.”

Simin Davoudi, expert speaker at the Euskal Hiria congress, also congratulated the Basque plan. Davoudi is a researcher at the University of Newcastle and an urbanism advisor in the British government and the European Union. And, precisely, his intervention focused on an urban polycentric region. He explained how this model was, specified its characteristics and gave some examples.

In two words, in the polycentric urban regions there are three or more major cities, there are no hierarchical relationships between them, they are relatively close and functionally complementary. The classic example is the Dutch Randstad.

Apparently, the CAPV also has this characteristic or, at least, is sought by the Basque Government through the Guidelines for Territorial Planning. However, at the congress not all were positive awards and lectures, there were criticism. The biggest debate was the creation of high-speed trains and new tracks.

At the round table of the congress were gathered experts who have made the diagnosis of the Guidelines for the Planning of the Territory of the CAPV: Xabier Unzurrunzaga, Jose Allende, Eugenio Ruiz Urrestarazu, Arantxa Rodríguez and Santiago Peñalba. Although the five bet on collective transport and, above all, on the railroad, they agreed that there was no public debate on the high-speed train and the railroad. And that does not seem appropriate to them.

Amsterdam Ranstad is one of the cities of the region. Utrech, Rotterdam and The Hague are the main cities of the region. In fact, Ranstad is an example of urban polycentric region.
MIT

Moreover, Allende, Rodríguez and Peñalba believe that this train will strengthen Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz and exclude intermediate cities and towns. Therefore, they consider it contrary to the polycentric model. But they are not the only ones who do not see this project with good eyes, but groups have also been created in society.

However, the leaders of the Basque Government support the Basque Y and expect that the benefits - social, economic and environmental - are much greater than the damage. Construction works begin, we will see where this train takes us.

Mikel Iriondo: "Cities are a reflection of our contradictions"
Mikel Iriondo graduated in Law, but has spent about twenty years in urbanism. At the moment we are working on the revision of the urban plan of San Sebastián and the urban plan of Tolosa.
What is sustainable urbanism for you?
Uff! It is not easy to say. Because today everything has to be sustainable and I think we do not know very well what sustainable urbanism is. In theory yes, perhaps in theory one can explain very well what it is. And, within this theory, I would mention three things from the point of view of sustainability. One, the real justification of the proposals and urban needs, would say that the key is here. Two: decide where and how to respond to those needs. Three: understand and treat the territory as a whole, overcoming municipal areas.
These theories are very well, they are necessary and helpful. I would say that at this moment we find ourselves above all in this theoretical phase, and that we do not know well how to carry out these theories.
Mikel Iriondo.
(Photo: A. A. Galarraga)
It is difficult. But, do you think our cities are sustainable? Or are they at least on track to do so?
To begin with, it must be said that the city is one of the best inventions created by men and women. And the dream of sustainability is also there, at least in theory. But we lack a lot.
One of our main mistakes is not to treat the territory as a whole. Therefore, we have an important vacuum. Still, and unfortunately, to think and make decisions in one territory, each people or people in each country is usually or too often the only referent. And that can't be said to go in the line of sustainability.
And the eurocity Donostia-Baiona?
We do not really know what the function of each capital is, and there we are trying to put all things in all capital cities.
(Photo: Ayto. from Bilbao)
Well, yes, you talk about that. We also speak many times of Euskal Hiria, or of Gipuzkoa. However, I think it is above all, and for the moment, a literary reference. I would not say that today one and the other are referents from the territorial point of view.
However, to some extent we are going to go to that model, although there are many contradictions in relation to this issue. In fact, from the point of view of the administration, the limits of the city are some. But then reality and lifestyle place us before other limitations.
For decision-making related to housing, economic activities, transport, rural land, equipment and many things, it cannot be a reference each municipality or municipality. We do not really know what the function of each capital is and there we are all things (museums, auditoriums, congress halls, etc.) in all the capitals. One cannot speak of a global and balanced vision of capital investments. And we have to break those forms and cultures of work.
And as for transport, I would say that the main problem we have not solved is the railroad. And in this case I'm not talking about the high-speed train, but about the environment: RENFE, Euskotren, etc. In Gipuzkoa, for example, it was wrong to withdraw some railway services in its day. And I think we should accept it and create and expand one or more networks similar to it.
In any case, returning to the beginning, I would say that the idea of sustainability raises above all urbanism as a main challenge: the need for a true justification of the urban proposals. We can all imagine: if these proposals are not necessary, how will they be sustainable?
Common projects and challenges
"Cities of the Basque Euroregion: common projects and challenges". With this name was recently celebrated a day in Donostia. The day was attended by mayors and town planners from Donostia-San Sebastián, Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Baiona and Biarritz, who presented their future plans.
Some of these plans are common. For example, the collaboration between Baiona and Biarritz is evident; it is clear that the district of Baiona-Angelu-Biarritz is an adequate structure to facilitate and encourage interaction and communication between cities. The mayor of San Sebastian wants to create as soon as possible the Eurocity that will join this territory with San Sebastian, but it is not yet executed. There are projects that are already working together, but would like to have a closer relationship. These projects are mainly related to tourism.
(Photo: Ayto. from Donostia)
Everyone talked about the idea of extending to Bilbao, but those from Bilbao also made a note: they announced that the economy can be based too much on tourism. In fact, the economy of Bilbao was also based on a single activity, in the industry, when Bilbao fell. Now they have managed to turn it on, but they recognized that they still have much to do, and that is the biggest challenge for the future, revitalize the environment of Bilbao.
The Municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz, for its part, wants to emphasize the city and consider that it will be of great help the high-speed train and the new railway. In Iparralde there was talk of the need to build a railway that connects with it. It cannot be denied that at the moment the subject is fashionable and the authorities have placed great hopes on it.
Galarraga de Aiestaran, Ana
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