To sum up

The ‘Plaza Mayor’ project is a vast transformation project for Cartagena’s seafront, which aims to create a continuity between the city and the port while reinforcing the attractiveness and frequentation of the seafront. It is based on several pillars:

1/ Taking into account the role of nature and the natural environment – sun, light, wind – in development choices,

2/ The use of local, sustainable materials that promote the local economy,

3/ Social values: strengthening the memory of the place, creating recognizable green spaces, promoting spaces that appeal to the community, and improving quality of life.

Phase 1 of the project involves the redevelopment of public spaces from the Plaza Héroe de Cavite to the seafront esplanade. Work on the street furniture, vegetation, and paving has helped to make the spaces more uniform, thereby helping to blur the boundary between the town and the port. On the opposite esplanade, the lampposts have been removed to open up the space as much as possible. They have been replaced by lighting designed to highlight the remarkable features of the promenade while avoiding excessive lighting. The other main area of the project, the ‘Cartagena del Mundo’ square, has been designed as a multi-purpose space for strolling, with the installation of mobile pergolas. Several measures were also taken to reduce significantly the road traffic.

The implementation of the project was the subject of a consultation process involving the city of Cartagena, the General Directorate of Heritage of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, and neighborhood associations. The project was also audited to ensure compliance with all accessibility standards.

Design:

José Manuel Chacón Bulnes (Architect)
Enrique de Andrés Rodríguez (Architect)
Salvador García Ayllón (Civil Engineer, specializing in roads, canals, and ports)

Positioning of the project in relation to the Agenda 2030’s goals*

*According to the Port Authority of Cartagena

	Directly related	Indirectly related	Not related
Goal 1: Climate change adaptation	x
Goal 2: Energy transition & circular economy			x
Goal 3: Sustainable mobility	x
Goal 4: Renewed governance			x
Goal 5: Investing in human			x
Goal 6: Port Culture & Identity			x
Goal 7: Quality food for all			x
Goal 8: Port city interface	x
Goal 9: Health & life quality	x
Goal 10: Protecting biodiversity	x

Learn more about AIVP commitment: Agenda 2030 by AIVP

Outstanding features

• The project was designed to bring as much shade as possible to an area that was initially very mineral, in a region subject to very high temperatures:
  • Set up of mobile pergolas equipped with planters with Mediterranean vegetation,
  • Set up of fixed pergolas in which Mediterranean climbing species have been planted to shade the promenade,
• To facilitate transit between the Plaza Héroe de Cavite and the seafront esplanade, the border and pavement of the road separating them have been eliminated, leaving everything at the same level and paved with the same natural stone. The result is a much more user-friendly environment, with a road that, in addition to its vehicle transit function, acts as a suture between the two spaces, leaving the pedestrian as the protagonist and slowing down the speed of vehicles,
• The space has been equipped with all the elements necessary to guarantee universal mobility, such as handrails, ramps, protractile paving, the Navilens system, etc.,
• Lighting has been adapted to limit light pollution,
• A partnership has been set up with the University of Cartagena and the municipality to select endogenous plant species perfectly adapted to the Mediterranean climate, helping to bring biodiversity to the site that it did not have before.

Images of the project

About the Port Authority of Cartagena

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