The completed Madrid Rio Project will transform a highway into a large urban park, and is just part of the ambitious agenda of Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, an agenda that earned him the nickname "the pharaoh."
In the 1970's the construction of the M30 motorway divided Madrid in two - relegating neighborhoods that were once "just over the river" to the periphery.
On April 15, 2011 after 8 years of work the Madrid Rio Project was finally completed. The infrastructure project includes "links to existing historic parks, sports and cultural sites, kilometers of bicycle paths, playgrounds, 32 foot bridges, 33,000 new planted trees, and an urban beach."
The new park is one of 70 new construction projects initiated by Gallardon since he came to power in 2003. According to a post from the polis blog, Gallardon's agenda has been driven by an obsession to turn the Spanish capital into a "global city," following the Barcelona example. The post attributes Madrid's current debt problems to Gallardon's agenda which appears, in the author's opinion, to be driven by "legacy-making" ambition rather than benevolent inspiration.
Read the full story: Madrid Replaces A Highway With Park Space
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Atlanta City Council unanimously backs $3.5 billion Beltline light rail project
The resolution was drafted after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pulled support for the Atlanta Streetcar extension last year.
SEPTA to bring nearby frequent transit to over 1 million new riders as part of decade-long plan
The agency's Accelerate plan will also bring frequent transit to twice the amount of jobs that are currently located near it.
NYC plants over 18,000 trees, the most new foliage in a decade
Many of the trees were planted in communities vulnerable to extreme heat.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello