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Eco-towns: Zaragoza (Spain)

Combining social inclusion with good environmental design

Keywords: Housing, Rest of World, Eco-town, Partnership Working, Green Space, Energy

Overview

The urban area of Zaragoza has the eighth largest population in Spain, with approximately 700,000 inhabitants. Zaragoza actively promotes sustainable development; it is a member of the EU Concerto initiative for energy efficiency and is involved in several sustainability projects, including hosting Expo Zaragoza 2008, a three-month international event focused on water and sustainable development.

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Ecociudad Valdespartera is an innovative example of sustainable urban development in Zaragoza. Built on the site of a former barracks, Valdespartera is a complex of 9,687 bioclimatic housing units, almost all social housing, extending the southern perimeter of the city. It is divided into four major zones, each with distinct character and with a mix of housing, open areas, recreational facilities, and local shops and amenities. The development aims to address the issues of housing affordability and social inclusion and to integrate good environmental design and best practice in sustainable new housing construction.

Valdespartera is an important demonstration project for the whole of Spain. The scheme has already been internationally acclaimed by the UN-HABITAT committee and is evidence of the results that can be achieved when there is cooperation between regional and local levels of government, and full community involvement.

» Background

Background

Looking for solutions to sustainable growth

During the 1990s and 2000s, the Spanish real estate sector boomed, posing serious challenges to environmental sustainability and housing affordability. In recent years, new urban developments have tried to address these problems. Ecociudad Valderspartera represents such an attempt to provide new affordable and sustainable social housing.

Aerial view of the site under construction

In 2001, Zaragoza City Council signed an agreement with the Ministry of Defence to acquire 243 hectares of land, a former bar racks called Valdespartera, on which to build a sustainable urban development. The development would be publicly subsidised, and 97 per cent of homes would be social housing. It would also meet 'bioclimatic usage criteria' aimed at reducing energy consumption.

Vision and leadership

Zaragoza City Council played a key role in unlocking the site's potential, negotiating an agreement between all public sector stakeholders: the Ministry of Defence, Aragon Regional Authority and several other national ministries.

The architectural design was led by the local authority, with an emphasis on mitigating the effects of climate. Energy-saving criteria to be used for the master planning and building specification were established in partnership with the Department of Engineering at the University of Zaragoza. The City Council were also able to build on the experience of a previous sustainable social housing development in Saragoza, Goya Park, in the planning of Valdespartera.

» The Impact

Overview «

The Impact

Climate and energy

Valdespartera is Spain's best example of bio-climatic architecture, showcasing design that reduces dependency on non-renewable resources. The positioning of buildings, windows and solar walls ensures optimal use of the sun's energy. Glass-enclosed galleries act as passive heat collectors during the day, releasing warmth at night. Solar panels on rooftops supply 30–50 per cent of the annual demand for hot water. Thermal insulation systems and bio-climatic architecture have led to decreases in heat loss by up to 50 per cent.

A monitoring and control station, the 'telemando network', has been developed in partnership with the University of Zaragoza and provides data on factors such as energy consumption. Such information is invaluable in understanding the ongoing environmental footprint of the eco-city and highlighting where consumption savings and adjustments can be made.

Community and connectivity

Valdespartera is well resourced with local facilities. These include schools, a health centre, a shopping centre, and sports and leisure facilities. A resource and information centre is also being built. This will provide advice for residents and local businesses on sustainable energy use and waste recycling, as well as examining the wider social issues related to living in the Ecociudad.

Valdespartera on the edge of Zaragoza city

The Valdespartera site is connected to Zaragoza city centre by buses, and a tram system is planned for 2010. Bicycle lanes have been built and cover the entire eco-town (14.4km in total). A public WiFi network is available throughout the development, supporting part-time employment and working from home.

Character and design

Valdespartera champions the concept of acompact city. Its strategic position and a density of 40 houses perhectare limit pollution and urban sprawl. Green spaces and natural features mean that this density has not compromised the local environment for residents. Public art has also been widely used, and a number of open-air sculptures are distributed throughout the eco-city.

Ecology and water

Green spaces have been created by planting native-species deciduous trees in strategic 'ecological corridors' alongside buildings. These species provide a cool micro-climate during the summer and do not limit the sunlight absorption of buildings during winter. They also require little watering, reducing pressure on water conservation.

The lakes help to create a place where people want to live

Irrigation is achieved by pumping water from the Imperial Canal of Aragon, and at times of drought from two lakes on the site. A system of storm tanks and drainage networks ensures rain water is controlled and channeled into the Hueva River. The first rainfall (characterised by higher levels of pollutants) is collected in storm tanks and sent instead to the waste water network.

Waste

Ecociudad Valdespartera uses an underground pneumatic waste collection system, designed to transport organic and recyclable waste. It is fully automated and waste is collected several times a day.

» Good Practice

Background «

Good Practice

What can be learned from this project?

Several key factors have contributed to the success of Valdespartera, and these can provide useful lessons for future sustainable social housing projects:

• Partnerships between different agencies, for example between local and regional authorities or public and private groups, help to achieve objectives in a way that neither agency could achieve alone. Good communication between all parties is crucial to reaching the desired outcomes.

Modern public art provides character and helps create a sense of local pride

• Continuous evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, problems and opportunities helps the current project run smoothly, and feeds into plans for future eco-city projects. The development of Valdesparta was aided by experience gained from previous projects, notably Goya Park.

• Speed and efficiency: the development of the master planning was complex, but by using new organisational, judicial and administrative forms, the project was accomplished in a very short time.

• Integration of socio-economic and environmental targets is key to success: sustainability aids social cohesion and there can be no sustainability without citizen involvement.

» Reference

The Impact «