Alicante, Spain
City population: 331770
Duration: 2016 – 2022
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 1650000 m2
Type of area: Residential, Central Business District / City Centre, Other
Last updated: October 2021

The Alicante City Council will receive 11 million euros from the European FEDER sustainable growth program 2014-2020 to carry out this project, the Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategy of Alicante DUSI Las Cigarreras. This funding will allow the integral transformation of an area that extends between The Castles of Santa Bárbara and San Fernando.” (Ref. 1). The specific transformation includes the recovery and dynamization of an important urban area that includes four historical neighbourhoods and two of the most emblematic mountains of the city, surrounded by two castles and with extensive green areas and rehabilitation of the existing city from the social and environmental sustainability, facing new urban development (Ref. 2)

EDUSI Alicante
EDUSI Alicante
https://www.diarioinformacion.com/empresas-en-alicante/2017/12/16/alicante-transforma-renueva-conoce-barrios/1968673.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • Institutional green space
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Conversion of former industrial areas
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Inclusive governance
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social justice and equity
  • Environmental and climate justice
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Improving mental health
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Economic development: service sectors
  • Tourism support
  • Employment/job creation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Promotion of cultural diversity

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

-Rehabilitation of the area with urban green spaces (Ref. 2, page 50) -Socio-Economic development purposes "It is a future plan for an important part of the city with a fundamental importance in economic-urban and social development." (Ref. 2, page 6) "To promote the protection, promotion and development of the cultural and natural heritage of urban areas, in particular of tourist interest." (Ref. 2, page 100) - To improve the effectivity and transparency of the Town Hall and its public services (Ref. 2) - To encourage sustainability in resources to use and redirect them towards population service and to sustainable economic development (Ref. 2) - To ensure cohesion in the city attending the needs of the vulnerable population, providing job opportunities (Ref. 2)

Implementation activities

Creation "of green areas, roads, and abandoned spaces" (Ref. 2, Page 25) "Among the projects planned for 2017, Bellido mentioned the environmental recovery in the hillside of Mount Benacantil"(Ref. 4) Plan of sustainable urban mobility (ref. 2) Improvements in energy efficiency in the area (ref. 2) Reconditioning of green areas, roads and derelict spaces (ref. 2)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Researchers/University
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
  • Citizen monitoring and review

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

Alicante City Council (Ref. 1) European FEDER sustainable growth program 2014-2020 (European financial aid) (Ref. 1) "It is a comprehensive urban action project, with programs linked to the municipal areas of Culture, Employment, Environment, Historical Memory, Tourism, Trade and Social Inclusion" (Ref. 1) University of Alicante is part of the "economic, social and institutional actors" as well as Architecture Colleges (Ref. 2, document to upload, page 151), the study subject however is unknown. "...Strategy project DUSI 'Las Cigarreras' (Integral Sustainable Urban Development Strategy), which have convened more than 80 groups and entities in the area involved, who must participate and collaborate in the monitoring and evaluation of the projects to be developed."(Ref. 5) "DUSI, the following types of associations were convened: neighborhoods, third sector (NGOs), Socio-Cultural associations, merchants, city hall technical departments" (Ref. 2, page 148) -municipal spokesperson for the coalition, Natxo Bellido (Ref 7)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (Europe 2020 strategy; EU Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (Ref.2, page 181))
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (Plan Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático de España; Estrategia sobre Desarrollo Sostenible de España (National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change of Spain; Strategy on Sustainable Development of Spain) (Ref. 2, page 181))
... a local policy or strategy? Yes ("El Plan de Ciudad, el PGOU o el Plan de Inclusión Social" / City Plan, PGOU (General Plan for Urban Planning ) or Inclusion Social Plan) (Ref. 5))

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

No

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Reduced emissions
  • Energy efficiency improvements
  • Environmental quality
  • Reduced noise exposure
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Restoration of derelict areas
  • Other

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • Increased property prices
  • Stimulate development in deprived areas

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Promotion of cultural diversity
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Alicante Municipality. (2016). Alicante obtains 11 millions for DUSI Cigarreras Strategy. [Alicante obtiene 11 millones para la estrategia DUSI Cigarreras]. Available at Source link (Accessed: July 18, 2020)
2. Alicante Municipality. (2017). Alicante Sustainable and Integrated Development Strategy [Estrategia de Desarrollo Sostenible e integrado de Alicante]. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 18, 2020)
3. Varó, Aitor (2017, April). Las Cigarreras and its surroundings concentrate the first phase of the project [Las Cigarreras y sus alrededores centran la primera fase del proyecto]. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 18, 2020)
4. Informacion Journal (2016, December). Las Cigarreras will open up to the adjoining neighborhoods to integrate into its environment. [Las Cigarreras se abrirá a los barrios colindantes para integrarse en su entorno]. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 18, 2020)
5. Alicante Municipality (2017, January). The Municipality presents the Roadmap for the Cigarreras DUSI to more than 80 entities. [El Ayuntamiento presenta la hoja de ruta de la DUSI 'Las Cigarreras' a más de 80 entidades]. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 18, 2020)
6. Ambiente (2018, October). Alicante wants to race in its DUSI strategy to transform the city. [Alicante quiere coger carrera en su estrategia DUSI para transformar la ciudad]. Available at : Source link (Accessed: July 18, 2020)
7. Alicante Plaza. 2019. 'Compromís urges the PP of Alicante to detail the calendar of objectives of the EDUSI de Cigarreras'. March 14 2019. Available at: Source link. (Accessed: August 7, 2020)
8. Fulcher, M. 2017. Competition: Alicante coastal corridor, Spain. Available at: Source link. (Accessed 13 Aug 2020)
EDUSI Alicante
EDUSI Alicante
https://www.diarioinformacion.com/empresas-en-alicante/2017/12/16/alicante-transforma-renueva-conoce-barrios/1968673.html