Renaturalising a street means transforming a grey and hostile space into a greener, healthier and more pleasant environment for people.
Renaturation strategies can include different elements but with a single objective. These elements not only improve urban aesthetics, but also bring environmental benefits such as reducing temperature, improving air quality, reducing noise pollution and creating habitats for biodiversity.
Shade with plants: Vegetable awnings
The first example is the plant awning project that we have installed in Santa María street in Valladolid.
The project arose from the need to improve the quality of life of the people who walk along this commercial area in the city centre on a daily basis. It was not possible to plant trees in this street, and with this solution we managed to introduce vegetation without any kind of impact, creating a green route through the city.
The Green Shades awning is the first awning system that allows vegetation to grow on its surface. This solution helps to alleviate the heat island effect, thanks to the reduction of the temperature due to the shade they produce and the evapotranspiration of the plants.
Urban furniture with nature: Urban BioFilter
Another system we have designed to introduce vegetation into the city without having to make any kind of impact on the street is the Urban BioFilter system.
It is a system integrated into urban furniture, which, by means of a mobile vertical garden, is capable of filtering the air in open spaces. This system also incorporates solar-powered fans, which will reduce the temperature in the surrounding area during the hot months.
Plant acoustic barriers
And finally, also in Valladolid, we have installed an acoustic plant barrier, designed to mitigate noise and pollution in one of the main arteries of the city.
The aim of this project is to reduce the nuisance of road traffic in cities, thanks to its acoustic panels covered in wood, which act as an absorbent, as well as fighting against pollution thanks to its vertical gardens.
A recent survey shows that 88% of the people surveyed in the main Spanish cities demand more green areas in their cities.
With this type of intervention we can obtain the benefits of vegetation without the need to make major changes for the renaturation of our cities.
These are just a few ideas of the many possibilities offered by urban renaturation. With a little creativity and investment, we can transform our cities into more sustainable, healthy and pleasant living spaces.
Other renaturation ideas
Vertical gardens.
Vertical gardens are a way of introducing vegetation into the walls of buildings. These gardens can be composed of different types of plants, such as ferns, mosses and flowers.
Benefits:
- They save space: Vertical gardens do not take up ground space, which makes them ideal for narrow streets or streets with little space available.
- Improve urban aesthetics: Vertical gardens bring a touch of colour and life to city streets.
- Reduce noise pollution: Plants absorb noise, which can help reduce street noise pollution.
- Insulate buildings thermally: Vertical gardens can act as thermal insulation, which helps reduce energy consumption in buildings.
Permeable paving.
Permeable pavements are those that allow rainwater to percolate into the ground, rather than run off the surface. This helps to reduce stormwater runoff and recharge aquifers.
Benefits:
- Reduce the risk of flooding: Permeable pavements allow rainwater to percolate into the ground, which helps reduce the risk of flooding.
- Recharge aquifers: Water percolating through permeable pavements recharges aquifers, which helps increase freshwater availability.
- Reduce heat island: Permeable pavements absorb less heat than traditional pavements, which helps reduce the heat island effect in cities.
- Improve water quality: Water filtered through permeable pavements is cleaned of pollutants before it reaches aquifers.
