Seville awards the Green and Blue Ring plan of 42 km for 150,000 euros

The City Council of Seville has contracted the drafting of the Strategic Plan for the Green and Blue Ring, a 42-kilometre corridor that will connect the city's natural spaces, with a budget of 149,949 euros.

The City Council of Seville, through the Urban Planning and Environment Management, has awarded this month the drafting of the Strategic Plan for the Green and Blue Ring of Seville and the Urban Corridor of the Guadalquivir. The contract, with a budget of 149,949 euros and an execution period of eleven months, will define the layout of these green corridors that will connect the main natural spaces, parks, and ecological areas of the city, integrating the Guadalquivir River and its hydrographic network as connecting axes.

The aim is to improve urban biodiversity, strengthen the fight against climate change, and enhance the well-being and quality of life of Seville's residents. The work includes reviewing the base document of the green ring prepared in 2020, to adapt it to the current reality of the city, identifying the lands obtained from new urban developments and the lands that can be incorporated in the future. An ecological and environmental diagnosis of the area of action will also be carried out, prioritising interventions and defining the design, management, and maintenance criteria for this future green and blue infrastructure.

The initial document proposes a layout of 42 kilometres in length divided into four sections: between the Olympic Stadium and the Tablada lock; between this lock and the Guadaira park; between this last park and the Tamarguillo park; and from this to the Tercia Island. The process will incorporate actions for citizen participation and communication. With all the information obtained and the proposed actions, a first document will be drafted as a progress report or draft of the plan, which will be submitted for public consultation to gather opinions from citizens, organisations, associations, and interested entities, prior to the environmental processing of the document.

The contracted company will also need to prepare a promotional document and specific actions for citizen participation, as well as complete the Strategic Plan to be definitively developed. This development will include key aspects such as the management model, governance, maintenance, and financing of the operations to be carried out and the future layout.

The mayor, José Luis Sanz, has emphasised that with this award, "we are taking a decisive step in the great environmental commitment of this government team" to build a Seville that is "greener, better connected, and prepared for the environmental challenges of the present and the future." Sanz highlighted that the project is an opportunity to create spaces for gathering, leisure, and mobility, reinforcing Seville's identity as a city committed to sustainability and the Urban Agenda 2030, in line with the United Nations' objectives.

The contract is framed within the need to develop and enhance the city's green infrastructure to mitigate the negative impact of climate change. This strategic plan adds to other municipal initiatives such as the renaturalisation of the Guadalquivir River or the expansion of green areas in different neighbourhoods. The expectation is that the plan will be ready in eleven months, after which the execution phase of the priority actions will begin.