The City Council of Seville is working on the execution of more than 7,000 homes, including rehabilitation and new construction, and on the planting of 22,000 trees to adapt the city to the heat.
The Urbanism and Environment Management of the City Council of Seville is advancing in a plan that combines the construction of approximately 5,400 new homes with the rehabilitation of another 2,000, as explained by the Urbanism delegate, Juan de la Rosa, at the closing of the European project Urbanew EMC³, held on 15 and 16 September at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Seville.
The new developments are being carried out in collaboration with EMVISESA and through public-private collaboration formulas, aiming to expand the supply of affordable housing. All of them incorporate sustainability criteria and obtain a double A certification, the highest rating in energy efficiency and CO₂ emissions.
"All new construction homes are being developed to meet the highest sustainability standards required by the European Union," noted Juan de la Rosa.
In parallel, the rehabilitation focuses on 2,000 homes in five priority neighbourhoods: Parque Alcosa, Los Pajaritos-Nazaret, Martínez Montañés, Polígono San Pablo, and Huerta del Rey. The investment allocated to these actions amounts to 20 million euros and aims to improve habitability, increase energy efficiency, and reduce emissions.
The projects include solutions such as aerothermal energy, photovoltaic generation, and energy self-consumption, designed to reduce residents' bills. With these measures, the City Council aims for climate change adaptation to have a direct effect on the daily lives of residents.
The municipal strategy also includes improving public space to mitigate high temperatures. The Urbanism delegate highlighted the planting of 22,000 new trees and the incorporation of sustainable and permeable pavements, in order to gain shade and make the streets more livable.
"Adapting to climate change is a priority for a city particularly exposed to high temperatures," affirmed De la Rosa.
These actions are complemented by measures for sustainable mobility, such as promoting public transport, trams, bicycles, and expanding the cycling network, as well as the gradual incorporation of electric buses into the municipal fleet. In terms of energy, the delegate emphasized that around 70% of the public lighting in Seville has already been renewed with LED technology.
The meeting also served to advocate for the role of the university in urban transformation. Ramón Pico, director of the Higher Technical School of Architecture, defended the institution's vocation as a "laboratory at the service of the city," generating knowledge and tools to tackle specific urban problems. The rector of the University of Seville, Carmen Vargas, closed the program with a panel on more sustainable campuses.
The Urbanew project has been included in the report "The Road to Belém: The Local Way – Local Climate Action Solutions for SDG Acceleration," prepared by the Local 2030 Office of the United Nations, as an example of cooperation among the Spanish Mission Cities: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, and Zaragoza.
With these initiatives, Seville is moving towards a more resilient city with more comfortable and efficient homes for its residents.
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