Sant Boi breathes+ Ver is a strategic and transformative project to increase green in the city. A change of model to have a more diverse green, more connected, of higher quality and distributed equitably.
The actions more Significant SBR+V will be carried out in the urban area, with the creation of new parks, the improvement of existing ones and the reinforcement of woodland plantations in the streets. SBR+V will also allow us even installing a living urban agriculture laboratory.
Before the end of 2025 it is expected to create 26,180 m² of new green spaces and improve 39,300 m² of existing spaces. The goal is that all this new urban green be connected to the natural, forest and river environment that Sant Boi has, and that this green network is read as a continuum.
Sant Boi natural
The waves of heat, pollution or extreme phenomena are evident that urban areas have to adapt to new challenges. It is about turning them into more friendly and habitable spaces that integrate green into its streets and are connected to nearby natural spaces.
But how to transform a gray to green city? This is the challenge that the project addresses Sant Boi breathes+ Ver, which seeks to boost more than 65,000 m² of green areaseither creating new ones, improving the state of the existing ones or reinforcing the trees in the streets.
The initiative He also works to ‘paint’ Green School Patios, create community orchardsestablish therapeutic circuits or even install a living laboratory of urban agriculture. The project is financed by the Biodiversity Foundation and the City Council of Sant Boi, the Hospital of San Juan of God and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
“We want this project to become a reference for other cities that want Green and blue infrastructure of the city, called ‘Renaturalizem Sant Boi’.
This sheet of Route places nature in the city center, Betting on implementing an urban green mosaic that enhances the quantity, quality and diversity of environments, ”explains Sandra Calduch-Fernández, participant in the project.
In addition, it also collaborates in several concrete actions that aim to renaturalize existing urban parks; Restore degraded habitats, such as riverside habitatsand create new axes to connect green and blue in the municipality, for example, road trees.
Among the proposals raised by the center, several nature -based solutions are included. Each of these solutions is presented in detail and designed for a space Concrete of Sant Boi and the ecosystem services they provide to citizens are also described.
For example, Keep urban biodiversity, improve air quality, create shadow spaces or decrease the risk of flooding. “The objective is for the City Council to have a catalog of scientific solutions, of which some will be chosen with citizens,” explains Joan Pino, who leads this strategy.
Renaturalization of parks
One of the Renaturalization solutions proposed is to create butterflies gardens. These spaces are characterized by including several species of nectariferous plants so that adult butterflies feed on their nectar, and nutritional plants, where these insects put the eggs so that, when they are born, the caterpillars have food.
It is also recommended plant herbaceous species and native shrubs with flowers of diverse colors And that they flourish at different times of the year, “in this way we ensure that butterflies have food and refuge throughout the year,” says Sandra Calduch-Fernández.
In addition, the garden can also be accompanied with water sheets, such as shallow rafts to guarantee water and humidity. Some urban butterflies that could favor with this action are Papilio Machaon, Pieris Rapae and Vanessa Cardui, all of them generalist and adapted to open environments, “other pollinators such as bees are also favored,” adds the expert.
Small forests inside the city
Another proposals are known as Tiny Forets in English, urban forests of very small dimensions. Are Plantations are made with native species adapted to the local climatewith a density of 2 to 7 trees per square meter, in fact, they are 30 times dense than conventional plantations.
With this high density the species compete more by the light and the process of ecological succession of the forest is accelerated -some plants grow, but others grow. This greater density and structural complexity provides a wide diversity of ecological nichess that, at the same time, attracts a greater variety of species.
Also They can contribute to the regulation of urban microclimate, improve air quality, reduce noise and preserve urban biodiversity. “These small forests, if implemented, would be pioneers throughout Catalonia, in Madrid, for example, ‘El Bosque del Prince’,” says Corina Basnou, also part of the project.
Case of the Riera de Can Soler
And Paradigmatic example of how to recover the green and blue connection is the Riera de Can SoleA, where you want to connect the forest environment with the Llobregat River.
Currently, it is very deteriorated due among other things to waste and invasive species such as the cane (Arundo Donax) and the cutter (Sealoan Cortaderia). But, despite being degraded, unique specimens such as Cerioid oak (Quercus cerrioides) and some carob individuals (Siliqua Ceratonia) and Higuera (Ficus Carica) are still preserved.
“To reverse the situation and restore it, We propose to eliminate invasive species and, on the other hand, plant native vegetation typical of riverbank forestssome are the Junco (Scirpus Holoschoenus), the Yellow Lily (Iris pseudacorus), Tamariuel Tamarisco (Tamarix Gallica), the Saúco (Sambucus Nigra), the elm (Ulmus minor) or the poplar (Populus alba), ”explains Sandra Calduch-Fernández.
They also propose favor the presence of amphibians and reptiles using natural stone shelters and favor flowery meadows, which at the same time also enhance the presence of lepidoptera and other pollinating insects and birds.
Lower flood risk
But not only has to be reverge, but also think about the floor we step on. The reason? In cities Normally the protagonist is the cement, but this material is waterproof and does not drain the water well When it rains. To solve it, another of the measures proposed by the experts is to use the permeable pavements that are able to infiltrate water.
They are installed in areas with Risk of water accumulation, such as parking, roads and large paved areas. “There are pavements of several types, such as porous or waterproof blocks with holes, which can be filled with vegetation,” adds Sandra Calduch-Fernández.
Citizens are the key
Another of the fundamental elements in the project is to have citizens to design these new spaces, on the one hand, to increase the awareness about the benefits of renaturalizing a space andon the other, to take your needs into account.
In this sense, during the Months of June and July participatory sessions were held in schools and workshops and walks to collect ‘in situ’ their opinions about some of the planned actions. Sessions have also been made to the Childhood Council of Sant Boi. The RENATURALIZEM STRATEGY participation process Sant Boi It will be held at the end of March.
“Projects such as this are for administration and research to collaborate in rethinking urban green. closer to citizens and create a “effect called” with our actions and proposalS, that is, generate a change and motivate other administrations to join, ”concludes Corina Basnou.
Participates in the project the research technician Javier Gordillo. Sant Boi breathes + Ver has the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco) Within the framework of the recovery, transformation and resilience (PRTR) plan, funded by the European Union – Next Generationu.