Itinerary pedestrian and cyclist between San Fernando and Chiclana de la Frontera (Bay of Cádiz N.P)
The pedestrian and cycle route between San Fernando and Chiclana, a project that unites two cities through the Bay of Cádiz Natural Park. In a few words: health and shared experience; marsh, easterly wind, sun, salt and estuaries; battles and 1812 Constitution; Sancti Petri channel, Atlantic Ocean, Spartina maritima, Platalea leucorodia and Salicornia; right to landscape, managed territory, sensitive stakeholders, maps, artists, joint synergies; and overall opportunities, past and future.
Regional
Spain
SAN FERNANDO AND CHICLANA DE LA FRONTERA, CÁDIZ, ANDALUSIA
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund (2014-2020). FEDER
Thematic Objetcive 6: Conserve and protect the environment and promote efficiency of the resources.
Specific Objective 6.3.2: Protection, development and promotion of natural areas, especially those of tourist interest.
The territory between Chiclana de la Frontera and San Fernando is a space full of history and culture, links with its inhabitants and opportunities. In the Bay of Cádiz Natural Park. A natural landscape of great ecological value, but also an artificial landscape from its origin, as it is generated as a consequence of continuous human transformation over the years. A place where the work on the estuaries and salt flats has created a unique tidal ecosystem and a culture of centuries. The route connects two towns that, despite being near each other, until now lacked pedestrian communication. The 5.40 km route allows new relations between its inhabitants and between them and their territory. It is part of the Eurovelo 8 cycling route, which connects the entire European Mediterranean coast, from Cádiz to Athens and Cyprus. The layout highlights the edge of the right bank of the Iro River in Chiclana de la Frontera and the "turn outside" of the Sancti Petri channel in San Fernando. An open public space, between the natural and the artificial, of high environmental and ecological value, a fundamental path for the economy and the future of its inhabitants. The roads are repaired and upgraded using traditional materials and techniques such as the walls of local oyster rock. The gates of the estuaries are restored, making the new public use compatible with the salt and aquaculture activity that makes this landscape possible. Four steel footbridges are built that cross the channels of San Pedro, Sancti Petri, Bartivás and Iro River. The remains of a salt house are recovered as an observatory to protect from the sun and the wind. There are also spaces for rest and observation corresponding to old coastal batteries for the defence of Cádiz against Napoleon's troops in 1812, reminiscent of part of the history of the place.
Recovery
Participation
Reconnection
Biodiversity
Adaptation
This project, due to its condition of integrated green infrastructure between two cities, contributes to the conservation of the environment and cultural heritage while connecting a population of around 300.000 inhabitants during summer time through sustainable mobility. On its route it shows the outstanding environmental, ethnographic and cultural heritage of the area, with respect to the activities of shellfishing, aquaculture and salt production, showing that it is possible to balance environmental protection with the use and enjoyment of the true natural capital that represents this unique territory of old salt pans and estuaries.
Being aware that any deterioration of natural areas had to be avoided, traditional construction techniques have been used so as not to damage or alter the soil or water, as well as to avoid barriers to biodiversity, respecting the nesting periods of the birds of the Natural Park.
The objectives have been met by promoting:
-Sustainable mobility, with the possibility of walking or cycling, reconnecting the cities of San Fernando and Chiclana de la Frontera.
-The Cyclotourism, with the potential of being part of the Eurovelo 8 route.
-The activities of shellfishing, aquaculture and salt production that are carried out in salt flats and estuaries, where human action is of great importance in order to preserve this ecosystem, with the cleaning of bottoms and the circulation of water through the gates.
These sustainable activities generate social and economic benefits, enhance biodiversity and reinforce the citizen's link with the territory.
The main aim of this initiative is to achieve a conscious and deep interaction with this unique territory, through enabling a pedestrian and cycling route in the Bay of Cádiz Natural Park. This territory is brought closer to the citizen, revealing its hidden qualities always with respect for its environmental and landscape values, with a project of minimal intervention and maximum care in its engineering and architectural solutions. The project allows a walk accessible to all, with direct contact with nature and with salt and aquaculture activities. The landscape insertion of infrastructures, materials and their dimensions is carefully studied, recovering traditional construction techniques, with a project that highlights the aesthetic, patrimonial and environmental qualities of the place. At all times the experience of water, birds, vegetation and wind surround us and immerse us in a new reality, full of sounds of nature and beauty.
This initiative is a transferable experience on how to reconnect cities with their nearby nature through a public space project of territorial dimension as an instrument capable of integrating accessibility to the landscape through sustainable mobility, enhancement of historical and natural heritage, improvement of the quality of life, etc. Up to now, just a couple of months after the opening of the route, the large influx of people eager to know this new infrastructure is proof of the great interest expressed by citizens for this reconnection action with a comprehensive approach.
This project provides equal opportunities to the inhabitants of both towns and even to he metropolitan area of the Bay of Cádiz, being able to reach the itinerary on the "Train-Tramway of the Bay of Cádiz" (TramBahía).
The use of these spaces linked to nature entails inclusive development for all people, favours the equitable use of spaces and equipment, promotes accessible ways of travel and transport, contributes to the creation of co-responsible coexistence formulas and, ultimately, responds to the needs of all population groups from the municipalities involved.
Enjoying nature on this pedestrian and cycling itinerary is within everyone's reach.
This inclusive project, in which an accessible itinerary along the entire route has been designed and executed, has been conceived under the premise of universal accessibility.
The project targets both resident and tourist population of Chiclana and San Fernando, two coastal towns with a large tourist influx. Citizens have immediately benefited by this initiative as the itinerary can be reached by public transport or by walk from the city centres, and it is adapted to all ages and phyisical condition. By being part of Eurovelo 8, it also has an international dimension, which results in improving knowledge of the natural space and promotes the deseasonalization of sun and beach tourism, and thus economic activity.
The project is part of the Integrated Territorial Initiative 2014-2020 for the province of Cádiz (ITI), a territorial development tool of European Union fund, that enables the implementation of a territorial strategy with the aim of providing a response to the specific needs of this territory, which includes a model of governance and participation. This governance model is made up of the ITI Planning Commission, which approved the Eurovelo 8 related projects in the province of Cádiz, and the ITI Participation Commission, which is made up of public administrations, representatives of trade union organizations, University and the Cádiz Provincial Council. Furthermore, the project has been presented on several occasions before the Natural Park Governing Board made up of City Councils, environmental groups, Regional Administration and other stakeholders, collecting the suggestions made in these sessions. Citizen participation has been focused on the agents of the territory, such as salt workers, aquaculture entrepreneurs, Natural Park and Town Halls, with whom the project has been agreed so it has a positive impact on their respective areas. Thanks to this essential participative approach, project success project has become evident right after startup.
The project has entailed great inter-administrative coordination work as well as with the stakeholders in the territory, achieving a significant involvement of all of them: Town Halls, State Administration (Coasts) and Regional Administration (Bahía de Cádiz Natural park, different regional ministries responsible for regional planning, cultural assets, aquaculture activity, coastal management…), salt and aquaculture entrepreneurs and environmental organizations. It has been needed to overcome not only physical barriers but also sectoral responsibilities to be able to intervene in a complex environment, inserted in a natural space of high value, with very difficult accessibility due to its location between the land and the sea, enhancing all this as a strategy to avoid its degradation due to the abandonment of the salt activity and the pressure of the urban edges.
The parties participation has been as follows:
- The Junta de Andalucía (Regional Administration) has promoted this multilateral initiative and acted as contracting body for the design and works execution, financed 80% by the European Regional Regional Development Fund.
- The State Administration has granted the Town Halls concessions over the maritime-terrestrial public domain.
- Both City Councils have approved the project, made the land available for works execution and assume the maintenance, promotion and dissemination of the itinerary, integrating it as one more asset of their tourism and sport offer.
- The Bay of Cádiz Natural Park has established the environmental criteria to avoid affecting ecosystems and the landscape and has approved the project.
- The Provincial Historical Heritage Commission has authorized the project.
- Environmental organizations have approved the project as part of the Natural Park Governing Board.
- Salt workers and aquaculture entrepreneurs have established the conditions to make public use compatible with their productive activity and approved the project
Multiple disciplines coordinated by the Regional Administration have intervened in the project. The main disciplines involved have been Engineering of Roads, Canals and Ports and Architecture. Biologists, topographers, historical heritage restorers, plastic artists and law specialists have also participated. The project has been implemented through a collaboration agreement between the Regional Ministry of Development, Territorial Planning and Housing and the municipalities of San Fernando and Chiclana de la Frontera. Within this coordination framework, the Town Halls have made the land available and the Junta de Andalucía has promoted the administrative process and the contracting of studies, projects and works. The initial idea of the project was agreed by the Junta de Andalucía, the Town Halls, the State Administration of Coasts and the Directorate of the Natural Park. Subsequently, the Junta de Andalucía awarded a service contract through competitive tendering to a team led by a Civil Engineer, who also included two architects specialized in landscape and public space, a quantity surveyor and a biologist. Once the project has been designed, the works have been carried out through a commission with a public company, which has qualified workers with experience in works of similar features, with an engineer in charge of the work. The environmental monitoring of the works has been carried out by a biologist and the restoration of the heritage elements by a heritage restorer. Finally, the tiles panels have been designed by plastic artists and executed by ceramic artisans, all of them local. The multidisciplinary team in all project phases coordinated by the design and works director and the Regional Administration has been key for the project success in such a difficult and delicate environment.
The outcome is a sensitive, inclusive project that brings people and communities closer to nature and its history. From its conception, the project has been based on principles such as ecological integrity of the biophysical matrix that acts as a support, ecological connectivity, environmental risk prevention and adaptation to climate change, improvement of environmental quality, equitable access and inclusive use and inter-administrative cooperation. And all this in full respect to the instructions given by the Natural Park governing board. This new free public space is used as an articulating element with the capacity to order and connect peripheral or degraded urban spaces, in a proportionate manner with minimal intervention, without sacrificing quality, comfort or safety. It is also a source of opportunities, becoming an economic resource for the community. The positive impact is clear, and it shows that another way of intervening in our environment in a respectful way, daring but without artifice so as not to compete with the surrounding beauty, showing at the same time the transformative force of the project. Furthermore, the initiative has twinned two cities through slow mobility allowing a deeper appropriation of the territory and a stronger feeling of belonging. At a broader level, being part of the Eurovelo project gives the initiative an international perspective with new links between countries and their landscape, fostering a shared vision of respect and mutual recognition to their common values.
Objective results achieved:
-A 5.40 kms route with 1 and a half duration on foot.
-Four metal walkways with handrails and wooden pavement. The longest one 199 m with adapted height to the navegation.
-Recovery of the old salt house that serves as a rest area and observatory.
-Areas for rest and observation with benches made of stone and lime coating.
-10 Information panels made of tiles by local artisans.
-20 salinas and estuary gates repaired.
The innovative nature of the project relates to its territorial dimension and the lessons on governance that can be learnt from it. Spain is a country with three levels of Administration over the territory, and thus the three of them – State, Regional and Local - have worked coordinate to successfully implement an initiative of joint interest. In addition, there have been multiple permits and authorizations to be obtained in order to preserve the natural and cultural heritage concerned. Coordination with local salt workers and aquaculture entrepreneurs has been equally key. The whole process has taken around 6 years since the first steps were taken.
In order to successfully carry out territorial projects, long-term commitment of stakeholders is essential. The establishment of administrative and social partnerships that allow public and private intervention with an understood and common general interest is what this initiative pursues. All these actions can be applied to many other projects in different areas requiring a remarkable conciliatory effort.
Another innovative element is the strategy deployed to intervene in such a complex territory: historically inexpugnable, with difficult access, environmentally sensitive and under the constant influence of the tides and strong wind. This has required the use of specific techniques and machinery, especially for maritime works, for which highly qualified specialists in their respective fields have been conveniently coordinated.
The project focused on the field of spatial planning as an integrative discipline of various competences. The inspiring principles of the project has been the precept of sustainability and the enhancement of natural and cultural heritage, the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits and the reconnection of cities with their natural and rural environment, removing physical barriers and promoting universal accessibility and non-motorized mobility. At the same time, the design has taken into account the quality of the experience beyond functionality, with a special attention to the details involving local craftsmen and using traditional materials and techniques.
From the methodology, the multi-level engagement process, which has included state and regional ministries, municipalities, and other stakeholders, can be highlighted. At the same time, the multi-sectoral approach has been of key importance, intervening in a fragile natural area and bringing it closer to the citizens in full respect to its values. With the joint enhancement of the historical and cultural heritage of the area, an environment so far somewhat forgotten, neglected and unknown to the vast majority of the population can now be discovered easily, enabling as well the knowledge of the local fauna and flora and, above all, connecting two main cities of Cádiz Bay in a sustainable way that until now was not possible.
For all the above, this project can serve as an example to other similar urban areas in the vicinity, where alternative non-motorized connections are needed, inspiring a way to respond to these needs beyond functionality, taking advantage of the natural and historical heritage.
Among the global challenges that the project has faced with local solutions, we highlight:
-The promotion of sustainable mobility helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.
-The improvement of the economy of these natural areas that, through cycling tourism, enhances the value and knowledge of the sustainable activities of salt flats and estuaries that are carried out in the area.
-Promotion of the practice of local sports in natural spaces that contributes to better public health.
-Universal accessibility of natural areas, which being close to urban centres reduces dependence on private vehicles.
-Reduction of the inequality gap of in the practice of cycling and use of the itinerary accessible to all public.
-Recovery of the ethnological and landscape heritage that was previously inaccessible, and threatened, promoting stronger links and a dialogue with the territory.
