Benitatxell plans a green space for the emblematic Plaça de les Pesqueres

The Covid-19 pandemic, after home confinement, has brought to debate the need to create, especially in densely populated cities, spaces for people to the detriment of cars.

This is the philosophy of the executive of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell: “To create a model of a green municipality, friendly to pedestrians and with spaces for the use and enjoyment of our neighbors. We want a square and, in general, a municipality for people and not for cars ", highlighted the mayor, Miguel Ángel García.

The emblematic Plaça de les Pesqueres ─formerly known as Plaça Nova─ will be the first major project to adopt this formula, and will go from being a divided space, parking and road traffic, to a neuralgic point, even more so, of public life Township.

Plaça de Les Pesqueres project

As explained by the Councilor for Urban Planning, Jorge Pascual, a project to rehabilitate the square will be carried out through the 'Plan Plan 2020-2023' granted by the Alicante Provincial Council to all the municipalities of the province for large-scale projects.

With a total budget of € 664.866,39, two actions are planned: the 'Landscape intervention and improvement project for Plaça de les Pesqueres', for which the Provincial Council will contribute €354.658,52 and the Town hall €135.707,45; and the 'Access management project and accessible paving in the urban nucleus', with a contribution of 126.817,49 euros from the provincial entity and 47.682,93 euros from the council.

Plan of the remodeling project of Plaça de Les Pesqueres

The importance of Plaça de les Pesqueres

Plaça de les Pesqueres is one of the nerve centers of the town. Surrounded by buildings, it is a residential area for families with children, and has important endowments and public facilities such as the Health Center, the Social Center and the Municipal School of Music and Dance. It also hosts at different stages of the year patron saint festivities, concerts, traditional markets and other types of cultural activities.

However, the spaces that the square has are isolated by the vehicular traffic that surrounds it. The presence of vehicles is of great importance in it, creating an inhospitable and unpleasant space for its intended use, as asphalt predominates as the road surface. All this makes the square somewhat unsafe for children's play. The objective of this intervention is to improve its material and functional quality, to enhance it and create a space with different uses for all audiences.

Current car park in Plaça de les Pesqueres

Details intervention

Taking advantage of the topography and the division into various areas of the current square, the pedestrian accesses will be changed, generating small ramps, so that accessibility to the entire square is total. In each of these squares different uses will be carried out: one will be dedicated to children's play, another to rest with a water area, and another to a recreational and sports activity, both for young and old. The view from below will simulate a terraced space of tozales, so characteristic of the Marina area.

The proposal will keep the existing wonderland double-trunk ficus and pine. A stand will be adapted as an open-air auditorium for the different activities, and the ficus will become a plant and natural cover for this seating space. In addition, a climbing wall will be added whose figures will recall the stairs that went down to the Pesqueras located on the cliffs of the municipality.

Another objective of the proposal is to have an esplanade that allows multiple activities and uses and, therefore, is multipurpose.

To ensure climate comfort, a green roof will be created with vines, bougainvillea, jasmine, wisteria, etc. It is sought with this and other ornamental elements to recreate the Mediterranean essence of this area; its traditional riurau architecture; its rugged geography formed by gorse, valleys and cliffs; its Mediterranean forest vegetation and agricultural landscapes of muscat grapes, almond trees and carob trees, and the tradition of fishing on the cliffs that gives the square its name.

The presence of the wheeled vehicle and the parking areas will be eliminated, despite allowing their punctual and justified access to the residents of the square. And to guarantee a minimum energy consumption, it is proposed that all the lighting be of low consumption, using LED technology and with sensors that manage its on and off depending on the lighting conditions.