More than 30 neighbors of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell participated, last Saturday, in a critical walk with which it was to identify the urban problems and to sketch the first solutions for the preparation of the Landscape Plan of the municipality.
Neighbors identified, as problems, the narrow and sometimes impassable sidewalks and the lack of identity of urban spaces. They also visualize the potential of a municipality that, being elevated, looks out onto a rural and natural landscape of great beauty.
The Mayor, Miguel Ángel García, and the Councilor for Territory, Landscape, Environment and Mobility and Ecology, Jorge Pascual, highlighted the involvement of the residents in the Landscape Plan, since "The critical walk has given us a new perspective of our people."
Enhance the landscape
The walk started from the parking lot of the Placeta dels Mestres, where according to the participants already the unfortunate conception of some urban spaces is glimpsed. From this point it offers excellent panoramic views of the rural landscape and even the sea can be seen, but parking has not been made compatible with a tourist lookout.
The tour continued through the urban area where it was found that the aesthetics of the facades need to be harmonized, "The Poble Nou of Benitatxell has maintained an attractive urbanism of village houses", Said the neighbors.
Sidewalks
At points like municipal library They missed that value be given to a building that, due to its cultural function, should invite you to enter. In the Carrer Major they observed that the neighbors do not walk on the sidewalks, narrow and here
impracticables (the passers-by identified this problem as generalized), and they do it on the road. On narrow streets such as Buenos Aires-Gateta, the participants agreed that it is necessary to bet on creating a unique platform and giving preference to pedestrians.
Identity
Neighbors also warned that there is a lack of identity in certain urban spaces, such as, for example, Plaça de les Pesqueres. They advocated introducing trees and landscaped spaces, expanding children's games and encouraging the opening of shops and restaurants. Meanwhile, in the Plaça de l'Església, the place with more history of the municipality, they needed to be equipped with attractive urban furniture and supported the idea of recovering the old shield of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell that existed on the pavement of the square. Here is also the Portalet; this attractive wooden door is crossed and, again, the horizon opens. The walkers highlighted the landscape power of this place.
More attractive and communication between zones
The critical walk served to suggest that errors in urban planning can now be transformed into opportunities. The plot is not complete and there are numerous empty lots. Now they break the architectural continuity and disfigure the streets. But with an appropriate treatment of gardening can create green and open spaces that reinforce the attractiveness of the municipality.
Another problem detected is that there are no bike and pedestrian lanes that connect the urban area and the sports area.
García and Pascual were satisfied with the neighborhood contribution, "The Landscape Plan is a project for all of us. When we reach the local government, we already made it clear that our priority was to promote citizen participation. We want our people to be friendlier and that the neighbors are proud of their municipality. open your eyes to everyone. It has been a very positive experience, and we will continue working in this line of giving citizens a voice "Said the mayor.
