Since we just attended the Algeciras Transnational Meeting, Kostas Karamarkos shares with our readers the highlights of the city and its involvement in the project. Enjoy the reading of this article produced by Kostas himself! Since we just attended the Algeciras Transnational Meeting, Kostas Karamarkos shares with our readers the highlights of the city and its involvement in the project. Enjoy the reading of this article produced by Kostas himself!
The southern Spain medium-sized city has 80% of its municipal territory is made of forests and natural areas. The city’s typical flora is today in danger of extinction due to depopulation and the anthropization of the environment.
Algeciras sees urban agriculture as an important tool towards the transition to a more sustainable low-carbon future. At the same time, urban agriculture has been identified as a means towards social integration, strengthening community feeling and participation of citizens. The city is strongly motivated in adopting the Good Practice of Rome and following the principles outlined in the URBACT Method.
Currently, the following urban agriculture initiatives are located in and around the city:
- Garden 1: LA YESERA, working under the management of the Regional Government of Andalusia.
- Garden 2: LA JULIANA, owned by the municipality destined to grow vegetables.
- Garden 3: LOS PINOS, Owned by the municipality also destined to become a vegetables urban garden.
The city will focus, throughout the project, in the improvement of the management model of the study case of La Yesera and new Urban Gardens initiatives with the support of the project and the ad hoc experts. These initiatives can be excellent complements to other revitalisation processes that are currently taking place in suburbs at different urban levels: housing, public works, energy efficiency, street art…
The impact of RU:RBAN on citizens will be on raising awareness their awareness in the topic of urban gardening, raising their capacity building and train them to work and manage these gardens in the near future. The project is also seen by citizens as a tool to identify new spaces for leisure and other activities by recovering abandoned public areas.
The Algeciras URBACT LOCAL GROUP sees the following stakeholders involved:
-National Park of Los Alcornocoles;
- CauceNatura;
- Garden & Primary School;
- University of Cádiz;
- Directorates of the City Council: Environment, European Funds, Parks and Gardens, Citizenship participation.
Way to go Algeciras !!!
