How a Spanish tourist city became Europe's green capital

The European Commission (EC) has highlighted Valencia’s 5 million square metres of green space. According to the EC report, 97% of residents live less than 300m from a major green area, whether it’s the famous wide sandy beaches of the Mediterranean or the Albufera wetlands, where Valencia’s paella is grown.

Valencia's spectacular City of Arts and Sciences is now a major attraction. Photo: Rob Tilley/The Image Bank Unreleased/Getty Images

The Green Capital title, awarded annually to a European city, is a valuable experience that could help other countries implement similar initiatives. The European Commission has awarded 600,000 euros ($656,000) to the winning candidate to fund more sustainable programs. Other cities receiving the title include Tallinn, Estonia, and Oslo, Norway, among others.

"I see this as a recognition by the European Community of our joint work. As a community we have built over many years in the surrounding areas. We have been protecting orchards, beaches, the Albufera natural park and more," said Paola Llobet, Valencia's tourism and innovation councillor.

Visitors need only look at a city map to see Valencia's most prominent green space: the Turia Natural Park, a 9-kilometer-long converted riverbed that cuts through the city.

Futuristic masterpiece

Today, Turia Park in the heart of Valencia has become a precious public space, like a green ribbon connecting the suburban orchards with the Mediterranean Sea.

The city of Valencia is surrounded by orchards and vegetable plots. Photo: Allard Schager/Moment RF/Getty

Weekends see soccer, rugby and baseball games at one of the park’s many sporting venues. On sunny days, families picnic under the baobab and cypress trees, while amateur climbers and acrobats test their skills climbing or spiraling down some of the medieval stone bridges.

Valencia is also home to the City of Arts and Sciences – a cultural and architectural complex in the city of Valencia. It is the futuristic masterpiece of Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and is one of the city’s biggest attractions. Its bright white curves and arches give it a space-age design, making it a popular location for sci-fi movies and series, from “Star Wars” to “Westworld.”

Notably, it was Giuseppe Grezzi, an Italian who moved to Valencia, who was interested in cycling that led him to join local government. His proudest achievement was increasing the city’s bike lanes by more than 50%.

This year's spring Fallas festival is one of the first to embrace sustainability.Photo: Jorge Gil/Europa Press/Getty

"The city is flat. The weather is perfect. I want to be able to cycle everywhere. We have contributed to the mission of transforming the city into a green city and are proud to be part of it. We have put in place a lot of policies to protect public spaces, make the city greener, have more pedestrian areas and reduce pollution," he said after attending a community meeting to discuss Valencia's Green Capital status.

During Giuseppe Grezzi's tenure, the city developed sustainable transport infrastructure, extending a new metro line, installing public bicycles and adding nearly 200 km of bike lanes connecting several "green routes" out of the city.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Valencia has proactively converted several high-traffic areas into pedestrian-only zones, including the city center roundabout, where Valencia City Hall is housed in an impressive 18th-century building.

Abundant fruit source

Another benefit of being green is Valencia's abundance of fruit and vegetables. The city is surrounded by La Huerta, over 120 square kilometers of fruit and vegetable gardens that are sold in Valencia's city markets.

The European Commission has singled out the city's neighbourhood and food programme as promoting a culinary movement called Zero-Kilometer Food, which refers to food produced, sold and eaten locally to reduce transport costs and carbon emissions.

Valencia’s Mercado Central is the perfect place to shop for local goods. Hundreds of fruit, vegetable, fish and meat vendors sell local produce in the huge modern hall. At dawn, hundreds of vehicles begin unloading fresh produce from the surrounding area and selling their wares.

This year, to celebrate its Green Capital status, Valencia is hosting its first “Green Fallas” festival, providing funding for neighborhoods to build eco-friendly alternatives such as papier-mâché, wood, and rice stalks. The goal of the Fallas is to maintain completely sustainable materials by 2030./.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/cach-thanh-pho-du-lich-tay-ban-nha-tro-thanh-thu-do-xanh-cua-chau-au-20240315105239956.htm