THE URBANRENEWAL PLAN

FOR GARELLANO

With regard to Garellano, this project is beingpromoted by Bilbao City Hall and BILBAO Ría2000, responsible for the urban regenerationof the city. The project will involve the transferof the municipal services of Public Securityand Civil Protection, culminating in the creationof a new area of the city surrounded by greenspaces, housing and new commercial areas.

Until now, the process of general improvementfor the Basurto district has materialised in workslike the underground relocation of the FEVErailway tracks, over which a new boulevard isbeing built. These works will intensify in thecoming years with the demolition of the SabinoArana viaduct, the underground relocation of aportion of the A-8 motorway, the new BasquePublic University (UPV-EHU) technologicalcampus, the new San Mames stadium and theurban renewal of the Garellano area.

The architecture firm, “Rogers, Stirk, Harbour +Partners”, headed by Richard ROGERS, havealready presented a Master Plan for Garellano.This document incorporates the general outline ofthe zoning and urban planning of this tract. Uponapproval by Bilbao City Council, the next step inthe bureaucratic process will commence with thedrawing up of a Specially Designated Plan.

While steps are being taken toward implementingthe Specially Designated Plan, a parallel projectwill be drafted for the demolition plan of the buildingspresently occupied by the municipal police, the firedepartment and the Basurtu-Zorrotza Civic Centre.

However, no demolition will take place until theservices currently housed in these buildings havebeen transferred to the new buildings in Miribilla,for the police and fire departments, and in Zankoetafor the new Civic Centre, all under the auspices ofBILBAO Ría 2000.

The Master Plan for Garellano stipulates that onthe eastern side of the area, opposite Luis BriñasStreet, the buildings will be of the same height asthose presently standing on that street. In the centralpart of the new area, buildings will not surpass ninestoreys in height, with the tallest buildings to beconstructed on the western side.

As the San Mames area is lacking in aneighbourhood park, the creation of a largegreen space is planned to make up forthis deficiency. Triangular shaped, theplanned park will be situated in and aroundthe present blocks of flats and the newresidential buildings, serving as a nexusbetween the existing buildings and thenewly built area, truly becoming the heartof this renewed quarter of the city.