Alcobendas held the lottery for its family urban gardens , with a total of 276 plots distributed across five areas of the municipality . The event drew a large crowd of residents and was attended by the mayor, RocÃo GarcÃa Alcántara, and the councilor for the Environment, Jesús Montero.
With this announcement, the city's urban agriculture program takes a significant leap forward in both quantity and organization: it offers the highest number of allotments to date and, for the first time, extends to five locations. Furthermore, the City Council has announced that an additional 54 spaces will be reserved in the future Princess Leonor Forest Park.
Map of locations and distribution of plots
The allocation of parking spaces has been designed to cover different neighborhoods and facilitate pedestrian access . The five zones and their corresponding number of plots are as follows:
- Hermitage Avenue: 44 plots
- Andalusia Park: 34 plots
- Extremadura Park: 64 plots
- Carlos Muñoz Ruiz Street: 80 plots
- Avenue of Illusion: 54 plots
This deployment allows the gardens to be distributed evenly throughout the city, bringing the sites closer to more families interested in growing and learning horticulture.
Award criteria and neighborhood participation
The call for applications received 1.398 submissions , reflecting the initiative's strong appeal. To manage the demand, two main age groups were established: those over 60 and those aged 18 to 59.
Within each group, applicants were classified into three tiers based on their length of registration . With this system, those who could prove more than 20 years of registration in Alcobendas had a greater chance in the draw, reinforcing the local ties criterion.
The model seeks a balance between access, rotation and social cohesion, combining intergenerational participation with the consolidation of farming communities in each enclosure.
Key dates and procedures after the draw
The City Council will publish the official results on alcobendas.org in approximately one week, once the administrative validation of the lists has been completed.
The handover of keys to the successful applicants is planned for March or April 2026 , coinciding with the start of the spring planting season.
With that calendar, the new owners will be able to plan in advance the preparation of the land and the start of the cultivation plan for the spring-summer cycle.
Services and facilities of the gardens
Each plot has an approximate area of ​​25 m² , designed for family use and the practice of small-scale sustainable horticulture.
The enclosures incorporate an independent drip irrigation system and hose, so that each user can adjust the water supply to the needs of their crop.
In addition, all areas have a shed with individual lockers for storing tools and a communal fountain/washbasin that facilitates cleaning and maintenance work.
A project with social and environmental impact
Beyond the harvest, the gardens foster community life, practical learning and environmental education , promoting responsible consumption habits and water use.
The expansion of the program with 54 new plots planned in the future Princess Leonor Forest Park reinforces the municipal commitment to urban agriculture as a tool for sustainability and participation.
With the new edition and the increase in sites, Alcobendas consolidates a network of urban gardens that combines proximity, transparent allocation criteria and adequate facilities for those who are starting out or wish to continue with horticulture.
