Los hanging gardens in Zamora They are now a visible reality in the heart of the city. The City Council has completed several projects that take advantage of existing structures, filling them with vegetation, creating shade, coolness, and a much more pleasant landscape for those strolling along Santa Clara Avenue.
These actions are part of the municipal project RenaturaliZAFunded by European Next Generation EU funds, these projects are part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The approach is simple yet ambitious: introducing nature into already established spaces to improve thermal comfort, strengthen biodiversity and move towards a more livable city in the face of climate change.
What are the suspended gardens on the Santa Clara axis?
The performance known as “Suspended Gardens”, identified as B14 within RenaturaliZA, has been implemented at three key, heavily trafficked points: the San Martín Park, Castile and León Square and the Marina SquareInstead of creating new green spaces from scratch, the project focuses on transforming existing pergolas, canopies, and roofs into vegetation supports.
These locations have been established lightweight green roofs and vertical gardensThus, the usual thoroughfares along the Santa Clara axis now offer more shade, humidity, and a much more visually appealing environment. The idea is to make the most of the existing urban infrastructure and transform it into a truly green infrastructure at the service of the citizens.
The intervention has been designed taking into account Zamora's climatic conditions, with increasingly hot summers and more frequent episodes of high temperatures. Therefore, the project focuses particularly on reduce the urban heat island effect in areas heavily used by pedestrians, improving the thermal sensation without relying solely on technological solutions.
In addition to the environmental component, the City Council emphasizes the importance of strengthening the image of a friendlier and more resilient cityIn line with European strategies for adapting to climate change, the suspended gardens are thus conceived as an example of nature-based solutions applied to the urban environment.
Intervention in San Martín Park: green roofs and plant pergolas
El San Martín Park This is one of the areas where the change is most noticeable. New elements have been placed on the overhang of the existing building's roof and on the canopy leading to the underground parking garage. lightweight green roofsdesigned not to overload the structure and to function correctly in the local climate.
These roofs have been constructed using systems of thin substrate and pieces of turf sedumIt is a very hardy, low-maintenance succulent plant that tolerates both sunlight and periods of drought well. The entire system has been connected to the irrigation network of the park itself to ensure its proper development without excessive water consumption.
Along with the green roofs, the park's pergolas have been integrated planters for creating vertical gardensThese planters house climbing species that, over time, will cover the structures, providing shade and a visual effect of a "green tunnel" in the passage and rest areas.
The vegetation design has prioritized the use of native or well-adapted species to the continental Mediterranean climate of Zamora, thus reducing the need for irrigation and intensive maintenance. This selection also seeks to favor the presence of small urban fauna, such as pollinators, which find refuge and food in this type of planting.
With these actions, San Martín Park is transformed from a simple space for passage and leisure into a practical example of how renaturalize already established infrastructures without major construction or additional land occupation.
Plaza de Castilla y León and Plaza de la Marina: pergolas that become green shade
At Castile and León Square and in the Marina SquareThe intervention has focused primarily on the existing pergolas and canopies. The following have been placed on them: planters with climbing plants and ground cover similar to those used in San Martín Park, seeking a coherent image along the entire axis.
Among the selected plants are common ivy, white ivy and Virginia creeper (hanging plants for balconiesThese varieties stand out for their low maintenance, high coverage, and effectiveness in generating shade. Over time, these species will colonize the structures, creating a sense of “vegetal awning” on the transit and stay areas.
The project also incorporates ground cover and carpeting plants in the planters, which help retain soil moisture, reduce direct sunlight on hard surfaces, and enhance the landscape. All of this helps to lower the ambient temperature On the hottest days, it will improve the comfort of the people who use these spaces.
In the access area to the Marina parking lot, the same criteria used in San Martín have been followed, with lightweight green roofs sedum plants connected to the irrigation system. In this way, the entrances to the parking areas cease to be merely functional elements and become better integrated into the green environment of the pedestrian axis.
The responsible councilor emphasizes that it's not just about "filling the city with greenery" in any way possible, but about Incorporate vegetation where it truly improves comfortIt reduces the extreme heat index and provides measurable ecological benefits, such as increased biodiversity or improved air quality.
Cost of the project and companies involved in the hanging gardens
The execution of the hanging gardens in Zamora has involved a total investment of around 127.000-127.800 euros, a figure considered adjusted for the visual and environmental impact expected in the Santa Clara area and its immediate surroundings.
The company in charge of carrying out the works has been A Scala / AescalaThe company awarded the contract through a public tender. The work has included the installation of green roofs and planters, as well as the integration of irrigation systems and the adaptation of existing structures to support the new vegetation.
The project has been designed taking into account the criteria of Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Planwhich promotes investment in green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in urban areas throughout Spain. In this context, Zamora joins other cities that are committed to renaturalization projects with European funding.
The councillor for European Funds, Urban Planning, Digital Transformation and Press, Ana Belén GonzálezHe emphasized that these interventions are conceived as visible actions, easily recognizable by citizens, and that they also serve to raise awareness about the need to adapt cities to the new climate scenario.
As explained, the City Council's intention is to continue presenting the remaining actions included in RenaturaliZA, spread across different neighborhoods, and later carry out a overall project balance to evaluate results and plan possible new phases.
RenaturaliZA and the European Next Generation funds
The suspended gardens along the Santa Clara axis are part of the project RenaturaliZA, promoted by the Zamora City Council with the support of Biodiversity Foundation and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO)This program is part of component 4 of the PRTR, dedicated to the ecosystem conservation and restoration and its biodiversity.
Specifically, the actions are included in the investment line aimed at green and blue infrastructure in urban environmentsThe funding comes from European funds Next Generation US, which pursue an economic recovery aligned with the climate and environmental objectives set by the European Union.
RenaturaliZA's general approach involves Reintegrate nature into squares, parks and degraded spaces from Zamora, applying nature-based solutions that help deal with rising temperatures, loss of biodiversity and fragmentation of urban habitats.
Beyond the ecological component, the project also aims to improve the quality of life of the citizens, offering more pleasant environments for walking, leisure and socializing, and at the same time reinforcing the landscape identity of the city.
The city council insists that these types of interventions are a further step within a medium- and long-term strategy, which combines the renaturalization of consolidated spaces with other initiatives for energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and adaptation to climate change.
With the deployment of the hanging gardens in ZamoraThe Santa Clara, San Martín, Plaza de Castilla y León and Plaza de la Marina axis become a clear showcase of this new urban model that aims to add vegetation where it is most noticeable: on pergolas, canopies and roofs that, until now, went practically unnoticed and that today begin to function as small green islands spread throughout the heart of the city.
