A new era for Madrid's parks
The City Council of Madrid has decided to implement significant changes in the management of three of its main parks, allowing them to remain open even during episodes of adverse weather. This measure, expected to be approved in June, will affect Juan Carlos I Park, Juan Pablo II, and the Linear Park of the Manzanares.
The proposal was presented by the delegate for Urbanism, Environment and Mobility, Borja Carabante, during a meeting with the Tree Table. According to Carabante, this decision responds to a technical analysis aimed at adapting closure criteria to the specific characteristics of each park. The new protocols will allow these green spaces to remain open more days during the summer, thus responding to citizens' demands.
The changes include an increase in the wind thresholds necessary to activate alerts. For example, the orange alert will now be triggered with gusts between 45 and 60 kilometres per hour, while the red alert will be declared from 60 kilometres per hour. This represents a significant increase compared to previous figures.
Carabante has noted that if these new criteria had been in place in previous years, approximately one in three closures of Retiro Park would have been avoided. In 2021, this would have allowed the park to remain open for an additional eight days. The modification also includes a larger budget allocated for the conservation of urban trees, increasing from 70 to 150 million euros since 2019.
Despite the new more flexible rules, the City Council has established that in the event of a red alert, only specific areas deemed dangerous within the mentioned parks will be cordoned off. This means that children's or sports areas could be temporarily closed while the rest of the park remains accessible to the public.
Although these modifications will not be in effect before the 85th Madrid Book Fair, scheduled between May 29 and June 14 in El Retiro, Carabante has expressed hope that weather conditions will be favourable and that this iconic space will not need to be closed during the event.
During the meeting with the Tree Table, a new model called MIRAR (Integral Model for Evaluation and Management of Urban Tree Risk) was also presented. This system aims to modernise tree management through digital tools that facilitate continuous monitoring and evaluation of the state of urban trees.
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