Santander busca fondos FEDER para mejorar barrios prioritarios
The Santander City Council has approved its Integrated Action Plan (PAI) ‘Santander Connects. Neighborhoods, well-being, and innovation’, with actions focused on the areas of El Alisal, Nueva Montaña, Grupo Pedro Velarde, and Río de la Pila, identified as «priority» due to their vulnerability indices or regeneration needs, and with which it applies for the call EDIL Plans (Integrated Action Plans of Local Entities), financed with FEDER funds 21-27.
With this project, approved by the Governing Board this week and framed within the Integrated Territorial Strategy of Santander (ETIS), the City Council aims to promote the sustainable and integrated development of the city, addressing jointly its physical, environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
The obtaining of these new European funds would entail a total investment of 17.2 million euros and the maximum funding amounts to 60%. In this way, and depending on the aid obtained, the City Council will evaluate the measures to be implemented, as indicated in a press release.
Designed following the methodology of the Spanish Urban Agenda, the PAI is structured around three major driving projects: ‘Santander Connects Neighborhoods’, which focuses on urban regeneration and mobility improvement; ‘Santander Connects Well-being’, which enhances the quality of life in neighborhoods through access to affordable housing, creation of community spaces, and recovery of natural areas; and ‘Santander Connects Innovation’, to boost digital modernization and technological training.
In total, the plan includes 9 actions that address fundamental aspects such as mobility reorganization, environmental regeneration, public housing, environmental awareness, and digitalization.
Specifically, it proposes to improve the accessibility and quality of urban space by modernizing infrastructure through the integral regeneration of the surroundings of the neighborhoods Grupo Pedro Velarde, Río de la Pila, and the San Martín Pino area.
It also aims to promote sustainable mobility, intermodality, and reduce vehicle usage by expanding a bike lane on Camilo Alonso Vega, as well as improving efficiency and sustainability by renewing the water supply network in the Grupo Pedro Velarde and the Main Artery of Santander.
Additionally, it advocates for creating a community space that strengthens social life and promotes citizen participation through the establishment of a Civic Center in Nueva Montaña; and increasing access to housing for vulnerable people by acquiring 15 affordable rental homes in Nuevo Alisal.
It also calls for restoring an ecosystem affected by urban pressure, improving biodiversity through the comprehensive recovery of the Ría de Raos; and increasing green areas and improving the environmental quality of the urban environment through the renaturalization of Plaza Manuel García Cuadrado and the creation of microspaces in the ‘Green Schools’.
Finally, it urges to facilitate access to administrative procedures, bridge the digital divide, and improve urban planning through the creation of ICT solutions, a Digital Twin, and digital training in vulnerable neighborhoods; and promote technological entrepreneurship and innovation to strengthen the economy from a sustainable perspective, through an innovation hub in the port district of Nueva Montaña.
CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES
Thus, the plan addresses current and future challenges, such as demographic growth, climate change, urban mobility, digitalization, and social inclusion, from a comprehensive perspective that aims to make Santander a «more resilient, dynamic, and with better living conditions for residents and visitors» territory.
The objectives of the plan focus on optimizing the urban environment and environmental sustainability, promoting sustainable and balanced urban development, creating modern, resilient infrastructures, and favoring equitable access to quality public spaces.
To achieve this, actions for regenerating urban areas through the integration of green infrastructures, creating new social spaces, and implementing policies aimed at reducing the ecological footprint and optimizing the use of natural resources are included.
This instrument is based on the process of citizen participation.
