The redevelopment project for Paseo Sarasate and its adjacent streets is part of a global strategy to transform Pamplona into a more resilient, green, and connected city, aligning with initiatives such as Pamplona Urban Renaturalization 2025 (RUNA). This intervention combines ecological, heritage, and social approaches to integrate nature and urbanism, addressing challenges such as mobility, climate change, and public space connectivity.
Nature and Water: Integrating Green and Blue
The design prioritizes the revitalization of Paseo Sarasate through renaturalization, blending the preservation of its historic character with the integration of sustainable solutions. The existing vegetation is protected and expanded, while new plantings are introduced to promote biodiversity, improve air quality, and mitigate the urban heat island effect.
In terms of water management, the project employs a blue strategy that addresses climate change challenges through nature-based solutions. Bioretention swales, linear and recessed planting areas, capture, filter, and gradually release rainwater, alleviating traditional infrastructure and reducing flood risks. This approach ensures more efficient water management by leveraging the natural topography of the area and directing runoff westward.
Sustainable Mobility: Connectivity and Accessibility
Paseo Sarasate functions as a strategic corridor linking Pamplona’s historic center with its modern expansion. The proposal redesigns this space to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist mobility, connecting it with the city’s main green and riverine routes. A unified platform ensures universal accessibility, improving traffic flow and fostering social interaction.
Integrating the adjacent streets into the Paseo, up to their connection with Estella Street, strengthens the area’s cohesion. In the medium and long term, public transport is planned to be relocated to Estella Street, freeing up more space for pedestrians and cyclists along Paseo Sarasate. This approach not only enhances user safety and comfort but also promotes a more attractive and functional urban environment, encouraging both social and economic activity.
Historical Identity and Collective Memory
Paseo Sarasate is a space rich in historical and cultural significance, connecting Pamplona’s old town with its modern areas. Its distinctive design, characterized by rows of trees and symmetrical layouts, reflects a balance between nature and urbanism. The project aims to reinforce this identity, adapting it to 21st-century needs while preserving its essence.
The ISOLINE is introduced as a central element in the intervention. This diagonal line shapes the space’s design, connecting the northern and southern façades through a new topography that addresses accessibility, drainage, and pathways. The geometry of this proposal brings dynamism to the space and a distinctive formal gesture, integrating paving, urban furniture, and green areas into a cohesive and contemporary composition.
Additionally, the trees are revalued, and green areas are expanded, creating a seamless transition to spaces such as Taconera Park and the Vuelta del Castillo. The intervention subtly shifts the center of activity northward, revitalizing commercial fronts and expanding walking areas, further reinforcing its role as the central axis of Pamplona’s urban life.
Resilience and Sustainability: Green and Blue Strategies
The project’s green strategy seeks to restore and strengthen the natural link between Paseo Sarasate and the city’s ecological infrastructure. This continuous corridor not only enhances local biodiversity but also helps mitigate urban heat while optimizing the area’s environmental quality. The landscape design creates a gradient transitioning from a more urban environment to a denser, more natural space in the west, intuitively guiding visitors toward Pamplona’s key green assets.
Meanwhile, the blue strategy incorporates innovative measures to manage rainwater efficiently and sustainably. Bioretention swales, combined with a system of permeable pavements and adapted topography, ensure that water is managed naturally and in harmony with the environment. This approach enhances the city’s resilience to extreme weather events and strengthens Paseo Sarasate’s ability to adapt to future challenges.
A Community Space: Flexibility and Urban Vitality
The redesign of Paseo Sarasate transforms it into a versatile and dynamic space capable of accommodating multiple uses and activities. From pedestrian transit to cultural events, the design fosters social interaction and coexistence, strengthening community ties and revitalizing urban life.
The proposal not only meets contemporary demands but also celebrates Pamplona’s collective memory, solidifying Paseo Sarasate as a symbol of local identity and a benchmark for sustainable design. This project marks a milestone in the city’s evolution, transforming its urban heart into an innovative, green, and resilient space.
