Improvement and integration of the Henares bank in Alcalá de Henares

Integrated project in EDUSI Alcalá Sustainable and Integrated.

The implementation of this project consists of improvements made to the urban environment in its environmental, landscape and urban dimensions, as well as improvement of the state of urban soils, recovering them for environmentally friendly public uses. This has been achieved through the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Henares riverside of the EDUSI in Alcalá de Henares. In addition, forest enrichment in the intervention area has been promoted in order to improve environmental quality and improve the state of urban soils.

The main innovative aspect of the project is the landscape, environmental, urban and social integration achieved, through the improvement of the natural environment of the Henares River, as well as its approach to the city, through the creation of paths to make it more accessible, facilitating passage and movement.

Another innovative element is the actions to recover the ecological and environmental quality of the Henares River in the stretch that runs through the municipality. These include the restoration and revegetation of the riverbanks, the restoration of river basins and historical and hydraulic heritage, the construction and repair of motas and walls and the creation of access and improvement of roads, as well as the creation of fishing posts, all based on environmental and ecological criteria, using innovative mechanisms such as the intelligent irrigation system.

The actions carried out contribute to the protection of the environment and the sustainability of the city, linking the surroundings of the river with the city, providing accessible paths and various seasonal areas, generating a narrative that makes the 15-kilometre route comprising the actions more attractive. The biodiversity of the environment is also strengthened through the planting of new trees and native shrubs and the expansion of the School Island Edible Forest, creating a place of greater natural and landscape interest.

The actions in sum contribute to creating a comfortable space for the citizen, strengthening the social link between them and the Henares River, thereby guaranteeing a sustainable and socially responsible city model, which is one of the challenges envisaged in the EDUSI of Alcalá de Henares.