During the summer, on our annual family trip, we travelled to Sweden to escape the heat and to experience first-hand all those features we admire about this country: the intense relationship with nature, a vigorous urban culture with a great interest in all related to healthy food, and in general the importance given to design. By Susana Canogar.

The news that the U.S. withdraws from the Paris Accord on climate change was no surprise. But till the last moment we all had the hope that common sense and responsibility toward the planet and citizens of the world would prevail and that the president of the most influential nation in the world – and historically the most polluting- would take heed of the multitude of voices within the U.S. and without, that called for a change in his position and so honor the historic agreement adopted in France in December 2015.

On November 10th a framework agreement was signed between the Valdebebas Management Board (Junta de Compensación de Valdebebas) and the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, UPM) to facilitate collaboration between both institutions relating to scientific and technical support. The initiative was promoted by Evergreen Paisajismo, and enthusiastically supported by Valdebebas in order to highlight the environmental measures designed by the landscape team (formerly SC Paisajismo), and very notably the sophisticated irrigation system implanted in Valdebebas, perhaps one of the most complete nationally, that allows the irrigation control of the district parks, from a single central computer connected to a weather station.

During a recent trip to Costa Rica to visit some of the beautiful natural areas, I was able to witness first hand the success of the national strategy to promote tourism, an industry that now exceeds the income from cash crops such as coffee, banana and pineapple, and above all the surge in ecotourism and active tourism as compared to the classic beach vacation.
 
By Susana Canogar

March 21st 2016, the Valdebebas Property Board received the unexpected news that the Madrid Superior Court had annulled the Special Plan modifying the use of an area reserved for a gigantic mall (150,000 m2) into a retail and leisure space a third of the size, as well as a school and price controlled housing, both in high demand in the new district.

As part of the 12th edition of the lecture series organized by Casa Encendida in Madrid, Gregorio Prieto (Prointec) and Marita Centenera (Madrid City Hall) gave their views on the 500 Ha. Forestry Park in the heart of the new urban development of Valdebebas, between the neighborhood of Sanchinarro and Terminal 4 of the Madrid Barajas airport.

The second expert debate on the future remodeling of Plaza de España in Madrid took place last Thursday, February 25th,, at the Association of Civil Engineers, as part of the public participation process which has been launched by the City Hall of Madrid.