SUCCESS CASES

Renaturalization of the 4 squares of Nueva Segovia Opportunity Spaces: Aqueducts of Biodiversity

Alberto García | October 23, 2025

• Projects
• 7 min.

Tecnigral, awarded the drafting project of the B1 action “Renaturalization of four squares in the neighborhood of Nueva Segovia”, has developed one of the most representative interventions of the program “Spaces of Opportunity: Aqueducts of Biodiversity”, promoted by the City Council of Segovia and funded by the Biodiversity Foundation (MITECO) under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – NextGenerationEU.

This initiative is part of the municipal strategy for green infrastructure and urban biodiversity, which seeks to transform the city’s toughest spaces into natural, resilient and healthy places, connecting green areas through ecological corridors and improving the environmental and social quality of neighborhoods.

Francisco de Rojas Square renaturalization project.

The challenge

The neighborhood of Nueva Segovia, built in the second half of the twentieth century, has large squares and cul-de-sacs designed as traffic and parking spaces, dominated by asphalt and with little vegetation. These configurations generate high temperatures, low soil permeability and a lack of shade and neighborhood meeting areas.

The challenge was to reverse this urban model by creating more sustainable and livable spaces, capable of integrating nature, pedestrian mobility and citizen coexistence, without losing functionality or accessibility. In addition, the project was to serve as a replicable reference for future renaturalization interventions in other neighborhoods of the city.

This initiative seeks to transform the city’s toughest spaces into natural and resilient places, connecting green areas through ecological corridors.

The proposed solution

Tecnigral’s technical team designed a comprehensive project for the squares of Bécquer, Tirso de Molina, Fernando de Rojas and Calderón de la Barca, applying criteria of renaturalization, sustainable drainage and native biodiversity.

The main lines of action were:

• Reduction of the space allocated to vehicles, eliminating central parking lots and narrowing roads to free up pedestrian and naturalized areas.
• Creation of green corridors more than 15 meters wide in the center of each square, conceived as authentic urban “biodiversity aqueducts”.
• Implementation of draining pavements and natural soils, which allow rainwater infiltration and aquifer recharge.
• Planting of native species adapted to the climate of Segovia, forming small mixed Mediterranean forests that provide shade, shelter for wildlife and aesthetic value.
• Functional reorganization of the spaces, with accessible pedestrian itineraries, rest areas, recreational areas and provision of spaces for terraces and neighborhood uses.
• Revaluation of the urban environment through new furniture, efficient lighting and improved landscaping.

These solutions combine urban engineering with ecological restoration, proposing a climate-resilient, socially inclusive and environmentally active plaza model.

Reducing the space for vehicles, creating green corridors and native plants were some of the lines of action.

Results

The project represents a radical transformation of the urban landscape of Nueva Segovia:

7,875 m² of renaturalized surface and 5,900 m² of new ecological habitats.
Expansion of pedestrian space from 7,290 to 13,500 m², favoring active mobility.
Planting of more than 300 trees and bushes, with native species that will double the diversity of urban fauna.
Reduction of up to 25% of roadways and 21% of sidewalks, gaining green and permeable surface.
Reduction of the urban heat island effect, with estimated thermal differences of up to 10 °C between asphalt and tree-lined environments.
Increase in neighborhood safety and comfort, with better visibility, less traffic and healthier environments.

A greener, more resilient city

The renaturalization of the four squares of Nueva Segovia is an example of how Nature-Based Solutions can transform the urban fabric, improve the quality of life and strengthen the ecological identity of a heritage city like Segovia.

The project marks a milestone within the “Aqueducts of Biodiversity” strategy, demonstrating that urban regeneration can also be an opportunity for biodiversity and citizenship.

From Tecnigral we would like to express our special thanks to the City Council of Segovia, one of our oldest and most beloved clients, with whom we share a history of three decades of collaboration. In 1998 we had the honor of participating in the drafting of its Integral Tree and Green Mesh Management Plan, a pioneering document that laid the foundations for the sustainable management of urban trees in Spain and has been a reference for numerous Master Plans and Tree Management Plans in other cities in the country. This new project consolidates this historic alliance in favor of a greener, more connected and lively Segovia.