The bet of Lugo the future does not go through new materials: neither graphene nor new more sustainable or resistant polymers. The future is in such old material that we almost took it for granted: timber.
Thus, the Galician city has decided to bet on the wood of ‘kilometer zero’ as a fundamental part of Green Boost, a building made with 100% raw material from the region. Impulso Verde aims to be the seed of a new neighborhood in Lugo: the first multi-ecological neighborhood of our country.
It is a four-story building whose design has been studied to the millimeter, since it is specially designed for the energy saving. “There is a solar use to the south and also protection against bad weather and cold to the north”explains to laSexta Benigno Jáuregui, the project manager of Impulso Verde. It is this design that allows it to consume 74% less energy than other office buildings with similar characteristics.
The mayor of Lugo, Lara Mendez, congratulates himself on the project. “In turn, as the building is made of wood, absorbs 280 tons of CO2“, he explains.” It is the germ of what is going to be the first multi-ecological neighborhood in Galicia. “
What is a multi-ecological neighborhood? Specifically, these are spaces in the city with green buildings, built from wood and preferably from kilometer zero. Like Impulso Verde, the objective is for them to be specially oriented to reduce their energy consumption and also to be closely linked to their environment. It will have large public spaces with forests and urban gardens, designed to promote social relations with neighbors and also self-consumption.
The ultimate goal is to create a resilient city that offers a special protection to the inhabitants and also to the assets of the city.
If you are on the right track, the construction of Impulso Verde -the first seed of the multi-ecological neighborhood- can open the way to the forestry sector of Galicia, which represents 8% of gross domestic product from the province of Lugo.
In addition to the construction of the multi-ecological neighborhood, the Life project Lugo + Biodynamic bet on the recovery of urban forests.
The green mobility of Vitoria
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the second city that opts to lead the green capitals of our country. In your case, through the sustainable mobility: they have designed a pioneering project that includes thirteen 100% electric buses with a novel system to reduce journeys.
“When they are arriving at the crossroads, the buses are communicating their arrival through sensors so that they turn green and can pass without stopping“, explains the councilor delegate for Mobility of the city. Thus, trips reduce their time by 25%, a quarter less than usual.
They have also opted for electric bikes with a charging system. The goal is to empty or at least reduce cargo van traffic in the city center. There are some, like Jorge, who bet on carrying their most precious merchandise: their two young children.
Both projects for the design of greener cities have been supported by European funds. These kinds of policies are promoted by the European Parliament and a very important item of the Next Generation -1,000 million euros- will be used to promote sustainable mobility in Spain.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
