Barcelona acclaimed for its parks and gardens

Barcelona City Council has picked up the 17th Spanish Association of Parks and Public Gardens Award for the best public administration work in the planning, creation and management of parks and public gardens.

Barcelona won the award for its project "The development of managing public street trees" and was selected by an 18-member professional jury, with 13 votes in favour, 4 against and 1 declared null and void. The Barcelona project was competing against Madrid's "Comprehensive management and fighting for Madrid's green heritage: biological control" project.

The project submitted by Barcelona explained how the city's trees, which number more than 155,000, are managed following criteria including sustainability, the creation of a diverse landscape with identity, security and efficiency.

These criteria inform Barcelona's long term goals in the area, which include: no species of street tree exceeding 15% of the total number of species; increasing biodiversity with more spectacularly colourful and flowering species, drawing in more fauna, giving priority to species able to withstand urban conditions and offsetting deciduous and perennial species.

Planting criteria are also being introduced according to space. Under these the Council will look for species that coexist better with urban elements, allow sufficient room for people and light to pass through and are beneficial to the environment, while ensuring that the trees have the necessary space to grow in.

In addition, the Departments for the Urban Habitat, the Environment and Urban Services are carrying out protective and care measures, including a ten-point protection programme, transplanting trees affected by public works and introducing a catalogue of trees of local interest, amongst others.

The prize was presented during the 39th Congress on Public Parks and Gardens (PARJAP 2012), held last week at the city of Leon's.

For more information, see the Barcelona Department for the Environment website