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A proposal to transform abandoned development sites into a regional ecological asset for Madrid.
Citation preview
//3
A M O D E S T P R O P O S A LSeeding an Ecological Legacy in Madrid’s Ghost Cities
//3
A MODEST PROPOSAL: Seeding an Ecological Legacy in Madrid’s Ghost Cities
University of PennsylvaniaDepartment of Landscape ArchitectureLa Ciudad Fantasmas: LARP 602 Option StudioCritic: Christopher MarcinkoskiSpring 2012
Brian Schundler and Brian Traylor
//5
Madrid’s Ghost Cities present a once in a generation opportunity to
establish a productive regional asset that is beautiful, vibrant and
dynamic. A Modest Proposal transforms these vacant landscapes of
economic failure into spaces of ecological opportunity. Each site
contains the inherent values of land, water and proximity to Madrid.
Reconfiguring these components within a regional forestation strategy
seeds an ecological legacy that connects Madrid’s residents to the
surrounding landscape, and brings the beauty, productivity and form of
the surrounding landscape into Madrid.
This is a book for MADRID.
It is for it’s youth, it’s political leaders and it’s community organizers.
It is for the under-employed and entrepreneurs, banking executives
and farmers, educators and ecologists, bikers and hikers, anglers and
naturalists. It is a reference. It is a tool. It is a provocation. Above all,
it is the beginning of a conversation about how to transform Madrid’s
ghost cities and towns into a valued regional asset.
Let’s get started.
//7
ground conditionssite analysisdesign approach
decision frameworkdesign typologiessummary
future scenariosregional outcomes
RESOURCE
TOOL
PROVOCATION
pg 11
pg 21
pg 29
pg 54
pg 63
pg 114
pg 119
pg 129
Get Started on Page 53
//9
ground CONDITIONS
N
CONTIGUOUS URBAN AREAS
GHOST TOWNSEXISTING PARK SPACE
//11
N
UBIQUITY
“THE COLLAPSE of Spain’s booming housing
market has left near-empty or abandoned
residential development across the country.
Giant ghost towns like Valdeluz and Sesena
have been profiled in the New York Times and
the Guardian. But they are just the tip of the
iceberg.
Rafael Valderrábano, director of Basico Homes
in Madrid, told us “more than ghost towns, the
real problem is the large numbers of small ghost
villages surrounding big cities.”
-Business Insider, May 27, 2011
//13
VACANCY
“ON A WEEDY DIRT LOT, lender Bankia is
pursuing its answer to a banking and property
crisis that has left Spain with a glut of around
one million vacant homes. Its approach: Build
even more.
The drive to keep building in a housing market
drowning in empty properties shows the depth
of Spain’s banking crisis.
Including repossessed properties, some
economists and real-estate consultants
estimate the total could be as high as one
million, or even 1.5 million vacant newly built
homes.”
-Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2012
//15
“MARIA GIL ULLDEMOLINS is a smart, confi-
dent young woman. She has one degree from
Britain and is about to conclude another in her
native Spain.
Before the financial crisis Spanish unemploy-
ment was pushed down by credit-fuelled growth
and a prolonged construction boom: in 2007 it
was just 8%. Today it is 21.2%, and among the
young a staggering 46.2%. “I trained for a world
that doesn’t exist,” says Ms. Ulldemolins.”
-The Economist, September 10, 2011
UNEMPLOYMENT
//17
“NEARLY ONE-THIRD of Spain’s roughly
500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square
miles) faces a “significant risk” of desertification,
making it one of Europe’s most affected nations,
according to the Spanish environment ministry.
Intensive agriculture, deforestation and a never-
ending construction boom, with its sprawling
urban projects add to desertification in Spain.”
-Terra Daily, September 5, 2007
DESERTIFICATION
//19
ecological INVENTORY
Parque Guadarama
Parque del Sureste
Vegas
Jaram y Henares
Manzaneres
Del rio Guadarama
//21
PROTECTED AREAS
Regional Assets
Communidad de Madrid is surrounded with a
rich mosaic of cultivated and uncultivated land-
scapes, ranging from natural grasslands to co-
niferous forests, from pasture to permanently
irrigated land.
Beauty and experience are among the qualita-
tive values inherent in these landscapes, while
the employment and ecological processes
generated by their development move toward
a standard of a more quantitative productive
value.
These landscape typologies are legible
throughout central Spain and will form the pal-
ette of our forestation strategy.
Parque Guadarama
Parque del Sureste
G
T
+
more intensive less intensive
//23
Permanently Irrigated Land
Annual Crops
Olive Groves
Vineyards
Non-IrrigatedArable Land
Pasture
Significant NaturalSpace AGRICULTURE
G
T
+
more dense less dense
//25
Coniferous Forest
MixedForest
Deciduous Forest
Chaparral
Transitional Shrub / Woodland
Natural Grasslands
Sparsely Vegetated Area REGIONAL ECOLOGY
//27
defining TERRITORY
//29
Transportation Territories
The urban form of the Madrid region is defined by a dense central core, surrounded by concentric ring highways and spoke
highways that radiate from Madrid’s center. This transportation infrastructure has fueled Madrid’s urban expansion and directly
impacted the current unsustainable land development patterns. Recent private speculative investments in the construction of
parallel and redundant spoke highways--Autopistas--within the system have created a unique set of spatial configurations in
the areas between the old and new highways. Concentrating regenerative efforts within these specific territories effectively
claims a strategic armature to establish an ecological legacy on the metropolitan scale.
A4-R4 CorridorA5-R5 Corridor
A4A5
R5
R4
UNDISTURBED URBANGHOST TOWNSAGRICULTURE
//31
A2-R2 CorridorA3-R3 Corridor
A3
A2
R3R2
CORRIDORS
P.A.U Site 2P.A.U Site 1
UNDISTURBED URBANGHOST TOWNSAGRICULTURE
//33
P.A.U Site 3
Territorial Framework
Focusing on vacant urban sites within these
territories and connected developments
planned through Spain’s Programa de
Actuación Urbanística (PAU’s) begins to form a
ring that connects the major existing parks and
ecological areas that surround Madrid. These
PAU developments include new neighborhoods
with the infrastructure and services required to
support a substantial population that currently
does not exist.
P.A.U.’s
N
R-2
R-3
R-4
R-5
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-5
A-6
EXISTING NATURAL AREASGHOST TOWNSPROPOSED TERRITORIAL FRAMEWORK
//35
N
R-2
R-3
R-4
R-5
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-5
A-6
A MODEST PROPOSAL
Communidad Madrid is littered with incomplete and under utilized residential, industrial, and infrastructural construction sites. These sites
represent a spatial manifestation of the underlying economic, social, and ecological impacts caused by a generation of speculative investment in
development and construction. In order to reverse this trend and create value from this degraded land, we propose a massive forestation strategy
that connects the surrounding natural areas and agricultural regions to the heart of Madrid.
Our proposal is predicated on the assumption that the scale and ubiquity of these damaged sites requires a solution with minimal investment and
new infrastructure. Windfarms, solar fields, algae tanks, and other green tech “magic bullets” rely on the speculative business model that led to
the current crisis. More importantly, they require expensive, single use infrastructural investments that will create a new scar on Madrid’s landscape
if they are ultimately unsuccessful or financially unsustainable. Conversely, doing nothing with these sites is not an option. The cumulative effects
of soil erosion, desertification, and unmanaged storm water runoff from all of these sites will create an ecological dead zone surrounding Madrid.
This blighted region will adversely affect the property value of adjacent communities, while severing Madrid’s physical and cultural relationship to
the surrounding environment.
In addition to the degraded construction sites, the speculation and collapse of the Spanish economy has had severe effects on youth employment
rates and urban air quality. Youth unemployment is around 45% and the Madrid region suffers from deteriorating air quality due to a 20% increase
in pollution levels over the past 20 years. In order to address these issues, an approach to reconcile these vacant urbanized territories ought
to be coupled with an immediate seeding strategy that preferences labor over technology, while promoting a long term investment in creating
an ecological legacy. Most importantly, seeding an ecological legacy creates a situation that is resistant to uncertain futures. By establishing
an ecological legacy, the vacant territories assume values greater than the existing conditions and hold the capacity to maintain their value in
perpetuity.
PROPOSAL
Madrid’s ghost cities present an opportunity to seed a forestation and vegetation strategy on a metropolitan scale. This long term effort will
be supplemented by resources generated from the short term repurposing of strategic sites as temporary event space. This phased synergy
minimizes investment risk, provides immediate site utilization, and also provides the opportunity for temporary site uses to influence the
structure and form of future planting efforts. Deploying this strategy within the context of Madrid’s existing regional ecological and agricultural
infrastructure requires minimal additional investment and limited risk; while creating a valuable asset to the city of Madrid, its environment, and
its people.
ANALYSIS
The existing land cover surrounding the Communidad de Madrid includes a mix of vegetated land and agricultural areas, ranging in type
from natural grasslands to coniferous forests, and in form from pasture to permanently irrigated land. These landscape typologies are legible
throughout central Spain and will form the palette of our forestation strategy. Their value as a land cover is inarguably superior to the deteriorating
and vacant urbanized territories that form the foundation of our proposal. Beauty and experience are among the qualitative values inherent
in these landscapes, while the employment and ecological processes generated by their development move toward a standard of a more
quantitative productive value.
The territorial strategy is informed by the location of the existing under utilized urban infrastructure, the metropolitan urban ring morphology,
and areas of significant natural and ecological value. The form of the Madrid region is defined by a dense central core, surrounded by
concentric ring road highways and spoke highways that radiate from Madrid’s center. This transportation infrastructure has fueled Madrid’s
urban expansion, but vacant territories exist both along these roadways and far removed from them. Recent private speculative investments in
the construction of parallel and redundant spoke highways (Autopistas) within the system have created a unique set of spatial configurations
in the areas between the old and new highways.
//37
Focusing on vacant urban sites within these territories and
connected PAU’s, (Planned Development Areas) begins to form
a ring that connects the major existing parks and ecological
areas that surround Madrid. Using sites within these specific
territories effectively claims a strategic armature to establish
an ecological legacy on the metropolitan scale. Once these
spaces are territorialized by the seeding strategy, their inherent
value is captured not on an individual site basis, but as a
system that operates by leveraging existing natural and physical
infrastructure.
STRATEGY
In order to develop a design language and functional expectations of the proposed ecological legacy, we are establishing a series of
typologies that will be deployed using Madrid’s natural and agricultural landscapes as the palette and the strategic territories as the location.
These typologies range in form and function from more ecological (such as Riparian Corridor, Chaparral/Pasture and Native Forest), to highly
cultivated (such as Plantation, Poplar Intercropping, Olive Grove and Urban Forest.) Each typology contains a set of conditions necessary
to be successfully implemented, as well as a set of anticipated values that will be produced. The goal of developing these typologies is to
create a consistent methodology that will match the conditions on the ground of each site with the conditions necessary for each typology to
successfully seed.
//39
know your SITE
*all images drawn to scale
+40˚34’49” N+ 3˚11’10” W
+40˚27’33” N+ 3˚26’51” W
+40˚21’22” N+ 3˚44’40” W
+40˚35’28” N+ 3˚06’40” W
+40˚24’55” N+ 3˚33’11” W
+40˚13’26” N+ 3˚38’48” W
+40˚35’03” N+ 3˚15’01” W
+40˚29’23” N+ 3˚36’32” W
+40˚15’04” N+ 3˚43’36” W
//41
Madrid’s ghost cities and towns are characterized by a broad
range of ground conditions. Each site presents a unique set
of infrastructural conditions, opportunities and constraints.
Analyzing water availability, level of development, scale,
and adjacencies, begins to break these ubiquitous sites into
operable units.
+40˚36’28” N+ 3˚16’09” W
+40˚20’25” N+ 3˚46’55” W
+40˚17’57” N+ 3˚53’45” W
+40˚35’19” N+ 3˚18’17” W
+40˚16’50” N+ 3˚55’40” W
+40˚30’44” N+ 3˚21’46” W
+40˚17’49” N+ 3˚59’20” W
del Rio Guadarama
AVAILABLE /Riparian Corridor AVAILABLE /Infrastructure Retrofit
//43
Water availability is the most critical factor
when determining new land uses and planting
strategies for Madrid’s ghost cities. Existing
waterways should be preserved and enriched
with robust riparian planting strategies.
Under utilized water infrastructure can be
retrofitted as a source for drip irrigation. Drip
irrigation efficiently irrigates agri-forestry
plantations, and can cultivate new ecologies by
broadening the regions planting pallet.
Where water resources are not available, draught
tolerant species and planting groups should
complement their surrounding ecologies.
NOT AVAILABLE /Incomplete Water Infrastructure
WATER AVAILABILITY
Valdaluz
Sessena
//45
BUILT /Under Occupied
HALF BUILT /Barely Occupied
UNBUILT /Un Occupied
LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT
The developments that surround Madrid range
in their levels of completed construction and
building occupancy. The level and intensity of
development impacts the potential of each site
to hold productive value as an ecological or
agricultural resource.
Some residential developments have completed
an initial phase of construction and are already
supporting a small population, whereas other
areas have only been cleared in anticipation of
future infrastructure and housing units.
The level of development present on each
site will determine its capacity to function as
a productive agricultural installation or a new
constructed ecosystem.
The scale of the development grid has significant implications that inform how the site can be transformed. Sites with
large grid geometries are well suited for productive landscapes that require larger expanses for planting and cultivation
operations. Smaller sites provide a unique opportunity for creating distinct micro-climates with subtle topographic
modifications.
smadrid
//47
M L
SCALE
agriculture
urban
//49
chaparral
forest
ADJACENCIES
//51
let’s get STARTED!
Yes
No
Is the site adjacent to a river?
Is there potential for irrigation?
What are the adjacent conditions?
Yes
No
riparian
(go to next page)
event space
chaparral
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
69
69pg
pg
75pg
105
99pg
pg
//53//53
START WITH A SITE
Built \\ Under Occupied
plantation
olive grove
urban forest
intercropping
plantation / intercropping
olive grove
plantation / intercropping
olive grove
olive grove
forest
forest
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
M
L
s
LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT SIZE: ADJACENCY:
63pg
83pg
83pg
83pg
83pg
95pg
95pg
95pg
87pg
87pg
87pg
99pg
99pg
99pg
//55//55
LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT SIZE: ADJACENCY:
Un Built \\ Un Occupied
plantation
urban forest
urban forest
plantation/intercropping
olive grove / plantation
olive grove
poplar intercropping
olive grove
olive grove
plantation/forest
olive grove / forest
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
M
L
s
99pg
99pg
99pg
95pg
95pg
83pg
83pg
83pg
83pg
83pg
87pg
87pg
87pg
87pg
63pg
63pg
//57//57
LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT SIZE: ADJACENCY:
UnBuilt \\ UnOccupied
plantation
plantation
forest
plantation / intercropping
intercropping
olive grove
intercropping
olive grove
olive grove
plantation
plantation / forest
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
agriculture
urban
chaparral
forest
M
L
s
99pg
99pg
99pg
95pg
95pg
95pg
83pg
83pg
83pg
87pg
87pg
87pg
87pg
87pg
//59//59
//61
defining TYPOLOGIES
EXISTING
//63
URBAN FOREST
Existing residents can access natural open space system.
Landscape amenity has the potential to increase adjacent property values.
social environmental economic
value
s Madjacencies scale value
//65
Green infrastructure potential for storm water management in urban areas.
Shading and insulation provided by trees reduces urban heat islands and reduces the energy required to cool indoor spaces during summer.
Soil stabilization prevents erosion from existing construction sites.
investment maintenance
urban forest PROCESSES
inte
nsity
YOUTH TREE TEAMIndianapolis, IN
“The Youth Tree Team is a nine-week summer program. Participants will receive
a free lunch each work day, and will earn $8.00 per hour for their work! The Youth
Tree Team members will work 20 hours a week as a team to preserve and maintain
trees. The team will be working outdoors to water, mulch, prune, stake, and plant
trees. Youth Tree Team applicants must currently be enrolled in high school to
participate.” -http://www.kibi.org/youth_tree_team
MILLION TREES NYC TRAINING PROGRAMNew York, NY
“The MillionTrees Training Program is a collaborative initiative between the City
of New York Department of Parks and Recreation and The New York Restoration
Project. The program helps work towards a more environmentally sustainable
healthy living for the future through a 7-month green-collar job course of training
that is specifically designed to teach, educate and motivate young adults to
become more aware and proactive in the wellness of the environment while jointly
gaining employment and life skills.” -http://www.milliontreesnyc.org
URBAN FOREST YOUTH CORPLos Angeles, CA
“The LA Conservation Corps was founded in 1986 to provide 18- to 24- year olds
with a high school diploma and paid on-the-job-training. The program serves
approximately 500 18- to 24-year-old corpsmembers each year. Approximately
80% of the corpsmembers enter the program without a high school diploma and
participate in our school/work model alternating two-month blocks of high school
classes at one of our charter school sites and paid on-the-job training on work
projects throughout Los Angeles County.” -http://www.lacorps.org
//67
Sites adjacent to existing urban areas are well
situated for nurseries and seed production
operations that provide saplings and seed stock
for forestation efforts throughout the region.
Arboriculture, horticulture, forestry, ecology
and agriculture are all industries that offer jobs
across a broad range of skill sets, from labourer
to scientist. These industries provide a new
source of jobs for young Madridians previously
employed in the construction industry.
urban forest YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
+ +EXISTING PASTURE TREES
//69
= CHAPARRALTREES
Restore scenic landscape qualities of traditional Spanish countryside.
Provides grazing land for livestock; harvesting solar energy and converting it to food and fiber products.
Opportunity to re-establish endangered plant species and communities.
social environmental economic
value
s M Ldevelopment adjacencies scale value
//71
Returns ecosystemservices to degraded urban lands. Chaparral plants contain more biomass below the soil surface than above.
Increased biodiversity and vegetation cover conserves soil and contributes to the prevention of desertification.
Vegetated land cover reduces storm water runoff and contributes to a water cycle that recharges groundwater.
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
chaparral PROCESSES
//73
Medicago aborea
Jasione mansanetian
Echium acanthocarpum
Teucrium balthazaris
Arenaria sandwort
Astragalus glycyphyllos
Aardbei bloem
SEED BOMBING
In large open sites without significant existing infrastructure, traditional
seeding efforts are not sufficient to establish strong, drought resistant
new plant communities. Broadcasting seed pods through aerial
distribution is a way to provide new plants with enhanced growing
conditions; including water and fertilized soil to ensure a strong start.
Using seed bombs over larger areas will boost the site’s resilience.
EXISTING + +DECIDUOUS WATERWAY
//75
RIPARIAN FOREST=WATERWAY
social environmental economic
value
s M Ldevelopment adjacencies scale value
Connectivity between the riparian environment and adjacent terrestrial ecosystems is considered a key element for the preservation of biodiversity.
Vegetated river edges reduce the impact of nutrient pollutants on the water supply from agriculture run-off.
Trees along waterways improve soil fertility by increasing the return of organic matter to the soil as a result of litter fall from above ground tree biomass and in situ decomposition of tree roots, especially those of the fine root fraction.
//77
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
riparian PROCESSES
Existing waterways provide a natural corridor for new trail connections and other recreational uses.
Green infrastructure in the form of riparian buffers adjacent to urban areas reduces the need for expensive storm water infrastructure systems.
Utilizing existing natural fluvial systems reduces the need for new irrigation systems to cultivate new ecologies.
Lesser BullrushTypha angustifolia
Travelers JoyClematis vitalba
Field Elm GroveUlmus minor
Snake GrassEquisetum sp.
Winter FlameCornus sanguinea
White PoplarPopulus alba
Giant ReedArundo donaxa
HawthornCrataegus monogyna
White WillowSalix alba
//79
“Riparian habitat is a key element of river
functioning. It can support a high biodiversity,
especially in large floodplain rivers, protect
the main channel from temporal changes and
buffer large disturbances and provide refuge
and food for wildlife.
The structure and function of this riparian
habitat can either be extremely complex
and heterogeneous, as in floodplain rivers,
or relatively simple such as alongside
headwater streams. Connectivity between the
riparian environment and adjacent terrestrial
ecosystems is considered a key element for the
preservation of biodiversity.”
- M. RIERADEVALL
Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona
riparian PLANTING PALLETESpider GrassJuncus sp.
Black LaceSambucus nigra
AlderBetulacae sp.
European ChubSqualiius carolitertii
Great CormorantPhalocrocorax carbo
Spanish minnow(Anaecypris hispanica)(endangered)
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Northern PikeEsox lucius
Common PocardAythya ferina
Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalis
Northern ShovelerAnas clypeata
//81
Iberian NaseChondrostoma polylepis iberus
Spanish Toothcarp Aphanius iberus(endangered)
Black Crowned Night Heron Nycticorax
SterletAcipenser ruthenus(vulnerable)
Iberian BarbelBarbos comizo(vulnerable)
riparian WILDLIFE
+ +EXISTING PASTURE
//83
OLIVE GROVE=OLEA EUROPEA
social environmental economic
value
s Mdevelopment adjacencies scale
For the residents of the Spanish countryside, olive oil historically constituted the main source of nutritional fats, their most valuable export product, and was identified with their culture.
Olive cultivation is an additional income source and supports the population in rural areas during the winter period.
Chemical substances used for the production of olive oil are the lowest possible among not only its competitive products but among all other agricultural products of the Mediterranean.
The olive groves, which grow mostly on inclined, shallow, and low fertility soils, and on hand-made stone terraces, have limited watering requirements and sustain the fragile natural resources of the Mediterranean.
//85
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
olive grove PROCESSES
Although an agro-ecosystem, the olive grove resembles the natural Mediterranean ecosystem and abandonment transforms them into natural Mediterranean type forests.
The ecosystem of the olive is relatively stable when compared with other agricultural ecosystems due to the stability of the environment itself, the trend of production, the small number of pernicious pests, the tolerance of pest damage, and the abundant beneficial arthropod fauna.
EXISTING + +GROUND COVER
//87
PLANTATION=POPLAR
social environmental economic
value
m Ldevelopment adjacencies scale
The aesthetic qualities of tree stands in plantations offer a natural buffer and wind break from undeveloped territories.
Plantations restore or maintain natural biochemical cycles and contributes to creating habitats that favor biodiversity.
Carbon sequestration in above and below ground biomass of plantations provide a direct environmental benefit estimated at 89 metric tons of carbon per hectare.
//89
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
plantation PROCESSES
Opportunity for private investment and EU/Spanish subsidies for agro-forestry industry development.
New employment and training opportunities in forestry industry; land preparation, cultivation, processing, and maintenance.
Growing plantations mitigate the impacts of the significant pollution problem that currently exists in Madrid.
Black Bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis
Lesser KestrelFalco naumanni
Great Spotted CuckooClamator glandarius
10 m
20 m
30 m
Hybrid PoplarPopulus x euroamericana25-35 m
EucalyptusLaurus nobilis30-60 m
HOLM OAKQuercus Ilex20-27 mNative
//91
Pines have been extensively used for land
restoration in the Mediterranean basin because
they are stress tolerant and act as a pioneer
species, facilitating the development of late-
successional hardwoods in the long-term.
Combining pine, oak, poplar and eucalyptus
plantings provides greater genetic and
economic diversity in the short term. Equally
important, mixed plantation plantings provide a
successionary jump start should the plantation
fail and go uncultivated.
This planting pallete avoids the ecological
dangers of monocropping, and provides habitat
for a number of regional bird species, including
the Lesser Kestrel, great spotted cuckoo, and
Spanish Imperial eagle.
plantation PLANTING PALLETE
Eurasian Black VultureAegypius monachus
Spanish Imperial EagleNycticorax
Scots PinePinus sylvestris30-35 m
CO2
BIO MASS
WOOD CHIPS
LOGS
carbon sequestration
//93
Liquid Fuels
Paper Fiber Board
Saw MillVeneer
Economic Development
energyemployment
materials
plantation CARBON CYCLE
EXISTING + +GRAIN
//95
POPLAR INTERCROPPING=POPLAR
social environmental economic
value
m Ldevelopment adjacencies scale
Employment and training opportunities in the agricultural and forestry industries.
The planting structure; between that of intensive monoculture agricultural systems and complex natural ecosystems, enables better exploitation of resources due to the complementarity of trees and crops in using water, nutrients and light as well as their beneficial impacts on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil.
//97
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
poplar intercropping PROCESSES
Improved tree growth from stimulating the soil microbial biomass and mineralizing nitrogen through intercropping and from recovery by the tree roots of a significant portion of agricultural fertilizer residues.
The diversity and abundance of predators of agricultural pests is higher in intercropping than agricultural monoculture, which ultimately reduces dependence on costly pesticides.
Intercropping can play a major role in sequestering of carbon and the offsetting of other greenhouse gas emissions such as N20. Use of fast-growing tree species such as poplar, can increase the potential for atmospheric carbon fixation.
EXISTING + +PINE / DECIDUOUS MIX
//99
MIXED FOREST=GROUND COVER
social environmental economic
value
s M Ldevelopment adjacencies scale value
Irrigation infrastructure creates the potential to inform unique planting patterns and landscape design.
Tree species variety contributes to the overall potential for a diverse range of ecosystem services and environmental values associated with successional growth.
Investments in establishing higher landscape qualities adjacent to residential neighborhoods can increase property values and serve as a recreational amenity to many outlying communities.
//101
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
forest PROCESSES
Forest landscapes accessible to the public provide a connection to the natural environment that is currently lacking among the majority of Madrid’s urban residents.
Establishing new forests stabilizes potentially fragmented ecosystems and provides habitat for endangered plant and animal species.
Mountain PinePinus uncinata25-30m
Spanish JuniperJuniper thurifera20-25 m
Field MapleAcer campestre20-25 mNative
30 m
20 m
10 m
Thymus praecox Myrtus communis Genista aetnensis Rhamnus integrifolia
//103
Water availability is the primary variable
affecting the regional ecology. Generally, the
higher and wetter conditions to the north and
west of Madrid support coniferous and mixed
forests, while the lower and drier conditions to
the south and east favor Holm Oak and other
draught tolerant species.
Abandoned development sites have the
potential to generate emergent ecologies
by manipulating site conditions. Changes
to grading and repurposing water mains for
irrigation allow for the development of a broad
range of micro conditions that support a range
of plant types.Spanish FirAbies pinsapo30 mNative
Rosemary officinalis Erica arboreaforest PLANTING PALLETE
EXISTING
//105
EVENT SPACE
social environmental economic
value
Using existing semi-urbanized territories limits the need for temporary infrastructure usually needed to hold major events.
Large-scale temporary events present the opportunity for cultural and artistic development.
Convening a large group of individuals presents the opportunity to promote volunteer planting efforts and educate the public on the value of maintaining regional ecologies.
Ldevelopment scale
//107
event space PROCESSES
investment
inte
nsity
maintenance
There is a growing market for large-scale event space to hold major national and international festivals.
investment
events
successional value
MajorInternational Event
SignificantNational Event
RegionalEvent
Minor Local Event
Local Short Term Repurpose
//109
Many of the abandoned sites within the proposed
territorial framework and throughout the Madrid
Region benefit from direct access to regional and high
speed rail lines or even international airports. These
sites present an opportunity to generate immediate
economic resources by organizing temporary events
that take advantage of, or require direct access.
Within the overall context of establishing an ecological
legacy that connects the regions’ natural resources,
these sites present an opportunity to offset investment
costs that may initially exceed the value generated by
the newly planted landscapes.
As the ecological, social and economic value of the
planting strategy increases, these events may be
organized less often or may not take place
event space PROGRAMS
The temporary events that take place within these abandoned sites will provide visitors with the opportunity to visualize a future
scenario where the ecological legacy has been fully realized. Through an Augmented Reality framework for the sites associated
with temporary events, users will be able to interact with the surrounding landscape by holding their mobile phone or geo-located
device up to access a real-space comparison of the site’s mature growth. In the future, similar devices can be used to demonstrate
what these sites looked like before the initial planting strategies.
//111
event space PROJECTIONS
URBAN FOREST OLIVE GROVEPLANTATIONINTERCROPPING
wat
erad
jace
ncie
sde
velo
pmen
tsc
ale
inte
nsity
M MMMs sLL
investment investment investment investmentmaintenance maintenance maintenance maintenance
//113
CHAPARRALRIPARIAN FORESTMIXED FOREST EVENT SPACE
M M Ms s s LL L L
investment investment investment investmentmaintenance maintenance maintenance maintenance
//115
future SCENARIOS
+40˚15’36” N+ 3˚54’33” W
This stalled development along the periphery of
an existing suburban settlement is characteristic
of many abandoned sites between the A-5 and
the R-5 to the southwest of Madrid. Surrounded
by chaparral, forest, agriculture, and urbanized
land, the typologies most appropriate for this
site include forest, chaparral, and plantation.
Projecting future scenarios based on these
initial planting efforts offers insight into the
value of implementing this strategy, regardless
of an uncertain future.
Arroyomolinos
2012
2006
2004
2002
//117
LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENTSCENARIO A
INITIAL SEEDING STRATEGY
GROWTH POTENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO
SUCCESSIONAL SCENARIO
2080
2080
2040
2020
//119
The unbuilt site has a variety of adjacent land covers that influence both the
planting strategy and the potential growth patterns of the proposed plant
community typologies. A typical planting in this location would include a
chaparral pasture to the west and an expansion of the existing riparian corridor
to the east.
As these plant systems establish themselves, they will grow in size and scale,
presenting the opportunity for in-fill planting. The chaparral begins to mature
as smaller species take root among the initial planted areas. The forested area
also expands beyond the areas of the initial planting strategy, growing along low
points and in soils with higher moisture content.
This implementation strategy presents the opportunity for the adjacent urbanized
areas to grow into the underlying built infrastructure already established within
the site. This scenario may involve new residential or other uses developing
along the established forest to take advantage of it as an amenity. Some
peripheral chaparral and forest areas may be displaced if future development
expands into the seeded areas.
It is also possible within the context of this typical planting strategy, that the initial
growth is sustained without the pressure of future development. In this scenario,
the chaparral areas begin to expand toward the growing forest, creating a
landscape gradient that crosses the site and adds value to the once abandoned
landscape.
+40˚18’53” n+3˚45’50” w
Madrid’s Programa de Actuación Urbanística
(PAU) has resulted in a series of infrastructure-rich,
but resident-poor landscapes with an uncertain
future. This site benefits from its proximity to
central Madrid, access to major highways, and a
diverse mix of land uses within a short distance,
however no significant building has occurred
since the site was initially cleared between 2001
and 2004. Anticipating future scenarios within
this context offers a contrasting view of how the
regional strategy maintains its value, regardless
of an uncertain future
Leganés
2012
2008
2004
2001
//121
LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENTSCENARIO B
2080
2080
2040
2020
INITIAL SEEDING STRATEGY
GROWTH POTENTIAL
CULTIVATED SCENARIO
SUCCESSIONAL SCENARIO
//123
This vacant site with irrigation potential and agricultural adjacencies presents
the opportunity to establish a poplar intercropping and plantation system at a
manageable initial scale. The long contiguous block form is well suited for parallel
poplar rows, and the spaces between, cultivated for annual grain production.
As these planted areas become established, they will grow in size and scale,
relying less on irrigation supply and regular maintenance. Some roadway
infrastructure not used to access planting areas may be taken over to establish
continuous rows for planting.
Because these planting typologies are consistent with their agricultural
surroundings, the potential for their integration with neighboring farms is a distinct
future possibility. In this scenario, the irrigation infrastructure is maintained
and expanded to increase planting areas and crop yields. The poplar rows
are expanded and the areas between them continue to yield higher productive
values than comparable monoculture crop products.
It is also possible within the context of this typical planting strategy, that sufficient
resources are not available to sustain the initial plantings or maintain them
beyond the initial growth period. Within this context, a potential future scenario
would consist of native vegetated buffers establishing themselves within the
moist fertilized soil, and potentially denser chaparral landscape emerging to
take advantage of the enhanced growing conditions present on the site.
//125
now WHAT?
N
R-2
R-3
R-4
R-5
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-5
A-6
Individually, Madrid’s ghost cities represent a flawed investment strategy
fueled by speculation; when viewed collectively, their inherent value as
a regional resource begins to emerge. The unprecedented scale and
ubiquity of the current situation demands a response that transforms
these vacant landscapes from their status as a liability toward that of an
asset, with a goal of economic productivity, positive social impact and
enhanced ecological value. A Modest Proposal re-orients the approach
to these sites by discarding the assumptions of investment that resulted
in uncontrolled urban growth and adopting a new lens through which
opportunities can be identified.
//127
N
R-2
R-3
R-4
R-5
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-5
A-6
Seeding an ecological legacy out of abandoned and degraded
landscapes will require broad support across variety of interests. A
Modest Proposal stimulates a new collective thought process to move
the current discourse beyond conventional site-specific problems and
narrowly focused solutions.
The conversation starts here. It will continue in neighborhoods
throughout Madrid, through virtual online communities, in stakeholder
interest groups and in the political realm. This proposal, with its sense
of purposeful opportunism will captivate and inspire action, ultimately
resulting in a transformation of Madrid’s ghost cities into the valued
regional asset they have the potential to become.
//129