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© AIVP - The worldwide network of Port Cities 1

Zorrotzaurre, a new driving force in the development of Greater Bilbao

Special Plan © Ayuntamiento de Bilbao

AIVP - The special plan for the 84 hectares of the old industrial and port area of Zorrotzaurre, at the

heart of Bilbao, was adopted in November 2012 based on a master plan put together by Zaha Hadid.

Work began on the opening up of the Deusto canal on

May 14th, which will turn the Zorrotzaurre peninsular into

an island. One of its aims is to respond to the risk of

flooding. What has led you to make that choice? Were

other options investigated such as, for example, the

creation of public spaces serving as buffer zones during

episodes of flooding and, the rest of the time, as

promenades and recreational areas?

Opening up of the Deusto canal, 21-07-2014

© Ayuntamiento de Bilbao

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – Bilbao is located on the

north side of the Cornisa Cantábrica. One of its orographic characteristics is

the formation of “short” hydrological basins which give way to deep valleys.

So the river that runs through Bilbao, the river Nervión, is more than 70km

long, the last 15km of which separate our city from the estuary to the sea

and are affected by tides. Furthermore, in our municipal territory, land areas

are small and occupied by historical urban development. Around

Zorrotzaurre, 800m long on the left and 8000m long on the right, land

altitude varies between 0 and 100m.


All this means that there are no better alternatives for improving the hydraulics of the river and to

prevent new episodes of flooding than opening up the canal, which also leads to more “attractive”

new spaces and to the gaining of new “waterfronts”.

Zorrotzaurre, 2008 © Ayuntamiento de Bilbao

AIVP - How have the island nature of Zorrotzaurre and the presence of water been exploited?

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – The urban plan of Zorrotzaurre aims to create new

open spaces and new facilities on the two "bows" of the island, and both riverbanks are to feature

"linear parks" alongside the new canal, lending continuity to the areas already redeveloped, from the

city centre along the river.

Open spaces © Ayuntamiento de Bilbao


© New Deusto bridge © Ayuntamiento de Bilbao


AIVP – At the same time as the digging of the new canal, building has begun on the construction of a

bridge linking the future island to the Deusto area. Three bridges are planned, guaranteeing the

connection of Zorrotzaurre with neighbouring areas. These include a bridge linking the future island to

the area of San Ignacio, an area which was also home to port-related activities and riverside

warehouses. Are you planning to continue port and logistical activities linked, for example, to the

urban distribution of goods by river in Zorrotzaurre and/or San Ignacio?

What is envisaged for that area and what synergies are programmed between it and Zorrotzaurre?

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – The plan of port use, approved by the competent

authority in the field (the Port of Bilbao) decided against, for its own operative and functional reasons,

the continuance of any kind of activity along the river valley, in both Zorrotzaurre and San Ignacio.

The Port of Bilbao has decided against continuing goods transport, so such activities have stopped,

fundamentally for reasons of functionality: lack of land installations, difficult mobility from sea to land,

limitations to navigability imposed by the tides, the effect of which is felt up to the Old Town, and the

added challenge presented by the series of bridges linking the two banks.

The urban planning that has taken place in both areas does not, therefore, contemplate those types

of uses, having focussed instead on: economic activities (state-of-the-art production facilities and

tertiary activities), residential areas and facilities.


AIVP – Zorrotzaurre has a strongly industrial and port-based identity and history. How has this past

been recognised and integrated into the project? What criteria are used to decide whether to preserve

such sites?


Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – Zorrotzaurre has represented two very different

perspectives for the city:

- On the one hand, the legacy of greatest historical import that is left by the riverbank of the

original course of the river, occupied by an ensemble of buildings mixing residential buildings

with buildings linked to industrial activities, which is what has truly characterized this perspective.

- On the other is the legacy of the “canal”, with only 50 years of history, which has been perceived

by the area's residents as an "aggression" upon the territory and the natural continuity of Deusto

and San Ignacio up to the edge of the river. Let’s not forget that the port, because of its

functionality, has become a closed and impregnable area to its closest urban surroundings.


With respect to the first of these perspectives, the

Urban Plan of Zorrotzaurre has proposed the total

preservation of previously existing residential

buildings, forming the “façade” of Zorrotzaurre to the

river. This preserves the original nucleus surrounding

the church and square.

On the other hand, the preservation and restoration of

a series of buildings of industrial character has also

been proposed, adapting their previous uses, in some

cases to be used for public or private facilities and, in

other cases, for uses relating to new economic

activities.



With regard to the second of the two perspectives (the one about the canal, with its recent port

history), the urban proposal of Zorrotzaurre aims to return Deusto and San Ignacio to their citizens,

with a new double riverbank which arises from the definitive opening of the canal, converting them

into riverbank pathways, allowing a link to be established, without a break in continuity, towards the

heart of the city, the Old or Historic Quarters.

The port-related past remains reflected in the preservation and restoration of each building. The first

– the Bonded Warehouse – has been completed to become the new headquarters of a services

business (Idom) and, the second, dedicated to public facilities for San Ignacio.

New headquarters of IDOM © Ayuntamiento de Bilbao


New headquarters of IDOM, 2011 © Ayuntamiento de Bilbao

AIVP – What has been the reaction of local residents to the project up to now? In a more general

sense, how is the project being perceived? Is a consultation process envisaged as the project

progresses?

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – Urban proposals currently in place are already the

result of processes of citizen participation and express the results agreed with the area’s

neighbourhood association, during the preparation of which various interactions took place between

residents and project managers.

Among other results of these processes, it is worth mentioning the action that has brought about a

direct "improvement" for local residents: the pre-existing area of the riverbank was declared an “Area

of Integrated Restoration” and the Society for Municipal Restoration established a specific

programme, with a ring-fenced budget (donated by developers of the general project), and with a

particular emphasis on supporting and helping owners and tenants to address the buildings'

restoration projects.

The implementation of this programme began before the general project, and more than 60% of the

actions contained within it have already been completed. It has been managed with constant

communication between affected neighbours and the Society for Municipal Restoration.

AIVP – Two thirds of Zorrotzaurre is dedicated to public spaces and facilities and 5473 apartments

are planned. Economic activity, meanwhile, represents around 25% of planned construction. Can you

tell us about the main plans for these different sectors? How are they distributed throughout the

territory of Zorrotzaurre?

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – The residential plan for Zorrotzaurre plans to

dedicate 50% of housing to state-subsidized housing and the other 50% to private housing.

The promotion of state-subsidized housing is managed through a public-private partnership under

the Basque Government (Regional Government of the Basque Country) which bought the land that

had previously been property of the Port of Bilbao, until activity ceased.

The areas destined to use for economic activity have the strategic aim of creating an “urban

technology park” as a headliner or appendix to the technology park created in the 1980’s on the

outskirts of the city, incorporating, moreover, university facilities in those specialities (workshops,

training, teaching, etc.) most closely linked to technological activities.



The model of the urban plan proposed starts out by designating purposes based on two principles:

- the setting aside of space for facilities and public spaces (linear riverbank parks) at both extremes

of the new island, as well as on the riverbanks of the new canal.

- the formation of a "mix" of residential uses (housing) and economic activities (technological hubs)

that prevents the creation of specialised urban areas, to boost the compact city model, seen not

only from the point of view of density but also from the richness of functions and different

activities.

2014, July 23 - Approval of the Allegations to the Zorrotzaurre Land Reorganisation Project



AIVP – Are emblematic facilities also envisaged? And what complementarities are planned with the

nearby sector of Abandoibarra, an area which is symbolic of the regeneration of Bilbao with various

facilities installed there including, in particular, the Guggenheim museum?

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – The Zorrotzaurre project represents the opportunity

to bring continuity to the transformation of obsolete areas of the city, extending urban restoration

downriver, to the border of the municipality of Bilbao.

Just as Abandoibarra was planned as a mixed-use zone, blending new housing with strategic

facilities to strengthen it as a regional and services capital, as well as strengthening its tertiary

identity, Zorrotzaurre is planned under the same mixed-use model, bringing together housing,

establishing the aim of generating an urban centre of new economic activities that, together with the

Technology Park, allows for the attraction of new companies orientated towards the world of

knowledge-rich industries and the development of new technologies. This is all in accordance with

the fundamental bases of the new Strategic Plan (towards the city of knowledge), that must guide the

next steps in our transformation.

Zorrotzaurre has, moreover, some important areas set aside for new facilities of a local character, to

serve its own citizens and those of the neighbourhood of San Ignacio, as well as plots of land and

buildings for restoration to be dedicated for purposes orientated more at municipal level.

However, today, except for a preliminary project by Zaha Hadid, at a moment of concern over

urbanisation and overcoming the crisis, the city does not have any projects closed to new strategic

facilities that might come to the area.

AIVP – Finally, what impacts do you think the project will have and how does it fit in with the broader

aims of the City and the greater Bilbao area?

Ibon ARESO MENDIGUREN, Mayor of Bilbao – This project represents an important step in the

process of transformation – restoration of the obsolete areas of the old industrial city and aims, on

the one hand, to offer citizens a new urban space of high quality and on the other hand, to extend to

the totality of our citizens the enjoyment of the riverbanks along the entire course of the river as it

flows through our municipality.

At metropolitan level, this project represents the prolongation of the valley of the river, through the

generation of a unifying force for new developments and, at the same time, as a facilitator for the

continuity of the centrality of the municipality, downriver, until it reaches the neighbouring

municipality of Barakaldo. And all of this is based on a model of sustainable transport in which the

priority in the design and use of the new area focuses on pedestrians, cyclists and public transport -

as it will be transport that will end up playing a major role – and to extend facilities for them

throughout this new space, between Abandoibarra and the neighbouring municipality of Barakaldo.

October 2014

Are members of AIVP:

Ayuntamiento de Bilbao : http://www.bilbao.net

Autoridad portuaria de Bilbao : http://www.bilbaoport.es

Bilbao Ría 2000 : http://www.bilbaoria2000.com

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