The drafting team, composed of professionals in architecture, landscaping, and heritage conservation, is already working on the individualized project designs for each of the school centers where these green spaces will be implemented.
The Castelló City Council aims to protect children from the risks of climate change by creating 'caring courtyards' that will improve the school environment. The project is supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021-2027, and in collaboration with SEO/BirdLife. The budget allocated for these school initiatives amounts to 1.8 million euros.
These actions will include the creation of more shaded areas, pergolas, green roofs, school gardens, and rest areas, with the goal of improving the well-being and health of schoolchildren.
The project has prioritized citizen participation, especially from the educational community, including management teams, teachers, families, and students, to ensure that the initiatives meet the actual needs of the spaces.
Carrasco emphasized that each courtyard will be unique and adapted to the specific characteristics of each school. Furthermore, the 'Castelló Natura en Xarxa' project also includes improvements to the city's green infrastructure, such as the renaturalization of urban ponds, green roofing for Plaça Santa Clara, and the renaturalization of strategic roundabouts, with a total budget of 3.5 million euros.
Concurrently, a map of climate oases is being designed for the entire city, which will allow citizens to locate public spaces to find refuge during high-temperature alerts.
The development of the schoolyard renaturalization project is proceeding according to schedule, with the initial phases focused on participation and co-design with the educational community.
