Pamplona is actively participating in the Cities Forum, held from Tuesday, June 9, to Thursday, June 11, at IFEMA Madrid. This event is a key national gathering focused on urban sustainability, innovation, and city transformation. Pamplona is showcasing its urban model, which includes transitioning towards a ‘Forest City,’ implementing strategies for revitalizing built environments, and undertaking ecological recovery of its rivers.
Pamplona’s Strategic Vision: A ‘Forest City’ Approach
On Tuesday, Joxe Abaurrea San Juan, the Councillor for Strategic Government, Urban Planning, Housing, and Agenda2030, delivered the first presentation. He participated in a panel discussion on sustainable urban development alongside representatives from Bogotá, Turin, and Vitoria-Gasteiz. Abaurrea’s presentation, titled “Pamplona-Iruña, transitioning towards the Forest City,” outlined the strategic vision guiding the city’s urban transformation. This vision positions nature as an essential infrastructure for addressing climate challenges, improving urban health, and enhancing the quality of life for citizens.
Green and Blue Infrastructure Initiatives
Today, Wednesday, Zuhaitz Areitio Larrañaga, the City Council’s Energy and Climate Coordinator, will participate in the session “Good Practices in Nature-Based Solutions.” Organized by the Spanish Association of Landscapers as part of the Forum’s official program, this session highlights successful experiences from various cities and entities that are integrating nature into urban planning and management. Areitio will present Pamplona’s expertise in green and blue infrastructure, demonstrating how different municipal departments have collaboratively integrated biodiversity, climate adaptation, and sustainable water management into urban policies.
The presentation will cover significant advancements made in recent years, including the RUNA project, which is funded by European funds and focuses on the environmental recovery of urban river corridors. Other initiatives include the implementation of renaturalization projects in various city spaces and the development and approval of Pamplona’s Green, Blue, and SUDS Infrastructure Plan.
Showcasing Good Practices in Urban Transformation
Pamplona has been selected to present two key good practices that underscore its strategic urban model. The first, “Pamplona-Iruña, transitioning towards the Forest City,” illustrates the city’s ongoing transformation to integrate nature as an urban infrastructure and a central element in policies related to climate change adaptation, biodiversity, urban health, and public space quality.
This presentation will feature two projects that, despite representing distinct urban realities, share a common vision, values, and intervention criteria. One is the BASOA proposal for Plaza Santa Ana in the historic Old Town, designed as a climate refuge within the consolidated city. This project aims to transform a space long sought after by residents into an oasis, a meeting place, and a natural haven in the heart of the historic city, fulfilling aspirations spanning over forty years.
The second project is the Mendebaldea Forest, a peri-urban initiative part of the municipal strategy for new urban forests. This project will expand the city’s green infrastructure, enhance ecological connectivity, and strengthen climate resilience at a territorial scale. Both projects promote biodiversity, climate change adaptation, sustainable water management, the integration of species adapted to future conditions, the creation of shade and thermal comfort, the development of healthier spaces, and the improvement of urban resilience.
The good practice also highlights the organizational changes that have facilitated this transformation. The ‘Forest City’ concept extends beyond specific projects; it represents a shift in institutional culture that has fostered new forms of collaboration among municipal departments, specialized training programs, transversal work with universities, knowledge centers, businesses, social entities, and other administrations. This approach incorporates innovative methodologies based on collaboration and shared knowledge.
Pamplona’s second good practice addresses a major challenge for historic European cities: continuing to inhabit and revitalize built environments. This experience details the work stemming from a comprehensive diagnosis of the Old Town and the resulting strategies for developing the future Old Town Housing Plan. This integrated vision connects housing, urban regeneration, ecological transition, heritage, economic activity, and coexistence, viewing the historic center as a vibrant space that must remain habitable, accessible, and attractive for permanent residency.
The proposal demonstrates how challenges in housing, heritage conservation, economic activity, public space, and environmental sustainability can be tackled through a shared strategy, aligned with major international frameworks for sustainable urban development and contemporary approaches to living heritage and historic urban landscapes.
Pamplona Nominated for Árbol 2026 Awards and CIREF Prize
In addition to these presentations, Pamplona is a candidate for the Árbol 2026 Awards with a nomination centered on a significant action within the European RUNA project: the environmental recovery of the Molino de Ilundáin area and the demolition of its associated weir. This intervention has restored the ecological continuity of the river, improved fluvial habitats, and re-established the natural functionality of this section of the Arga River.
This action is part of the municipal renaturalization strategy, driven by Pamplona’s Green, Blue, and SUDS Infrastructure Plan, which aims to enhance biodiversity, improve resilience to climate change, and restore the historical relationship between the city and its rivers. The nomination also highlights the legacy of the RUNA project after three years of work, encompassing both implemented actions and the organizational transformation within the City Council, fostering new forms of internal collaboration, transversal planning, and nature-based decision-making.
Furthermore, the RUNA project and Pamplona-Iruña’s continuous efforts in fluvial restoration will be recognized on June 11 with the CIREF Award, granted within the framework of the Iberian Congress of Fluvial Restoration. This award acknowledges the municipal commitment to restoring the relationship between the city and its rivers as an essential part of its climate adaptation and urban renaturalization strategy.
Source: pamplona.es
