Objectives
Project plans: 2
City parks: 405,000 sq. metres
Creation and renewal of public areas: 70,265 sq. metres
Restoration of riverfront areas: 2,850 m
Construction of pedestrian paths: 2
Pedestrian malls/restriction of vehicle traffic in selected streets: 16,200 sq. metres
New pedestrian malls: 3,800 m
New cycling track facilities: 3,800 m
Deterrent parking: 3,000 bays
Landscaping and enhancement of gardened areas of buildings and areas of historical interest 23,000 sq. metres
No. of demolitions for urban renewal works: 6
Square metreage of demolition area for urban renewal works: 2,100 sq. metres
Environmental Interpretation and Monitoring Centre: 1
Polis Enquiries counters: 1
Executive Summary
The Polis Program intervention for the city of Coimbra focuses on the banks of the Mondego River and, in essence, it aims at integrating the river and surrounding areas with the city itself.
The strategic guidelines framing the intervention aimed at revitalising its City Centre by upgrading city features, articulating urban renewal and revitalisation processes as a means of promoting the fruition of its public areas, and raising awareness on environmental issues.
Some of the key features used to materialise the selected strategy were:
- Consolidation of the river banks and the surrounding Mondego Green Park;
- Upgrading of public areas including Santa Clara Bridge, the Lage Node, and the Manuel Braga Park;
- Articulating the Santa Clara Garden project with the construction of a dam for improving conservation and enhancing the value of the Santa Clara Monastery;
- Construction of a pedestrian bridge featuring a cycling track to connect the banks of the river;
- Improving accessibility by strengthening existing road connections between the river banks and to the City Centre;
- Public parking and public areas planning for the Congress Centre;
- Construction of various recreational, sports, and leisure facilities and ancillary parking facilities;
- Construction of an Environmental Interpretation and Monitoring Centre.