The City Council of Lugo in collaboration with the University of Santiago de Compostela will set up an Arboretum in one of the green areas of the AS Gándaras Industrial Site as part of the LIFE project Adaptation to Climate Change: LIFE LUGO+BIODINAMICO

Since the beginning of last year, the City Council of Lugo has been coordinating the European project LIFE LUGO+BIODINAMICO, in collaboration with the University of Santiago de Compostela, the Provincial Council of Lugo and the Technichal University of Madrid (UPM).

The LIFE project LUGO+BIODINAMICO “Planning of a multi-ecological neighborhood as a model of urban resilience” is a highly innovative initiative in the European urban context centred on the scale of neighbourhoods and residential areas that places the city of Lugo at the forefront of sustainable urban planning. This sustainable planning includes innovative and inclusive measures aimed to mitigate and adapt to climate change in the European urban context, which will also actively involve the city’s population. This type of planning will be a way to make the city a safer, healthier, greener and more visible place for citizens and visitors, creating numerous new development opportunities.

The main objective of the LIFE project LUGO+BIODINAMICO is “To establish in a practical way in the City of Lugo an innovative urban planning strategy aimed at intermediate scale actions in residential neighbourhoods and areas to achieve resilient urban fabric adapted to the consequences and effects of climate change”. The scope of the LIFE project LUGO+BIODINAMICO is focused on the As Gándaras Industrial Site, which will also address its environmental and landscape planning based on the identification and development of the city’s Green Lineal Park and the design of a Strategic Ecological Infrastructure Plan.

Among the set of Demonstrative Actions that will be carried out within the framework of the LIFE project LUGO+BIODINAMICO, highlights the creation of an Arboretum on a plot of 5 hectares with the planting of 55 species of autochthonous trees and shrubs as a representative sample of habitats in Galicia, together with other relevant actions such as are:

1. Conditioning of a demonstration plot of 4 hectares for native wood forestry in urban areas.
2. Adaptation of a demonstration area of 1 ha to experiment with energy crops in an urban environment that will produce biofuels.
3. Establishment of a Chestnut grove with traditional Galician varieties in a demonstration plot of 3.6 hectares as a biodiversity reserve and native products.
4. Recovery and enhancement of a riparian forest, with an approximate surface area of 5 hectares, which will be proposed to be declared as ENIL (Natural Site of Local Interest)
5. Establishment of an Integrated Urban Agriculture module in experimental plots in the area of action.
6. Wooden design and construction of a high energy efficiency pilot building as a demonstration to promote a catalytic and multiplier effect.

Specifically, the action approved this week by the City Council’s Board of Governors “Establishment of an Arboretum of native woody species in Galicia (ACTION C8 of the LIFE project LUGO+BIODINAMICO)” will involve the implementation of an Arboretum that will have an approximate surface area of 5 ha that will be located in the industrial site As Gándaras. Approximately 55 native species will be established between bushes and trees and distributed in 10 ‘forests’, as can be seen in our plans. The Arboretum will represent for Lugo a space of popularization and active participation in which to approach the most representative forests of Galicia.

The work will be directed by Professor Antonio Rigueiro Rodríguez from the Higher Polytechnic Engineering School of Lugo at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

The planting work will be carried out in autumn.

Location map of the plot of the As Gándaras industrial site where the Arboretum will be set up. 

Distribution map of tree and shrub species to be planted in the Arboretum