Vitoria-Gasteiz starts greening the medieval quarter
09/04/2026
The Local Government Board has awarded the contract to carry out the project to green the Cantón Carnicerías-Santa Ana area, which will allow work to begin to naturalise the medieval quarter and make progress on incorporating green infrastructure into the historic heart of the city. The contract for this work was awarded for €245,587.32 and will take 18 weeks to complete.
This project is part of the European LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 programme, coordinated by the Basque Government, and is part of the municipal strategy to adapt the city to climate change using nature-based solutions.
This work will be carried out in a key area of the medieval quarter, linking various districts and streets such as Cantón de las Carnicerías, Calle Sociedad Vascongada, Calle Gasteiz, Cantón de Santa Ana, part of San Vicente de Paúl and Calle San Ildefonso. The aim is to naturalise these places and make them more attractive, creating more pleasant, liveable and sustainable areas that encourage coexistence, relaxation and everyday life in a heritage setting.
The project introduces the concept of “Kaikus”, large circular flower boxes made of steel and wood that will combine vegetation, benches and platforms, adapted to the slopes in the districts. These pieces will act as micro green islands that will provide freshness, shade and biodiversity, with low-maintenance plants that require little watering.
By awarding this contract, we are taking an important step towards making the greening the medieval quarter a reality. “We want to make the historic centre greener, more liveable and better prepared for the future, demonstrating that sustainability and heritage can work side by side", said Beatriz Artolazabal, Councillor for Public Spaces and Neighbourhoods.
This pilot project will make it possible to test solutions that can be replicated in other parts of the medieval quarter, building on an initiative aimed at extending green infrastructure to the historic centre of the city.
