Madrid to corral entire ring road with vertical gardens

Driving experience on the M30 will turn from drab and grey to green and bright

Yesterday, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida held a press conference to announce the start of the Calle 30 Natura project, which has the task of covering the concrete walls on the sides of the entire M30 ring road with vertical gardens.

The new initiative will begin implementation already this week with a pilot phase of six months. A 400-m section of the motorway at Avenida de la Ilustración will be the first to receive the plant intervention.

The new project will become a pillar in the overall Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which underscores the commitment of the local authorities to drastically increase the green infrastructure of the Spanish capital and prepare it for the turbulences of climate change.

Plus, this will eliminate graffiti

Calle 30 Natura represents an investment of 30 million euros that will be developed in phases. The first such is the already mentioned pilot. The second phase will begin in 2024. Altogether, urban planners are looking at covering 100,000 square metres of concrete walls that line up the circular road with vegetation.

In the vertical gardens, pollution sensors will be installed that will allow knowing what the pollutant capture of the panels is, especially for people who live nearby or use the environment as pedestrians.

Functional vegetation species will be used for the walls. They will be highly resistant, have low water consumption and will be suitable for the surrounding conditions.

The green screens will have an automated irrigation and monitoring system to know the conditions of the gardens in real-time to keep the vegetation in optimal condition.

Apart from the obvious environmental benefits, the authorities have extolled the virtue of vertical gardens for their visual appeal and even because they would effectively eliminate the clandestine practice of graffiti drawing.