Index Anillo Verde de Vitoria-Gasteiz

Recovery of Zabalgana gravel pit and forest

Brief description
Next to a new area of residential expansion to the west, this park consists of a natural forest of gall oak and recently grassed areas, with scattered copses and several lakes. Zabalgana park was the first to be developed and in some respects was the embryo of the Green Belt.

Initial status
The space within which the current park is laid out consisted originally of 26 hectares of forest. Many years ago, this area was called Zabalgana mountain and was in a very degraded state due to the abusive exploitation of trees for firewood, intensive grazing, fires, and so on. Next to the forest, there was an abandoned gravel pit of about 13 hectares that was used for construction. Some of the pit faces reached a height of 10 m and there were many piles of abandoned rejects and flooded areas.

The development process
The extremely degraded state of the site required major restoration work. The most important remodelling work began in 1983 and finished in 1989. Even so, the overall development of the area still continues today.

The criteria applied in the creation of this park were as follows:

• Promote the natural regeneration of Zabalgana forest and the areas that had been used for farming
• Restore spaces affected by the exploitation of gravel, maintaining the physiographical appearance of the environment, defined by gently sloping hills
• Maintain the pools characteristic of gravel pits as a faithful reminder of the old pit
• Develop and signpost the tracks, paths and slopes that provide access to the park and its internal itineraries
• Prepare small areas for sitting and recreation

The restoration of Zabalgana has included the following stages and actions:

• In 1993, CEA initiated the restoration of spaces affected by the gravel works, continuing the work undertaken by the Rural Area Office of the Town Hall. Work consisted of adding inert fill material. The physiographical remodelling led to the creation of the gently sloping hills in which the existing pools water are maintained as diversifying elements in the landscape
• Grass was sown and trees were planted in order to create extensive meadowlands with scattered copses and woodland in order to maximise the use of this space by the public. A vehicle entrance was created from Zurrupitieta street and a small car park was built. The water distribution network was laid for three fountains and a sitting area with picnic tables was set out at the northern end of the park
• At the same time, several forestry projects were undertaken in order to promote the regeneration of the adjoining forestry mass as well as a succession of reforestation campaigns in the areas devoid of trees and vegetation
• In 1995, 7 ha of agricultural land around the village of Zuazo de Vitoria was added to the park, including the excavation of two irrigation water pools. Remodelling the pools by extending their surface area and reducing their average depth, was the first step towards securing the ecological rehabilitation of a new wetlands. The project ended with the preparation of a vehicle access point from Zuazo de Vitoria with its corresponding car park at the park entrance, and a second sitting area
• In 1996, a 6 km circular itinerary was constructed for pedestrians and cyclists. Starting at the roundabout on the old N-I in Armentia, this runs through the forest to the gravel pit area and then turns back to the starting point along the Zuazo to Armentia track
• In 1999, a new sitting area was created and the conditions of the pedestrian itinerary were improved
• In 2005 a new access point was constructed from Zurrupitieta street adapted to bicycles and people with reduced mobility

Future plans
Currently, the urban development works in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in its expansion towards the west, makes accessibility from the city to Zabalgana park rather difficult.

In the future, the park will link up with the urban grid via roadways already envisaged in the urban development work, which in the case of the planned “Zabalgana urban pathway”, on which pedestrians and cyclists will have priority. A new point of access to the park is also planned for the area near mount Ali.

A connection with the rest of the parks in the Green Belt is also planned, in particular with Armentia park, through the creation of the green corridor between Zabalgana and Armentia and the construction of a footbridge over the N-102 highway.