A scheme titled ‘The Ages of Water,’ drawn up by the firm of Francisco Burgos and Ginés Garrido, has placed first in the Burgos River competition to improve the environs of the Arlanzón River as it passes through Burgos. The idea is to preserve nature and manage the river’s interaction with the city, creating the conditions for a respectful and enriching relationship by prioritizing the environmental protection of the Arlanzón.

The project consists of two different operations within the urban domain. One involves forming friendlier spaces out of the streets and the avenues that border the river within the urban core: to the north of the river, Avenida Arlanzón, and to the south, Calle Avenida and the avenues Palencia and José María Villacián Rebollo. These streets currently coincide with the lines of the N-120 national road. The winning design also alleviates traffic at Plaza del Mío Cid and on the San Pablo and Gasset bridges.

The other operation on the river’s urban area involves making three parks – Parque del Paseo de La Quinta and Parque del Cauce Molinar to the east of the historical quarter, and Parque San Juan Bautista to the west – adapt to and engage with the river in a more natural way. All of them are connected to the river course. Both operations – the creation of a true urban public space on the riverbanks, and that of a sequence of green zones – can be executed in phases. ‘The Ages of Water’ also proposes a series of actions to improve the actual river’s natural conditions, in particular those having to do with protections, vegetation, and spillage.