Parque Urbano da Cruz do Montalvão

The 21-hectare Cruz do Montalvão urban park is the result of the requalification of an abandoned military field and agricultural land. Located in the southern part of the urban expansion of Castelo Branco, it addresses the crucial need for lively and vibrant parks in a hot, inland Mediterranean city without a river, mountains and no longer rural.

The park is designed to address three main challenges of the city context. First, to respond to the lack of lively informal green public spaces, capable of recreate a community feeling and respond to the everyday urban life.  Second, to build a future natural microclimatic refuge, which is a central theme in a city with an average temperature of 25ºC in summer and prone to heat waves. Third, to bring and enhance biodiversity in the urban landscape.

The park was developed around connectivity and openness to intra-urban flows, existing groups of trees and the existing topography and views. At its heart is a large path (500 m) that connects the city centre with the university campus and a commercial area. Integrating this future shaded flow, floods the park with urban daily life, making it democratic, safe and a meeting place. The path gathers the main areas - a social lawn, an amphitheatre with panoramic views and a shaded plaza with uses and programs for all groups. A special attention was given to lighting, encouraging people to use the park during the evening hours - a popular social time in hot cities.

Concentrating the more urban uses of the park allowed the remaining areas to be left for natural ecosystems to evolve and reduce the need for irrigation.

Despite the vegetation structure being in its early stages, the park already functions as a place for gathering and appropriation. Rolling, jogging, walking, chatting, playing, dating, sports, casual meetings or night picnics are already part of everyday life, establishing the park as a city social centre.

The design combination of nature, cool, play and encounter allows this urban park to be defined as a specific response to the challenges faced by inner and hot cities. It provides a popular and informal place for this unique urban condition and the possibility to develop and enjoy a broader, inclusive and diversified community feeling.