• Ever since the decision was taken to submit the project to the new Plan E, a commission made up of municipal representatives, technical experts and representatives of both the neighbourhoods and the retail trade has been working to reach a consensus on the project and on the use that will be given to the road C/ Fàbrica.
  
• The project, that has been approved and counts with the support of the commission, already envisages the set up of a multi-purpose road surface, suitable for both the vehicle traffic and for pedestrian use.
  
• Upon the proposal of this technical commission, that meets up periodically, five modifications have already been made to the project.
  

The Government Assembly of the City Council of Palma has approved the tendering of a project envisaging road works on the road C/ Fàbrica for the development of the Santa Catalina pedestrian area, more specifically on the stretch comprised between Avinguda Argentina and Avinguda Compte de Barcelona. This project one of the projects that will be financed by the Fund for Local Sustainability of the Plan E.

The budget of the road works amounts to 1,415,032 euros (VAT included). The works are planned to begin during the month of May and will generate jobs for 45 people.

The development of this pedestrian area, the second one envisaged by the new city model after the accomplishment of the Blanquerna pedestrian area, aims to encourage leisure activities and promote retail activity in the neighbourhood, attract more retail and economic activity to Palma's districts and create areas that better connect Palma's city centre with the Santa Catalina and the Son Espanyolet districts.

A consensus project

As has been the case with the Blanquerna pedestrian area, a technical commission has been constituted to ensure that the Santa Catalina pedestrian area is developed and executed in consensus with both the neighbours and the retailers. This commission has already contributed to the project by making several suggestions and it will be this commission the one to decide what use will finally be given to the road C/ Fàbrica.

Hence, it is at this point noteworthy that the project, that has been approved by the Government Assembly, has been approved by this commission too. During the next few months, the members making up the commission will meet up in order to reach an agreement on the final use to be given to this road. In any case, the approved project already envisages a multi-purpose road surface suitable for both the vehicle traffic and for pedestrian use.

The pedestrian area is a key feature for the development of a new city model, whose main objective is to become an essential structure in the life in the district. This will be attained by means of a series of measures, such as by developing several areas encouraging the exchange between generations and inviting residents and visitors to stroll around, areas where pedestrians become 'kings of the road'.

The project envisages the urban improvement and the development of a pedestrian area in the Santa Catalina district along the 238 metres of the road C/ Fàbrica, more specifically on the stretch comprised between Avinguda Argentina and Avinguda Compte de Barcelona. This investment will contribute to the improvement of 3,588 square metres. The investment to be made in this area envisions the following improvements:

• Unify the paved road surface along the road
• Provide this area with new urban furniture to create new areas aimed at fostering co-existence
• New public street lighting
• Implement gardening improvement measures
• Set up underground waste containers
• Installation of a rainwater drainage network and the replacement of the sewer system
• Underground laying of low tension cables and telephone wires that currently run along the building façades
• Measures aimed at improving accessibility across the entire area

A project enhanced by everyone's contributions

After the accomplishment of the Blanquerna pedestrian area, a technical commission has been created in order to ensure this new project is developed in consensus with the area's neighbours and retailers and to reduce to the maximum the nuisance resulting from the road works. This technical commission is made up by the councillor of the Town Planning Department of the Town Hall of Palma, Yolanda Garví, by the councillor of the Department for Mobility, Jose Hila and by the councillor of the Department for Infrastructures, Francisco Donate, as well as by the municipal technical expert who will be in charge of coordinating the works. Further members of the technical commission are the authors of the project, the representatives of the neighbourhood associations, representatives of the retail business associations, representatives of the Santa Catalina market stall operators and the representatives of the bars and restaurants located in the district.

During the last session held by the commission, five modifications were made to the project upon the petition of some members of this technical commission. These modifications have already been incorporated in the approved version of the project and envision the following measures:

1- Relocation of an underground waste container. The project had initially contemplated the location of this container on the corner of C/ Caro and C/ Pou. Now, this underground waste container has been relocated to the corner of C/ Caro and Avenida Argentina.

2- Relocation of an underground waste container that had initially been planned to be set up on the corner of C/ Anníbal and C/ Soler. This container will now be set up on the corner of C/ Anníbal and Avenida Argentina due to the existence of waste containers right next to the Santa Catalina market. Thanks to this measure, the area envisaged for loading and unloading will not need to be reduced.

3- The waste containers currently set up on C/ Soler and C/ Pou, corner with C/ Fàbrica may not be removed by EMAYA, neither during the execution of the road works nor after they have been accomplished, since the restaurants in the area generate large amounts of waste.

4- The location of the underground waste containers will not be modified unless in those cases in which a relocation is required and justified for technical reasons due to large excavation measures carried out in their location.

5- The public street lighting project will be enhanced by a logistic device to allow for the subsequent installation of Christmas lights.

Virtual image of the project envisioning the Santa Catalina pedestrian area