This pilot project arises from the need to address the conflicts caused by the regional road network as it passes through urban centres. With this work, RIA seeks to offer criteria for the recovery of urban identity and human scale, values that have been lost in environments that have unilaterally favoured the use of the automobile.

In these environments, public space is invaded almost uninterruptedly by traffic and parking areas, degrading the space for pedestrians and social relations.

In collaboration with the Axencia Galega de Infraestructuras (AXI), RIA identifies conflicts in a section of the autonomously owned road network, as well as the design of solutions and intervention proposals to generate a more anthropocentric and quality public space.

The scope of the project is the urban nucleus of Palmeira, a fishing village located in the municipality of Ribeira, which is on the route of the AC-305 road. The strategies proposed are designed to be replicable in other places where similar conflicts are identified.

The aim of this work is to analyse the urban environments crossed by the road on the north coast of the Arousa estuary and to propose strategies for intervention in the public space which integrate the road infrastructure into the centre, reduce danger and improve the environmental quality while restoring the identity values of the place.

To provide the highest level of precision in the analysis, the existing information is complemented by fieldwork sessions.

Data collection and field research methods are necessary to establish a better understanding of the factors affecting the different scales of the territory.

For this reason, working with reliable information is a cornerstone for the foundation, thus enabling it to present objective recommendations and proposals.

In general terms, the aim is to transform the character of the road along its entire length by reducing the maximum speed on the urban section to 30 km/h and introducing a slower section, at 50km/h, at each end.

To achieve a more effective speed limit, traffic signs are not enough and a transformation of the road must take place, starting with the reduction of the lane width to 3 metres in urban sections.

In turn, this reduction in lane width allows for the extension of the pedestrian area and the introduction of a green strip along the entire length of the road. This flexible strip can be adapted to changes in section, housing trees at the entrance to the area or urban furniture and special use areas, such as public transport stops.

Taking advantage of the transformation of the street, the project integrates the provision of services and sustainable urban drainage systems integrated into its design.

Instead of carrying out a general action that affects the entire section of the street along its urban section, it is decided to concentrate the actions in short sections.

These more punctual interventions are intended to fragment the project and allow it to be implemented in phases, generating the desired effect at a lower cost. Actions are carried out at strategic points where the desired effects have a greater impact.

The points that mark the entrance to the urban centre, the most dangerous crossroads that generate transversal connections, and places of special uses, such as bus stops, are chosen as priorities to concentrate the efforts of the first phases of the project.

Palmeira is a pilot test for the development of a methodology for the analysis and proposal of strategies in the area of the AC-305 road. The results of this 2018 study led to a subsequent analysis on a territorial scale, covering the 39 km of the AC-305 road layout and the identification of five sections where to apply this methodology developed in the Palmeira project.