Ribadavia is the capital of the Ribeiro region and plays a key role as a centre for services, commerce and social life in the area, acting as a hub that supports numerous surrounding towns. In this context, mobility is a key challenge. The increase in traffic, the competition for public space and the growing demand for parking are some of the challenges currently facing the town, which affect both quality of life and the vitality of local businesses.

In this context, the work carried out by Fundación RIA focused on a comprehensive study of the mobility situation, analysing the historical development of the town, identifying the main current issues and proposing a new mobility strategy that will contribute to promote the historic centre.

This initiative is part of the Vilas Vivas project, promoted by Xunta de Galicia, which aims to revitalise Galician towns by boosting local businesses, showcasing historical heritage and creating synergies between retail, crafts and tourism, creating a replicable model for urban regeneration.

Ribadavia thus serves as a pilot project for the regeneration of the historic centre as a leading commercial and cultural hub, which can be adapted and replicated in other towns across Galicia.

Ribadavia’s urban dynamics are characterised by marked seasonal fluctuations, influenced both by the daily lives of the local population and by the occasional celebration of high-attendance events, with a notable increase in population during the summer months linked to second residences.

This characteristic required a dynamic analysis that considered variations in visitor flows throughout the year. Three scenarios of varying intensity were identified, based on pedestrian density, road traffic volume and the calendar of major festive and cultural events.

Once these flows had been analysed, several recurring problematic situations were identified. Located at specific points within the urban fabric where high volumes of people, vehicles and activities converge, these situations have a negative impact on mobility.

With the aim of improving mobility both in the historic centre and in the rest of the town, a series of measures were proposed to achieve a balance between vehicular and pedestrian traffic, thereby promoting a more sustainable and efficient organisation of the urban space.

In terms of road transport, the road network was restructured, and car park areas were reorganised, reducing private vehicle traffic in the centre of Ribadavia and proposing the complete pedestrianisation of the historic centre.  To enable this, changes to the direction of traffic were introduced and peripheral car parks were created at strategic locations.

With the aim of promoting pedestrian mobility by offering a viable and accessible alternative to private vehicles, a series of measures were proposed, including the creation of new sidewalks and the extension of existing ones, the reconfiguration of crossings, the adaptation of urban features that hinder accessibility, and the removal of architectural barriers.

Additionally, road and pedestrian signage was redesigned, with a specific strategy proposed for days of high density of visitors. Measures were also taken to improve public transport, optimising routes and creating new bus stops.

As part of the analysis carried out by RIA, a study was developed to identify the age and condition of the buildings in the town centre. This made clear the different phases of Ribadavia’s development and confirmed the good state of conservation of its historic centre. Particular attention was paid to the uses found on the ground floors of buildings, identifying vacant premises and defining the main commercial areas.

This diagnostic process identified three main axes within the historic area: Rúa Salgado Moscoso, the route linking the local market with the Church of San Xoán, and the Praza Maior axis. These areas are also connected by a series of streets that act as links between them.

These three axes are proposed as the focus for commercial revitalisation in conjunction with the Vilas Vivas project, through which the local council acquired several vacant ground-floor premises to be refurbished following an open competition. In the future, these spaces are intended to host initiatives linked to crafts, products with differentiated quality labels and independent retail, helping to consolidate Ribadavia as a vibrant and open historic town.