The global challenge of achieving climate neutrality, in which Seville has a special role to play, having been designated by the EU as one of the one hundred cities with this objective by 2030, offers an opportunity to make Seville and its metropolitan area a driving force and benchmark for sustainable development, promoting scenarios of innovation, technology and business collaboration.
A challenge of this magnitude requires a long-term vision and a clear strategy to exploit the competitive advantages of the territory. In this sense, the aim is to identify its main productive poles, which must guarantee the viability of the metropolitan structure. At the same time, a coordinated and participatory commitment is sought, involving the various levels of government, the private sector and citizens. The aim is to promote the planning and implementation of territorial solutions based on the principle of sustainability.
In this sense, the report ‘Present and Future of Sustainable Development in the Metropolitan Area of Seville. An X-ray’, prepared by the association Sevilla City One, Metropolis of Southern Europe, with the support of Prodetur and CaixaBank.
The study was presented at a conference inaugurated by the President of the Provincial Council, Javier Fernández, together with the President of Sevilla City One, Metropolis of Southern Europe, Pedro Salvador, and the Director of Real Estate in Western Andalusia at CaixaBank, Mariola Valiente.
For Javier Fernández, ‘the development of the province cannot be understood without the metropolitan area’, which brings together more than half of the province’s population. We are talking about a strategic process for the future of the fourth-largest functional area in Spain, which has experienced the greatest demographic growth in the last decade and is home to almost 20% of Andalusia’s population and 17% of the community’s businesses.
The President of the Provincial Council encouraged the creation of a ‘Metropolitan Alliance’, which would make it possible to exploit the potential of the urban environment ‘for the improvement of social welfare, economic opportunities and sustainable development’.
The President of the City of Seville, Pedro Salvador, said that ‘we are at a crucial moment in the formulation of Urban Agendas and Local Integrated Development Strategies (EDIL) to promote sustainable and inclusive projects that seek balanced and equitable growth’. During these more than two years, we have carried out reports and working groups to promote our position as a metropolis in Southern Europe,” he added.
Salvador said that in this cluster, which has 86 members, 450 companies and more than 3,000 citizens, ‘we share the vision of making Seville an example of progress, innovation and sustainability’. This cluster is developing a vibrant and sustainable metropolis that will serve as a model for other cities around the world,” he said.
The Director of CaixaBank’s Real Estate Business Centre in Western Andalusia stated that “through our sustainable banking model, at CaixaBank we pursue the financial well-being of our clients and the progress of society as a whole, supporting initiatives such as Sevilla City One, promoting the search for solutions and providing advice to accompany our clients in their sustainable transition”.
After the institutional interventions, the study was presented by the spokesman for Sevilla City One, José Ignacio Fernández de Jódar, followed by a round table discussion moderated by the report’s coordinator, Daniel Ruiz, Managing Partner at Euromedia Comunicación. Rafael Miranda, CEO of Caralca Real Estate, Francisco Cuervas, CEO of Ghenova, and Esperanza Fitz, President of ANSEMAC (Andalusian Association of Women Entrepreneurs in the Environmental Sector) took part in the debate.
The CEO of Caralca Real Estate stated that ‘sustainable urban development cannot be limited to a green label, to environmental sustainability, it must also include economic and social sustainability. Without it, there will be no successful projects’. At CARALCA, we are present in 7 municipalities of the metropolis, with a portfolio of 1,900 homes, other uses and a turnover of 370 million euros, which represents 60% of our business activity. We believe strongly in the potential of Seville and its metropolis and we export it every day to attract investment,’ he added.
Francisco Cuervas, CEO of Ghenova, stated that ‘the concept of sustainability is no longer just green, it is also security, independence and sovereignty of basic, technological and industrial supplies’. Esperanza Fitz, President of ANSEMAC, stressed the importance of innovative urban transformation: ‘We underline the importance of innovative urban transformation that promotes economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection. ANSEMAC’s principles of fairness, equity and resource efficiency complement the report’s vision for sustainable urban transformation in Seville.
Fitz added that both ANSEMAC and the Seville City One report aim to promote balanced metropolitan development that combines economic progress, social equity and environmental sustainability. ANSEMAC is in a strategic position to lead the transition to a more sustainable urban environment in Seville, and its commitment to sustainability and the empowerment of women in business makes it a key player in driving significant change in Andalusian cities,’ she concluded.
An X-ray of sustainable development in Seville and its metropolitan area.
The Present and Future of Sustainable Development in the Metropolitan Area of Seville. An X-ray’ looks at the different strategies and projects being developed in Seville and its metropolitan area, with the aim of promoting the planning and implementation of territorial solutions based on the principle of sustainability.
In this context, a meta-analysis of different sources related to the social, urban, housing, economic and tourist sectors will be carried out. It brings together all the elements that form the backbone of the reality of sustainable development in Seville and its metropolitan area, with the intention of proposing, as the title of the report suggests, an X-ray of the sustainability of Seville.
From the general to the specific
The report moves from the general to the specific. Thus, the first section addresses the issue of sustainable policies in the European context, giving high priority to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. In a second section, the report focuses on the Hundred Climate Neutral Cities Mission, of which the city of Seville is a part, and which aims to “achieve one hundred smart and climate neutral cities by 2030”. In the third section, the report focuses on Seville as a sustainable metropolitan project, detailing the main initiatives promoted in the metropolitan area to promote sustainable development. These include projects financed by the European Cohesion Funds (ERDF and EDUSI), with particular emphasis on the EDUSI projects of the Diputación de Sevilla (Aljarafe Park and Awakening History) and the major infrastructures under development. Finally, the report describes what it considers to be the five levers for change in the metropolitan area of Seville from a sustainable approach: clean energy, innovation, clean mobility, circular economy and urban planning.
CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of Seville and its metropolitan area identifies a number of key challenges that need to be addressed to ensure sustainable and equitable development in the region. These challenges range from access to housing and economic development to climate change resilience and social inclusion.
