Marbella’s town planners are exploring the possibilities of implementing a car-free zone in the busy heart of the city by pedestrianising a stretch of about 600-metres. Though this may not sound like much the area involved includes a large part of Ricardo Soriano and Ramón y Cajal, the main stretch of road in Marbella’s center.
The main driving force behind the plan is not traffic concerns, but instead seeks revitalise the commercial function and shopping districts of central Marbella, which have had to face both the financial crisis and the opening of new shopping malls in the past few years.
Inspiration for the scheme comes from Málaga’s pretty Calle Larios, which has been at the heart of that city’s impressive beautification. The latter has seen the region’s capital city go from an earthy Mediterranean port to a chic and vibrant historical city full of cultural interest. Málaga is now a popular place to visit by holidaymakers and cruse ship vacationers, and the way in which it has turned around its fortunes has inspired Marbella to look into similar initiatives.
The plan envisages closing off the less vibrant western part of Marbella’s main avenue to cars, allowing the lively eastern part that connects the Old Town and the beach promenade to continue functioning as it currently does. It is along the western part of Ricardo Soriano, where the road connects to The Golden Mile where shops have been hit the hardest, so the planners are studying ideas aimed at creating a park-like pedestrian zone that will form the hub for catering, retail and other commercial outlets.
The planners envision a more peaceful, pleasant environment with spacious public areas and safe walking spaces to encourage more footfall to the area, especially if there is a wide selection of restaurants, cafés and tapas bars around. The area would also be enlivened with regular live music, arts and cultural events, and the increase in visitors will attract popular brands and high-end outlets, reviving the commercial potential of this part of central Marbella.
The ambitions are positive and while it remains to be seen what solutions could be found for the rather substantial challenges created in re-routing a transport rout, a revamping plan of this kind could further improve the attractiveness of downtown Marbella and the quality of life it offers.
