What is the Low Carbon Demonstration Zone?

In order to take full advantage of the potential of Madrid Nuevo Norte as a way of accelerating the decarbonisation of the city, Madrid City Council has declared the Chamartín Central Business District— one of the four areas comprising the capital’s major urban transformation project— as a Low Carbon Demonstration Zone.

Insigth

Madrid has set itself an ambitious target:

65%

reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030.

100

cities will be prepared for climate neutrality, making them innovation benchmarks under the Cities 2030 mission of the European Commission.

A major contributor towards that goal will be Madrid's major urban transformation project, Madrid Nuevo Norte, which is designed from the outset to be a benchmark for sustainability.

In fact, the specific urban regulations governing this project, which result from the Modification of the Madrid City Plan of Madrid, include measures related to energy efficiency and decarbonisation that outstrip current regulations on these matters.

Challenges

The innovation in sustainability to which Madrid Nuevo Norte aspires needs novel initiatives, such as studies, research and pilot projects with a scientific approach, to get contrasted data and pave the way for many of these measures to be implemented, not only there but also in other developments and urban environments.

This ambitious sustainability strategy is not without its difficulties, both technical and regulatory, since many of the measures proposed are not provided for in the current legal framework and therefore require maximum coordination and public-private collaboration.

Additionally, difficulties arise from the scale and complexity of this urban development project, with infrastructures going beyond scope and requiring the technical and economic coordination of all stakeholders, both private owners and public administrations and companies.

Finally, the project’s essential economic viability must also be taken into account, a decisive factor in defining and managing the measures to be implemented.

Tool

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone (ADAC)

Given the complexity of the regulatory and technical obstacles to effective sustainable innovation, Madrid City Council has created the figure of Low Carbon Demonstration Zone, and the first area to have adopted this status is the Chamartín Central Business District urban project area of Madrid Nuevo Norte.

Madrid City Council, together with the landowners of the future central business district of Madrid Nuevo Norte, has created this special area dedicated to pursuing environmental excellence and helping the city of Madrid accelerate the achievement of its decarbonisation goals.

This tool analyses each technical, administrative and legal challenge and each possible obstacle to innovation, and coordinates the mechanisms required for regulatory change and technical and management models for the different initiatives under examination.

Its objective is to study the best techniques and strategies facilitating its implementation in order to spearhead the introduction of the most advanced sustainability measures, becoming at the same time an example for other cities and regions.

A Transformation in Four Pillars

The measures of the action plan are organised into four areas related to the construction of the city: the thermal demand of buildings and renewable energy, mobility, nature and the use of water. These are the main initiatives and challenges being faced:

Sustainable mobility

TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) model:

Madrid Nuevo Norte prioritises sustainable mobility in a hyperconnected environment.

The project is designed on the basis of an extensive public transport network, rather than on a road structure, to encourage uptake by future inhabitants and users.

On the other hand, the dense, compact, mixed-use urban design significantly reduces the need for travel. Office, leisure and housing will be close and well connected, thus creating a vibrant and lively city.

Thanks to these measures, it is estimated that nearly 80% of trips in the Central Business District will be by sustainable means of transportation.

The model also integrates shared mobility and measures for sustainable last-mile logistics.

80%

of trips in the Business Center will be made using sustainable modes of transportation.

Public transport network

Connected locally, regionally, nationally and internationally through Chamartín station. It enables around 5 million people to reach the area in less than an hour, complementing the idea of the “15-minute city” with that of a “45-minute region”.

Two interchange areas: the large Chamartín underground interchange and the La Paz intermodal area.
A new metro line with three automated stops.
An efficient priority bus rapid transit (BRT) with traffic light priority and segregated platform.
A new commuter train station in Fuencarral.
Conventional urban bus system.
BiciMAD bike sharing system.

Sustainable mobility structures the entire project.

Walkable city

Day-to-day needs will be less than a 15-minute walk or bike ride away

Some 90%

of the plots will have access to rapid transit transportation within a 10-minute walk.

Cycling mobility

13 kilometers of segregated bike lanes

The commitment to the bicycle as a means of transportation comes to life in 13 kilometres of segregated cycle paths, connected to the Anillo Verde Ciclista and the Colmenar cycle path, a network of bicycle racks and a public bicycle sharing service.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Pedestrian and bicycle mobility study

As part of the Demonstration area, a pedestrian and cycling mobility study has been carried out to analyse the flows and functional needs of pedestrians to confirm that no problems arise in pedestrian and cycling flows in the urban space of the Central Business District.

The study covers the entire Central Business District and its interaction with the Central Park, transport interchange and Chamartín station, and down to the micro scale, by analysing street crossings, footpaths and interferences and interactions between pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

This study, not required by the regulations, seeks excellence in pedestrian and bicycle mobility, by focusing on it and guaranteeing a quality and fully functional public space.

Water

Water management is fundamental to Madrid Nuevo Norte's sustainability strategy.

Thanks to it, a system will be developed to halve the demand for drinking water in homes and offices by replacing it with reclaimed water, and sustainable urban drainage systems will be fitted for the natural management of rainwater in public spaces.

Urban sustainable drainage systems aim to reduce the volumen of water reaching the sanitation network by up to

71%

Recovering the water cycle

Madrid Nuevo Norte seeks to implement sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) on a large scale in public spaces and in the plots to make soils permeable and recover the natural water cycle. The challenge is to apply these techniques in all areas of Madrid Nuevo Norte, one of Europe’s largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, at more than two million square metres.

Techniques such as porous sidewalks, rain gardens, drainage ditches and a greater presence of green areas all aim to retain, capture and infiltrate rainwater, thus reducing the volume reaching the sewage system by up to 71%.

SUDS pilot project: sample collection

Reclaimed water for domestic use

This seeks to extend the use of reclaimed water to the domestic sphere

About 50% of the potable water used in an urban development project is due to toilet flushing.

Madrid Nuevo Norte aims to be the first development in our geographical environment to use reclaimed water for this purpose, for which the Low Carbon Demonstration Zone is working on the possibility of improving the production of reclaimed water at source, by acting at WWTPs to achieve a Urban A+- grade quality to allow such use.

The construction plans being drafted already accommodate the resulting reclaimed water demands, and a reclaimed water reservoir designed to meet and manage this possible new domestic use has been planned.

Reducing consumption

More conventional, but equally necessary measures to reduce water consumption are also under examination, such as the appropriate selection of plant species or the implementation of low consumption taps, as well as smart sensory irrigation control systems.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Pilot project for SUDS on the roadway

During times of heavy rainfall, runoff water carries a high degree of pollutants across roadway surfaces. For this reason, Madrid Nuevo Norte, in collaboration with Madrid City Council, has launched a pilot project to implement sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) in roadways and car parks, as well as pavements and parks in the new neighbourhoods.

It has been built on a small island between calle de Agustín de Foxá and calle de Mauricio Legendre and will collect samples for one year.
Rainwater samples filtered by a porous pavement and a bioretention rain garden are taken and subsequently analysed for contamination levels in the laboratory.
The water filtered by these systems is compared to other water carried by the roadway and which has not been treated, to measure the quality improvement.
If this project shows no contamination of water and soil, the implementation in Madrid Nuevo Norte and even in other parts of the city will be studied.

Quality Green Spaces

The new green heart of Madrid

Madrid Nuevo Norte will include 400,000 m² of green areas and will naturalise urban spaces, thus creating a more sustainable and liveable environment. In addition to taking the utmost care in the quality of landscaping parks, the selection of species and the connections with pre-existing green areas and protected natural spaces must consider the overall compatibility and coordination in their design with the complex network of infrastructures of the project.

Madrid Nuevo Norte will integrate green areas totaling up to

400.000 m²

Green Artery

A linear network of parks is created as a real environmental promenade.

A green itinerary will be designed to be travelled on foot or by soft means of transport and that will reach Cuenca Alta del Manzanares Regional Park.

New “Green Castellana”: The historical axis of La Castellana is extended with 21st century values, transforming it into a green corridor formed by a linear network of parks that connect to existing urban parks and other natural spaces in the region, where pedestrian and bicycle mobility is prioritised.
Interconnected parks: The local green areas are connected to each other and together form a complete network with identity and unitary sense, thus forming a north-south articulating axis connecting the great tree-lined axis of the Paseo de la Castellana with the natural spaces of the mountains of El Pardo and Valdelatas.
Ecosystem services: Through the selection of species and the design of green areas, the axis will introduce the ecosystems and biodiversity of El Pardo mountain into the city.
Social dimension: This green artery will help to integrate Madrid Nuevo Norte with existing neighbourhoods, by respecting their identity and connecting them through the public space for the enjoyment and public facilities for all residents, both old and new.
Architectural heritage: The historic chapels (16th and 19th centuries) are restored and become the centre of two parks integrated into the axis.

The new green network connects with the existing parks.

Central Park

To the south of the M30, the environmental axis includes the great Central Park, a new destination on a metropolitan scale. A true urban forest in the heart of Central Business District

it will be built on the Chamartín train tracks, thus healing the historical fracture caused by the rail yards in this part of the city and creating a public space representative of the Madrid of the future.

Urban icon: A 13-hectare green lung will be built over the Chamartín rail yards, which will heal the historical fracture and create a representative natural and leisure area.
Commemorative design: Its design is based on the layout of the train tracks, highlighting the heritage of the place.
Technical challenge: A unique engineering work, and a landscape design by the Madrid Rio project's drafting teams (West8, Porras-Guadiana) with the technical capacity to plant large trees and create a real urban forest on the road covering.
Wind Garden: The centre of the park will be home to a vertical garden, the Wind Garden, a spiral-shaped structure, naturalised and designed to lower the temperatures of its surroundings in summer, which will serve as a meeting point for citizens and will be a landmark that will provide an iconic image.

The design follows the layout of the pathways and centers around the Wind Garden.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Biodiversity study

As part of the initiatives of the Low Carbon Demonstration Zone, a study on biodiversity, both wildlife and flora, is underway to analyse the ecosystemic values in the urban spaces designed in Madrid Nuevo Norte.

Beyond the ornamental aspect and the social function of green infrastructure, the study analyses introduced plant species with a scientific approach, seeking that each selected species contributes specific functions from the point of view of urban ecology and biodiversity.

Energy

Madrid Nuevo Norte's strategy focuses on energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, far beyond current regulations in order to demonstrate the viability of a carbon-neutral future.

The technologies of the HVAC district networks will be renewable,

100%

Efficiency and generation of renewables

No gas: Urbanisation projects do not include gas supply infrastructure, in line with the objective of reducing the use of fossil fuels.

According to planning regulations, Madrid Nuevo Norte will comply with the following:

Consumption: All buildings will consume 15% less energy than stipulated by the Technical Building Code.
Passivhaus: All homes will meet the same Passivhaus standards for HVAC efficiency.

In addition to the urban planning regulations, the feasibility of implementing a district heating and cooling network in APE 05.31 Central Business District is being studied.

District heating and cooling networks

Mechanisms are under study to determine the possible implementation of HVAC networks at the district level.

Economy of scale

Superior efficiency is achieved by implementing a single shared network to provide HVAC to all buildings in the same neighbourhood.

Renewable

The technologies used will be 100% renewable.

Utilization of residual energy

They take advantage of the different service demands of offices and housing (e.g., the need to heat water in homes while nearby offices need to cool their indoor spaces in summer). To do so, they will use waste heat and cold to divert it to where it is needed through interconnected networks

Energy storage in structures and walls

Thermal storage in buildings

Buildings will store thermal energy in their structures, such as facades, pillars and beams, making them true energy stores.

Night hours

The system is a step towards overcoming the important challenge of how to store solar energy so that it can be used during nighttime hours.

The project addresses the challenge of energy storage.

Bi-directional networks in car parks

Electric park

100%

of parking spaces in housings and offices will be pre-installed for electric car charging.

Energy for the city

10%

of the parking spaces will be equipped with bi-directional chargers, enabling the cars to feed energy back into the network, to be used for urban services, increasing storage capacity.

Economic return

Mechanisms will be discussed to ensure that the owners of these vehicles benefit in exchange for the service they provide.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

District network management

The implementation of district networks represents a technical, regulatory and management challenge which is being addressed by the Low Carbon Demonstration Zone.

A model must be found which, in addition to meeting technical and environmental objectives, is economically sustainable, technically feasible and compatible with the timeframes for drafting and processing the projects underway. To this end, various management models are being studied and the proposals of leading energy companies to operate the network have been put out to tender.
The Low Carbon Demonstration Zone is studying technical and administrative solutions for the feasibility of occupying infrastructure elements on public land.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone (ADAC)

ADAC
Madrid Nuevo Norte

What is the Low Carbon Demonstration Zone?

Insigth

Challenges

Tool

The Madrid Nuevo Norte Central Business District Low Carbon Demonstration Zone.

A Transformation in Four Pillars

Sustainable mobility

TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) model:

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Pedestrian and bicycle mobility study

Water

Water management is fundamental to Madrid Nuevo Norte's sustainability strategy.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Pilot project for SUDS on the roadway

Quality Green Spaces

The new green heart of Madrid

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Biodiversity study

Energy

Madrid Nuevo Norte's strategy focuses on energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, far beyond current regulations in order to demonstrate the viability of a carbon-neutral future.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

District network management

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone (ADAC)

ADAC Madrid Nuevo Norte

What is the Low Carbon Demonstration Zone?

Insigth

Challenges

Tool

The Madrid Nuevo Norte Central Business District Low Carbon Demonstration Zone.

A Transformation in Four Pillars

Sustainable mobility

TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) model:

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Pedestrian and bicycle mobility study

Water

Water management is fundamental to Madrid Nuevo Norte's sustainability strategy.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Pilot project for SUDS on the roadway

Quality Green Spaces

The new green heart of Madrid

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

Biodiversity study

Energy

Madrid Nuevo Norte's strategy focuses on energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, far beyond current regulations in order to demonstrate the viability of a carbon-neutral future.

Low Carbon Demonstration Zone challenge

District network management

ADAC
Madrid Nuevo Norte