When the political pact of PSOE, Més and Podemos took over the administration of Palma town hall after the 2015 municipal elections, one of its innovations was so-called participative budgeting - residents could propose projects for investment and vote on them.
In 2016, a winning project was the creation of a boulevard and urban forest for the Sa Riera Park. This corresponds to the park's west side, and there were three projects in all, which came to a total of 600,000 euros. Half of this was for the boulevard plus cycle lane; there were 250,000 euros for the future urban forest; and the remainder was for a rock climbing wall.
It is now 2021, and work is finally due to start. Even so, as councillor for infrastructure Angelica Pastor admits, the budget will have to be adapted in phases: "We don't have the technical or financial capacity to undertake it all at the same time."
She explains that work will begin with the movement of earth that will be necessary in order to create containing walls on the Calle Joan Damet. This will facilitate the connection between the Son Dameto Park and the Plaza Barcelona, which will include a bike lane and allow a widening of the pavement, thereby establishing a boulevard on the Calle Sinia d'en Gil.
Some 1,000 trees are to be planted in creating the urban forest. There will be a children's playground and ramps to aid accessibility from the boulevard to the park.