The urbanization and landscape project of El Cordel de Écija in Córdoba is a fundamental part of the development for the residential project awarded in the international competition Europan 6. This project is a pioneer in what today we could call interspecies urbanism and architecture. Everything is at the service of a series of non-human species: those of the riparian forest on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. Everything is at the service of the trees and the species in relation, also inside the houses.

Both the planning and the urbanization are organized by grades. At grade zero only riparian trees are developed. At the highest grade – grade five – the most dense architecture appears. It is the most anthropized area. (See project here)

“The whole area is proposed as an area of reforestation of riverside species. The green hatches correspond to denser planting patterns and the colored ones – made up of flowering species – are organized according to less dense patterns to allow greater permeability to the views. Extensive lawns and gardens with any other design than the least anthropized riparian reforestation possible are expressly prohibited.

Riverside footpaths must be made of draining material and in no case shall they be paved with sealing materials. The character of the paths is that of riverside footpaths and in no case shall they resemble consolidated and paved urban routes.”

The paths towards the consolidated city become naturalized as they reach the riverbank through a draining paving that allows the variable growth of vegetation and the passage of water.

The project is implemented on paths and riparian vegetation at zero grade. The implementation was carried out by the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir. The photos of the riparian vegetation are from 2022.