NatUR-W in Progress: From Co-Design to Implementation

After laying the foundations through dialogue with stakeholders and the community, the project is now entering a new crucial phase: implementation. Works are unfolding across three main solutions— urban forest development, the rehabilitation of the historic prison, and the upgrading of public housing—each advancing with solutions that blend nature-based innovation, sustainability, and cultural and social inclusion. The project NatUR-W in Lorca has already shown how stakeholders’ involvement and co-design can shape an ambitious vision for the city’s future.

In Barrios Altos, the creation of a new urban forest is set to become more than just a leisure area. Conceived as a transformative project, the park addresses pressing urban challenges while promoting climate resilience, social justice, and community well-being. Its design emphasizes sustainable water management, green infrastructure, and biodiversity, positioning it as a potential model for climate adaptation. At the same time, the park is intended as an inclusive space, fostering community cohesion, cultural engagement, and everyday encounters between neighbours. The new urban forest design is completed and has undertook all the approval steps by the municipality of Lorca. Works are expected to move forward following the tendering process launched in July 2025, and now under evaluation. With a projected opening by late 2026, the park is designed to serve as a green lung for Lorca—supporting biodiversity, offering recreation, and connecting the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The former prison of Lorca is being transformed into a cultural and educational space for community building and cultural revitalization of the area. During the design stage, challenges such as steep level differences on single floors were reinterpreted as opportunities. Accessibility solutions have been integrated into ventilated slabs, offering a reversible intervention that respects the heritage character of the building. The project also introduces an innovative evaporative cooling system through vertical gardens, which will reuse rainwater collected on site. In this way, the building becomes not just a preserved heritage site, but also a living demonstration of climate adaptation. During the whole project design phase, heritage protections remain central: catalogued cultural elements are safeguarded, the elevator has been positioned discreetly to avoid altering the façade, and every intervention has been carefully designed to respect the building’s identity. At the same time, the project complies with strict safety and accessibility standards, including fire evacuation and wheelchair access. With design nearly complete and tendering planned for late 2025, construction is expected to begin in spring 2026.

In Barrios Altos, NatUR-W is tackling as well long-standing challenges in public housing. Three severely degraded dwellings are being addressed: one will be rehabilitated, while the other two will make way for four newly built homes. Alongside these works, a “Green Thermal Wall” will be installed on the façade in front of the future park, providing both visual integration and significant energy-efficiency gains. This intervention directly responds to the structural problems that have long plagued housing in the area. By improving the building fabric and introducing nature-based solutions, the project seeks to reduce energy costs while upgrading quality of life. Material testing for the Green Thermal Wall has been completed, and adjustments to planting methods have been made to ensure lasting performance. Crucially, the process also recognises the social dimension of housing. Communication with current residents is ongoing, ensuring that interventions align with needs and expectations, while formal relocation and support processes are being coordinated with social services.

Building on earlier co-design and participatory processes, the project is now materialising through interventions that respect heritage, advance climate adaptation, and support social inclusion. Together, the urban forest, the housing, and the former prison create a holistic model for urban transformation—looking at Lorca’s past and future at the same time.