Ronda council tenders a public square to replace the soon-to-be-demolished bus station
The project, announced by Ronda town hall last September, is now out to tender and includes green spaces, children's play areas and pedestrian walkways designed to foster social interaction
The transformation of the site currently occupied by Ronda's bus station is beginning to move forward on paper. The town council has now put the redevelopment project for this site out to tender, with the aim of turning it into a large, public, recreational area once the new bus station near El Fuerte becomes operational.
The project proposes a complete transformation of one of the busiest locations in the municipality. In place of the current station building, the project envisages creating an urban space dedicated to leisure and social interaction. The site, located in the heart of the town centre, covers approximately 2,000 square metres and will be transformed into an area with landscaped gardens, a children's playground and various seating areas.
2,000 square metres
The technical document starts from a very clear premise: to utilise the space that will be freed up after the current bus station is demolished to create a new meeting point within the town. The facility, which has served as a transport hub for decades, will be decommissioned when the new bus station being built near El Fuerte comes into service.
To this end, the project's first step is the complete demolition of the existing building. Before starting this work, it will be necessary to fence off the site, disconnect all existing utilities - electricity, water, sewage and telecommunications - and dismantle the roof, windows and interior fittings. Subsequently, the main structure will be demolished and the waste generated during the process will be removed.
Once the site is cleared, the development phase of the new public space will begin. The planned work includes the creation of landscaped areas and accessible pedestrian walkways that will connect up the different points of the future square. These paths will have gentle slopes and adapted paving to facilitate access for people with reduced mobility.
Rest areas
The project also includes the installation of rest areas equipped with benches, litter bins and features that provide some shade, such as pergolas or trees. In addition, there will be an accessible children's playground with play equipment adapted to different ages and abilities, installed on shock-absorbing surfaces to ensure children's safety.
Another planned element is the installation of an efficient public lighting system using LED fixtures. The design aims to reduce light pollution and maintain an aesthetic that blends seamlessly with the urban environment.
This project is also part of an urban planning initiative linked to the "healthy cities" model, which is committed to the creation of urban spaces that encourage physical activity, contact with nature and social interaction. In this sense, the project's design prioritises pedestrian use of the space and the creation of green spaces over other more intensive uses.
This project is also part of an urban planning initiative linked to the "healthy cities" model, which is committed to the creation of urban spaces that encourage physical activity.
The site of the current bus station is located in a well-established urban area with high pedestrian traffic. Ronda council believes that its transformation will create a new public space in one of the town's most central locations.
The initiative was announced last September by the municipal government team, which proposed converting this land into a public square once transport operations were transferred to the new bus station. With the project now out to tender, the plan has now entered its administrative phase prior to demolition and construction.
The implementation of this project is directly linked to the opening of the new bus terminal in El Fuerte, which will take over the service currently provided by the current bus station located in the town centre. Once this new facility is operational, the existing building will be vacated and the transformation of this site can begin.
