Commissioned by the City Council of La Canonja, INSTA has begun the work of drafting the Plan for the Management and Management of Uses of the Orchards of La Canonja.
Les Hortes de la Canonja is the last agricultural area in the municipality of La Canonja. Despite the agricultural tradition of almost all the municipalities of the Camp de Tarragona, the reconversion of uses, the devaluation of the price of agricultural products, as well as the progressive industrialization of the territory, has caused the primary sector to decline. In parallel with the reduction in agricultural activity, there has been an abandonment of those lands that had previously been used for cultivation, thus generating a degradation of the environment of many municipalities such as La Canonja.
The area of the Hortes de la Canonja currently occupies about 136 hectares, intended mainly for the cultivation of the olive tree, the family garden and other minority uses. There is also a part that is disused or even abandoned. In addition, it is necessary to add a network of roads that connect Les Hortes with the municipality and towns and cities such as Vila-seca and Reus.
We are faced with a typically peri-urban landscape made up of agricultural elements of a horticultural nature, particular, fragmented and diversified. An agricultural landscape that is complemented by the Riera de la Boella, a natural space that is reaching remarkable importance. The municipality requires a close and accessible space in order to develop walking, leisure and sports activities; this makes the management and arrangement of the uses of the Orchards absolutely essential.
The proposed Plan that INSTA has initiated will include aspects such as agricultural revitalization, ecological reconversion, public and leisure use, agricultural custody, citizen participation and the regulation of space.
The project is expected to be completed during the winter of 2014.
