Por Redaccion 
Marbella hosted today the start of the 51st National Congress of Public Parks and Gardens, an initiative that will take place at the Adolfo Suárez Conference Center until Friday, the 9th, under the theme ‘Building biodiversity in unique spaces’ and will bring together over 500 industry professionals. The event, organized by the Spanish Association of Public Parks and Gardens (AEPJP) and the Marbella City Council, aims to exchange knowledge, create synergies, and progress towards greener, healthier, and more resilient cities. To achieve this, it will feature the participation of around thirty specialists from countries like Colombia, Switzerland, or Italy, who will share their experiences in presentations, roundtable discussions, and debate sessions.
The opening session was attended by the Deputy Mayor Félix Romero and the President of AEPJP, Pedro Calaza. The municipal representative thanked the association «for the trust placed in Marbella for the second consecutive year to host this important event,» as well as the municipal delegation in this area and his colleagues Diego López and Eloy Ortega for their «tireless work at the forefront.» The councilor highlighted «the strong commitment of the Government team to a city model where nature and the well-being of residents go hand in hand,» adding that «Marbella is proud to have over 4,200,000 square meters of green areas, a vast urban lung where over 60,000 trees and 15,000 palm trees coexist, making it a true oasis in southern Europe.» «Our goal is to continue working on consolidating the town as the great Urban Forest of the Costa del Sol,» he stated. Additionally, the Deputy Mayor mentioned ongoing projects by the City Council such as the restoration of the Guadaiza River or the creation of new river promenades like the one in Benabolá.
Calaza, on his part, referred to Marbella as «a historic and unique place, a field of opportunities to build greener and more livable cities.» For the President of the Spanish Association of Public Parks and Gardens, in the constantly changing era we live in, this forum «will pave the way for solutions through experts who will inspire with their knowledge, success stories, and experiences, ensuring that the system operates according to the needs of the population to guarantee a better future.» Following this, the first intervention of the congress took place, led by Enrique Salvo Tierra, Director of the Climate Change Chair at the University of Malaga, with his presentation titled ‘The city as a refuge and driver of biodiversity’.