The new POUM emphasizes the connection between the urban center, the old town, and Igualada, promoting the use of public transport, bicycles, and pedestrian routes. Key planned actions include the completion of the Ronda Sud of Igualada and the land reservation for a variant of the C-37, crucial for calming traffic in the town center. Furthermore, the carretera de Valls and the carrer del Pont will be transformed into single-platform axes for pedestrians.
Another fundamental axis of the plan is the creation of a green infrastructure connecting municipal open spaces with major regional corridors. This includes the specific protection of the “badlands” (grey marls), the regeneration of the riparian vegetation of the Anoia river, and the conservation of the dryland mosaic. It also introduces flexibility in the uses of existing farmhouses to maintain their vitality and regulates the implementation of renewable energies with landscape integration criteria.
The new planning reserves a minimum of 50% of the promotion in the new Strategic Residential Area for public protection housing.
In the housing chapter, the document defines a strategy to address the housing emergency by combining new developments and the improvement of the existing stock. A Strategic Residential Area is planned with capacity for over 300 homes, featuring a density of 50 dwellings per hectare. This strategy also aims to promote social mix by distributing protected housing across all sectors and allowing two-family homes to optimize available land.
Finally, the POUM stresses the need to rehabilitate and adapt the current housing stock, focusing on apartments of 70 to 90 m² with parking. Specific tools are also proposed to protect the unique and rural character of the old town of Santa Margarida de Montbui.
