The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona has provisionally approved a modification of the Metropolitan General Plan to preserve the riera d'en Font, which connects the Serralada de Marina with the sea through Tiana and Montgat.
The environmental protection of the riera d'en Font, the watercourse that links the corridor between the Serralada de Marina and the Mediterranean coast, has taken a step forward. This week, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) provisionally approved a modification of the Metropolitan General Plan (MPGM) that will safeguard the landscape and ecological value of this natural space, located between the municipalities of Tiana and Montgat, in the Maresme.
The plan, which must receive final approval from the territorial Urban Planning commission of the Department of Territory, aims to recover the riera as a unifying axis of the territory. According to the MPGM documentation, the intention is to connect the Serralada de Marina park with the sea, passing through both urban centres, and to enhance biodiversity and social uses of the environment.
The mayor of Tiana, Isaac Salvatierra (Junts per Tiana), explained that the measure will allow for "order in urban classifications and implement changes and improvements in the area." The plan directly affects the residents of Tiana and Montgat, who will see how a natural space threatened by deterioration is protected and how new meeting areas are established.
Protection of the riverbed and the banks
The modification of the general plan recognises the riverbed and banks of the riera as a hydrographic system, with the aim of preserving its function within the water cycle. Additionally, it proposes to classify the surroundings as a forest park system, which will allow for maintenance actions, opening paths, installations for fire prevention, and environmental information points.
The plan also addresses the reduction of flood risk, a historical problem in areas like the former Garden Tiana. "We work a lot on alerts to the population at the municipal level," Salvatierra noted, highlighting the importance of minimising damage during episodes of heavy rainfall.
The riera d'en Font is not the only watercourse in the municipality. The rieras of Montalegre and Tiana also run through the population, and the town hall has been working for years to dignify and organise them, seeking a balance between environmental protection and economic development.
Recovery of farmhouses and meeting spaces
The MPGM includes the designation of three farmhouses as areas of privately owned green space of traditional interest: can Cosme, can Maybè, and can Tolrà. The aim is to facilitate their rehabilitation and improvement, preventing their progressive deterioration. Furthermore, the creation of meeting spaces for residents along the axis of the riera is planned, taking advantage of existing free spaces and allowing new uses that add value to the natural environment.
"The contours of the riera are spaces doomed to progressive deterioration," warns the documentation of the plan. The intervention aims to improve contact with the urban fabric and achieve a more pleasant transition to the agroforestry space.
In the long term, the planning seeks to consolidate the connection of the Collserola natural park with the Serralada de Marina, which in turn connects to the sea through rieras like the d'en Font. In this way, an ecological corridor is created that benefits the entire Maresme region and the metropolitan area of Barcelona.
First municipal market of Tiana
One of the most tangible aspects of the plan is the establishment of Tiana's first municipal market. "This is what we urgently needed because it is part of the government plan," Salvatierra stated. Before deciding, the town hall conducted a commercial study in which local residents and merchants were consulted to confirm the need.
Both groups defended the necessity of having a municipal market. "When I was a child, there were twice as many food shops, and now we are many more residents but there is less commerce," lamented the mayor. To maintain a "living village," he considers it essential to have commercial activity, the ability to shop in Tiana and stroll, and this requires having an attraction point like a market.
For its design, the council has looked to the experience of markets in Barcelona, which in recent years have opted to combine traditional markets with supermarkets on the upper floors. The project is currently in the planning phase, and it is expected that construction can begin once the MPGM is definitively approved.
The final approval of the plan by the territorial Urban Planning commission is expected in the coming months. Meanwhile, the residents of Tiana and Montgat can consult the MPGM documentation on the official channels of the AMB and the town hall.
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