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The target is 200,000 trees, but the number is not the project: what matters is where they are planted. Locations are selected by mapping heat islands and the busiest traffic corridors, not at random, and irrigation is controlled by a soil-moisture sensor connected to CEUS.
Start year
2019, when Spain's national government selected Murcia as a national pilot city for developing the 2020–2030 Urban Agenda.
Target groups
Residents of the city centre and densely populated outlying districts, with priority given to groups vulnerable to heat stress: older people and children. The programme also involves the school community.
Scope
100% of the population: temperature regulation, carbon capture and particulate filtration benefit all residents and visitors.
Funding
Shared governance: municipal funding, NextGenerationEU through Fundación Biodiversidad, and corporate responsibility initiatives such as LG's Smart Green programme.
The challenge
The urban heat island
Because of its location in south-eastern Spain, Murcia experiences severe heat episodes that frequently exceed 40 °C. The high concentration of asphalt and impermeable surfaces absorbs solar radiation and makes streets inhospitable for pedestrians.
The effect is cumulative: greater energy demand for cooling, increased health risks for vulnerable groups and less commercial life at street level. The city needed to move towards resilient green infrastructure designed according to ecological-engineering principles to restore urban ecosystem services.
200.000
Trees as the target: doubling the municipality's tree cover.
2-8 °C
Lower surface temperatures in treated streets during summer peaks.
+11.000
Schoolchildren taking part in reforestation campaigns in El Palmar, Algezares and other outlying districts.
2028
European Green Capital candidacy, validated by the European Commission in April 2026.
Data-driven green infrastructure
Three technical principles
Planting areas are selected by mapping heat islands and high-traffic corridors. From there, three technical decisions determine whether a tree survives and whether it genuinely cools its surroundings.
Principle 01
Scientific species selection
Exclusive use of native species or plants resilient to the semi-arid climate, maximising canopy density for cooling and optimising natural CO₂ absorption. Planting the wrong species in Murcia is not an aesthetic mistake: it means a tree that may not survive its second summer.
Principle 02
Sustainable urban drainage (SuDS)
Tree pits and surrounding surfaces are redesigned to capture rainwater. This reduces urban flood risk during torrential-rain events while making use of water on site instead of sending it into the sewer system.
Principle 03
Smart IoT management
Progressive integration of the irrigation network with the central CEUS platform. Subsurface moisture sensors activate irrigation only when necessary, delivering major, measurable water savings. This is what makes planting 200,000 trees sustainable in a semi-arid territory.
Delivered · 2019–2026
An investment package of more than €32M for the creation of the Western Metropolitan Park and large-scale planting, complemented by neighbourhood-level investments of between €140,000 and €700,000 per pedestrian corridor.
Horizon · 2027–2030
Integrated into the structural plan Murcia Aire Limpio, a binding framework committing more than €94.8M through the end of the decade, ensuring scalability and long-term technological maintenance.
Results as of 2026
Lower temperatures and a European candidacy
Institutional milestone
In April 2026, the European Commission officially validated Murcia as a candidate city for European Green Capital 2028, recognising its strong performance in biodiversity and climate-adaptation indicators. Plan Foresta is one of the central elements of the application.
Thermal performance
The smart green network has reduced surface temperatures in treated streets by between 2 and 8 °C during peak summer heat, helping to revitalise commercial activity along those streets.
Social impact
More than 11,000 schoolchildren have taken part in reforestation campaigns in districts such as El Palmar and Algezares. Planting with the school community is not simply awareness-raising: it helps ensure that trees are cared for during their critical early years.
Stakeholders
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