The presentation ceremony of the recently accomplished refurbishment works carried out on the square Plaça de Miquel Dolç and the connection with the boulevard on C/ de Josep Darder was held on Friday, 12th March.

The square Plaça de Miquel Dolç is one of the 117 projects financed by the local investment fund, that had been made available by the Spanish Government. This project has allowed for the direct and immediate creation of 54 jobs.

The scope of action of the project has comprised a public surface of 6,951 square metres in the eastern Llevant district, located within the municipality of Palma. The project envisaged works on Plaça de Miquel Dolç as well as in the area comprising the pedestrian crossings on the surrounding roads heading towards the square, i.e. the roads C/ Josep Darder, Metge, C/ Arquebisbe Aspàrreg, C/ Adrià Ferran, C/ Reis Catòlics and C/ Indalecio Prieto, as well as the creation of the final stretch of the boulevard on C/ Josep Darder, Metge comprising a surface of 205 square metres.

The central and completely circular islet making up the Plaça de Miquel Dolç comprises of a surface of 1,742 square metres and involves the Pere Garau, Son Coc and the Son Gotleu neighbourhoods. The area is used as a meeting point and to enjoy leisure activities. Due to its location, the square used to feature certain inconveniences, such as the difficult access from the surrounding roads, which made a connection between the major routes used by pedestrians, to head towards and cross the square, quite difficult.

The objective of the project, which had been allocated an investment budget amounting to approximately 1,700,000 €, has been to restructure this area in order to adapt it to nowadays' residential, commercial and day-to-day life requirements, to improve and modernise the provided basic services, to reestablish the equilibrium between the vehicle traffic, the parking spaces and the pedestrian areas available and to transform this area in a more friendly and comfortable environment, that can now be used, to the joy of citizens, for several purposes.

It is worth highlighting at this point the priority given to develop this area into an accessible area for everybody, independently from his or her capacity. For this purpose, all the existing architectural elements and services provided were integrated in the project in order to develop a social and cultural life within the area for both residents and visitors.

An extensive area for the exclusive use by pedestrians has been created too. Besides, the surface envisaged for the planting of plants and trees and for the development of green areas has been increased as well. Furthermore, the stretch comprising C/ Josep Darder, Metge has been extended too, thereby becoming a promenade that connects with the square.

The measures that have been undertaken along this stretch consisted in the improvement and modernisation of the basic services provided, in the elimination of aerial installations, in the conditioning of the pavements, of the water drainage system and of the existing vegetation. All these improvements have been aimed at making the area more habitable and more environmentally friendly. In line with this objective, the public street lighting has been substituted by new, more efficient and energy-saving street lighting.

The new square features new additional green areas that have increased the existing green space. Besides, a slow traffic lane has been integrated too in the district, as well as several pedestrian areas adapted to the needs of people with reduced mobility, which now give them the chance to cross the square comfortably and increase their safety.

In addition to all the aforementioned measures, the improvements carried out jointly within the scope of other projects must be taken into account too, such as the project concerning the new general rainwater collectors, that have enhanced the existing and so far insufficient installation as well as the elimination of architectural barriers on C/ Reis Catòlics, more specifically on the stretch comprised between the square Plaça de Miquel Dolç and C/ Manacor.

Apart from a new homogeneous design, the square now features 2 sculptural elements created by the artist Ferran Aguiló called "Parell d'esteles" (Pair of stars) made out of galvanised iron, as well as an inscription carved into the pavement that reflects a fragment of the work 'Absorció', written by Miquel Dolç, that says: "Es el meu cor una esponja en aquest mar de neguit" (My heart is a sponge in this sea of uneasiness).

The authors of the project were the following: the municipal architect Antoni Sbert and his collaborators, the structural engineer M. de la Pau Barceló Bennàser and the municipal draftsman Pedro Anglada Gelabert.

The City Council of Palma's objective has been to provide this area with a new and top quality infrastructure, to ensure accessibility and safety and to adapt the traffic flow and the day-to-day life to nowadays' requirements, thereby supporting the local measures aimed at improving the road conditions and providing the square with a homogeneous design, that is environmentally friendly and confers the area a certain uniqueness.

BEFORE	AFTER