Valencia's Parc Central, an expansive green area spanning 110,826 square meters, presents a landscape of opposing realities. While the city prepares for the installation of sculptures by Valencian artist Manolo Valdés and property values in adjacent areas soar, the park also serves as a refuge for approximately fifty homeless individuals.
This space, designed by American landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson and inaugurated on December 17, 2018, is the result of years of planning, including the undergrounding of railway tracks. The area known as the 'green triangle,' located between Filipinas Street, Giorgeta Bridge, and the railway tracks, clearly exemplifies this duality, with ongoing construction promising a future of opulence.
One of the most prominent projects is the Espai Valdés, promoted by Mayor María José Catalá. This space, to be located in Dock 3, will permanently house around thirty sculptures by Manolo Valdés starting in 2027. The investment to adapt this dock is estimated at 1.3 million euros and will include works from the artist's collection, some new and others currently on loan. An unprecedented monolith by Valdés will preside over the exhibition.
However, the current reality of Dock 3 is quite different. Informative plaques are covered in pigeon droppings, and the asphalt appears neglected. In this area, a dozen tents and mattresses form a settlement where about 20 people sleep, mostly middle-aged men from the Maghreb or Southern Africa. These residents, many in irregular administrative situations, are subject to daily checks by the National Police.
A second encampment, more hidden among the vegetation, hosts about thirty people, mainly from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. These individuals, who have worked in fruit picking under precarious conditions, receive support from organizations such as Amigos de la Calle, Cáritas, and the Red Cross. They have been ordered to vacate the settlement by April 13, without an alternative housing solution, leaving them facing uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the park continues its transformation. Warehouse 1 has been converted into a sports center with a seven-million-euro investment, Warehouse 2 has housed a branch of the Universitat Popular since 2020, and Warehouse 3, known as Ribes Espai Cultural, is part of the Teatre Escalante's programming. Warehouse 4, currently under construction, will be dedicated to social services and youth employment reintegration. This revitalization contrasts with the presence of poverty in an environment where the first homes in the Parc Central towers have sold for over 550,000 euros.
