Praça do Brasil, the main entrance to the city of Setúbal for those arriving by public transport, will become a pedestrian square, with green areas, a children's playground and seating areas. Cars will be relocated to a square hidden between buildings.
Setúbal's main gateway for those arriving by public transport is going to get a new, more human and car-free square. Setúbal City Council recently began work on the redevelopment of Praça do Brasil, putting an end to the parking lot and relocating it to the surrounding area, in order to create a vast leisure area.
The undertaking, awarded to Decoverdi for around 475 thousand eurosIt should be ready in four months. At that point, Praça do Brasil will be presented as a modern area, without parking, totally dedicated to the enjoyment of the population. It will have three green areas, an inclusive playground e a large pedestrian areaIt will be a square that will be used both for crossing and for socializing - a square to be enjoyed both by residents and by those who use the train and bus stations. The green structure will be reinforced with more than two dozen trees and nearly two thousand shrubs.
Praça do Brasil will no longer have a parking lot, which was its main function in recent decades, and vehicles will be transferred to Praceta Quinta do Tavares, where the first phase of the work is taking place. This square, located at the back of the buildings on the north side of Praça do Brasil, will now be practically entirely dedicated to car parking, with 112 spaces - 58 more than at present - for the exclusive and free use of residents (with a permit requested from the Town Hall). The square will lose its current playground, as well as its other leisure and recreational functions, as these will be transferred to the entrance to the city.
The familiar character and the humanizing aspect of the public space in the new Praça do Brasil, which aims to become a space for daily use, are accentuated by the creation of three green spaces in the shape of an "island" and a central square, which will serve as a reference meeting point at the intersection of the various crossings. Praça do Brasil will have benches, as well as tables and chairs, making it possible to play games, work occasionally, have meals and snacks, or just have a chat.
In the green areas, with underground automated irrigation, the most important existing tree species have been maintained and reinforced, while shrub species in colors that change with the seasons have been chosen to contrast with the lawns and pedestrian areas and create a public garden environment that is inviting to enjoy.
In non-grass areas, the The floor will be a non-slip mosaic in shades of gray and black, while the street furniture consists of two-meter-long benches made of light grey concrete, some of which have wooden backs. The new Praça do Brasil also includes large pedestrian crossing areas that provide links between the Avenida da República da Guiné-Bissau and Avenida dos Ciprestes.
The work in progress will also upgrade the rainwater network in the area, so that there are no problems with flooding resulting from rain, and the public lighting infrastructure.
The scope of this intervention also includes the completion of the revitalization process of the recently renovated traffic circle in Praça do Brasil, opposite the station. This will be completed with the installation of a sculpture designed by the artist Ricardo Romero, depicting a playful scene in which a child interacts with a locomotive. This representation is intended to evoke the history of the railway station that endures on this site. The sculpture will be harmoniously integrated into a garden area, benefiting from scenic lighting, consolidating the area as one of the main entrances to the city.
The redevelopment of Praça do Brasil and Praceta da Quinta do Tavares is part of a larger project. range of qualifying operations that the Setúbal City Council is promoting, with more than three dozen large-scale actions to be carried out throughout the current mandate until 2025, with an investment of more than 25 million euros. Subsequent to this work, the Setúbal City Council will upgrading Rua Olavo BilacThe traffic pattern is still being studied - for now, two-way traffic is being maintained, but alternatives with only one direction are being analyzed.
