Bilbao: From "smoky city" to green urban icon

Once known as a prime example of pollution and post-industrial degradation, Bilbao – the largest city in the Basque Country (Spain) – has undergone what is considered a model transformation over the past three decades.

Hà Nội Mới•16/05/2025

With the systematic involvement of the government and a vision for sustainable development, Bilbao has become a livable "green city," an inspiring model for post-industrial cities around the world .

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is a symbol of urban regeneration and is considered the center of the “Bilbao Effect”.

A time of crisis and pollution.

Situated on the Nervión River and surrounded by the Basque Mountains, Bilbao was the industrial heart of Spain for over a century. From the late 19th century to the latter half of the 20th century, it was a center of shipbuilding, steelmaking, and coal mining. The city thrived thanks to its strategic port location near the Cantabrian Sea, but this prosperity came at a heavy price: environmental pollution, urban degradation, and an economy almost entirely dependent on heavy industry.

After decades of rapid growth, Bilbao fell into crisis in the 1970s and 1980s as its traditional industries entered a period of decline. The global oil crisis, competition from Asia, and the collapse of aging factories led to unemployment in the city reaching 25% by the early 1990s. The city was then shrouded in a gray haze: polluted air, canals thick with industrial sludge, and a desolate port area along the Nervión River.

The most serious event was the historic flood of 1983, which killed more than 30 people and caused estimated damage of around €1 billion (in today's value). The flood exposed weaknesses in the infrastructure and became a shock that forced Bilbao officials to reconsider their entire urban development strategy.

Innovation towards green and smart cities.

Today, Bilbao is a prime example of post-industrial urban transformation in Europe. The city has not only revived from the industrial recession but has also risen to become a center of culture, innovation, and sustainability – a fact highly regarded by numerous international organizations.

One of the pillars of this transition is the reduction of reliance on cars. According to the European Commission's 2024 Urban Transport Report, the number of motorized vehicles in Bilbao decreased by more than 1 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019, equivalent to a 13.9% reduction. At the same time, 70% of all trips within the city are now made on foot, by bicycle, or by public transport – a significant improvement from the 50% figure in 2015.

Bilbao Metro, the city's subway system, switched to operating entirely on renewable energy from 2022. In 2024, the operator partnered with Siemens to implement an energy-optimizing AI system, resulting in an additional 12% savings in electricity consumption without compromising service quality (Siemens Press, 2024).

Beyond innovation in transportation, Bilbao is also applying technology to urban management. The water company, Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia, partnered with the technology company Fractalia to implement a leak detection system using acoustic sensors and artificial intelligence, resulting in a 20% reduction in water losses across the entire network in 2023.

Notably, during the November 2023 floods, the upgraded climate early warning system, funded by the EU, accurately predicted the situation 72 hours in advance, helping to reduce economic losses by approximately 18 million euros compared to a similar flood in 2019.

From a city dependent on steelmaking, Bilbao has transformed into a hub of innovation. The Biscay Technology Park is now home to nearly 80 startups and research and development (R&D) companies, creating over 4,200 technology jobs between 2020 and 2024. The strategy of attracting high-quality talent has also proven effective, with over 2,500 digital workers from abroad having moved to the park since 2022. The major technology event, Bilbao Slush'D 2025, modeled after Finland's Slush initiative, attracts over 3,000 investors and startups from 40 countries, connecting investment capital totaling €8 billion.

Bilbao Mayor Juan Mari Aburto stated in his 2025 Policy Message: “We are proving that cities don’t have to choose between progress and identity.” Bilbao has skillfully integrated technological innovation with concrete social solutions – from electric bicycles and water sensors to attracting global intelligence. Without resorting to multi-billion dollar mega-projects, Bilbao is quietly reshaping the concept of the 21st-century “post-industrial city.”

Bilbao's urban reconstruction process has also been highly regarded internationally. The 2023 report "The Future of Cities," published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), called Bilbao "a model of sustainable transformation in medium-sized European cities." UN-Habitat, in its thematic newsletter on "Post-Industrial Cities and the Restoration of Urban Identity" (2024), stated: "Bilbao has achieved what many large cities cannot: restoring people's confidence through quality public spaces and an inclusive economy."

From a once-forgotten heavy industrial city on the banks of the Nervión River, Bilbao has risen to become a living testament to the fact that sustainable development is not just a theory. It is a viable path if the government is determined, and the people are placed at the center of all policies.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bilbao-tu-thanh-pho-khoi-bui-den-bieu-tuong-do-thi-xanh-702531.html