Town and city centres all over the developed world are trying to come up with ways to entice shoppers back on to their streets and away from the purpose built shopping malls. Marbella is no exception. Since the huge La Cañada shopping centre opened just north of Marbella, the city centre has been struggling to maintain its vibrancy. The traditional old town of Marbella has perhaps suffered least, with its selection of independent shops and family run restaurants managing to buck the trend. City officials recognise the need for action if they are to extend beyond just the rich, famous and glamorous spending fortunes in Marbella’s classical designer boutiques and exclusive stores. One idea being considered is to create a pedestrian only area right in the centre of Marbella. It has been proposed that 600 metres of Avenida Ricardo Soriano and Ramón y Cajal (the two main arterial streets running through the centre of the city) be closed off to traffic to produce a focal point for social and retail activities. This car-free zone would allow for a free-flowing concentration of restaurants, cafes and shops supported by green spaces and cultural activities, thus adding to Marbella’s well-established café society.

Inspired by the remarkable transition of the popular Calle Larios in Málaga city centre, the project aims to make the most of Marbella’s broad tree-lined main streets, which connect to squares and leafy roads leading down to the seaside promenade and the quaint old town, where shopkeepers already organise a monthly outdoor market complete with entertainment and readily available tapas. The popularity of such initiatives should encourage the town hall to make Marbella’s main street a real boulevard capable of becoming a destination in its own right. The town planners face the typical urban challenges in finding traffic and parking solutions on the threshold of the main thoroughfare, but should the plan succeed it will add further life and vibrancy to an already lively part of town and solidify the appeal of the town over the purpose-made shopping mall.