neighbors

a hundred neighbors on the street

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In the midst of the housing crisis, with the skyrocketing prices and real estate developers warning of a serious deficit that is counted tens of thousands of housing, Madrid risks seeing how around a hundreds of neighbors of the Villa de Vallecas remain on the street. Literally. The news spread on Monday the BEING, the has confirmed The Country and it is warming up and the political debate. The reason: dozens of humble families who once obtained a social rental thanks to the Obra Social de la Caixa now see how their apartments go on the free market and, with it, the lease termination notices arrive. What is the reason? To understand it you have to go back a few years and go to the Ensanche de Vallecas, more specifically to Mazaterón and Fresno de Cantespino streets. There are two residential buildings with 220 identical apartments, homes between 40 and 45 square meters (m2) and a single room. The blocks were inaugurated in the heat of the Caixa Social Projects program and allowed quite a few families to benefit from social rents of between 400 and 600 euros, prices well below what is charged today in the free market. As a reference, according to Idealista in Madrid, the square meter costs 23 eurosso a 45 m2 apartment would require paying a rent of more than 1,000 euros per month. The real estate portal shows that the average is somewhat lower in Villa de Vallecas (€16.1/m2), but even so a quick search confirms that it is difficult to find an available house in the district for less than 800 euros per month. And it doesn’t just come with paying the rent. The advertisements They also require tenants to meet certain requirements, such as a minimum income threshold or an indefinite contract. But… What is the problem? That tenants who once obtained a social rental in those two buildings through Caixa now find themselves probably having to pack their bags and leave their homes. And they have been living there for more than a decade (in some cases almost two) and their economic situations are far from ideal. These days the press was echoing cases of tenants with a volume of income that does not reach 500 euros monthlyappear to have recognized disabilities or have children and sick in your charge. Why is that? Very simple. Basically because the apartments that they have been renting for years in exchange for affordable rents are no longer in the same hands and (most importantly) have seen their term as officially protected housing (VPO) expire, so they have entered the free market headlong. In fact the neighbors assure that in the two buildings there are apartments that already apply seasonal rentals for 1,100 euros or that have even gone on sale for 250,000 euros. There are three key dates to understand the case, according to the information that drives The Country. The first is 2022. That year the tenants claim to have noticed a first relevant change: they suddenly encountered problems when it came to extending the rents that were due when until then, says David Jiménez, one of those affected, “the Foundation had never caused difficulties.” Although that was several years ago, the neighboring communities did not notice anything strange. People were leaving, but the rest of the tenants did not know why, whether it was by choice, work or because the landlord had decided not to renew their contract. Hence some affected people now speak of “invisible evictions.” And the other dates? The second came last August, when residents began to receive letters from InmoCaixa (La Caixa’s real estate portfolio manager) informing them that their contracts would not be renewed. In other words, there will be no extensions of rents that expire The precise SER that in some cases this means that the tenants will have to leave in December. The third date that completes the chronicle and gives a global image of what happened is much more recent: October, which was when the neighbors began to receive another letter related to their homes, only in this case it was not signed by Caixa or any entity related to it. Its author was Mosaic Propcoa fund that informed them that it is now responsible for their contracts. The reason: the foundation has sold the apartments, which for the neighbors meant a bucket of cold water. What do the neighbors and La Caixa say? The first, the neighbors, speak of “speculation” and an attempt to expel them from what have been their homes for the last few years, homes to which they had access at the time by meeting certain requirements and which since then they have been paying as agreed. According to their calculations, right now there are just over a hundred (110) people who maintain their InmoCaixa contracts and, therefore, risk having to pack their bags. Among them there are several dozen who will face this scenario over the next few months, during 2026 or even in December. “I collect 480 euros in aid for people over 52 years of age and with that I pay the rent and little else. They tell me to enter the affordable housing lottery, but if I already have affordable housing, why do I have to start over from scratch? They don’t give me options, there is no real alternative,” relates in Madrid Diario Mercedes, 60 years old, 11 of which she has spent in one of the apartments in Vallecas. A spokesperson for the La Caixa Foundation explained these days to The Country that simply the nature of the apartments has changed and now they focus on other social areas. What does it say exactly? “This is a development whose VPO term had expired and, therefore, had gone to the free market. Tenants are always notified in a timely manner, complying with the conditions of the contracts that both parties have signed,” they insist from the entity, which has “redirected” its efforts in social … Read more

Madrid consumes more and generates less energy than anyone else. And their neighbors are also refusing to install solar panels.

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Between the grain fields and the family housing estates of eastern Madrid, the residents of Villalbilla and Torres de la Alameda live a battle that is repeated in many corners of Spain: that of a territory that wants clean energy, but afraid of losing his identity. In short. On the banks of the Viso, a residential and natural area closely linked to family life, a macro photovoltaic solar plant is planned of 70.8 megawatts promoted by Envatios Promotion XXIV SL, a subsidiary of the Swiss multinational Smartenergy. The project, known as “Envatios XXIV – Phase III”, would occupy about 335 hectares of agricultural and natural land, the equivalent of more than 470 soccer fields, between both municipalities. The resolution that grants the declaration of public utility was published in the Official State Gazette, a step that paves its execution. However, the approval has set off alarms in the area: Neighborhood platforms and associations have begun to mobilize to stop what they consider a threat to their environment and quality of life. The spark of conflict. The Platform for the Defense of Visibility complaint the “lack of transparency and absence of participation” in the processing of the project. They claim that Villalbilla City Council was not even formally notified during the process, a defect that could have legal consequences. The macro project, they explainwill cause possible environmental and social risks: local increase in temperature due to the reflective effect of the plates, noise pollution, loss of vegetation and risk of fires. At the information meeting held on October 7, the technicians and neighbors summarized their position in a phrase that has become the movement’s motto: “We are not against solar energy, but rather its poor location. Energy yes, but with common sense.” A wave of institutional opposition. Neighborhood rejection has found a political echo. Villalbilla Town Hall approved a motion against the project with the support of 17 councilors from different parties. The decision reflects the concern shared by residents and municipal representatives regarding the environmental and landscape impact. A few days later, the council announced that it will present an appeal to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO). It has also maintained contacts with the Government Delegation in Madrid and has requested a review of the process. On his Facebook page, the mayor, José Luis Luque Lorente, qualified the situation: “The plant is located in Torres de la Alameda. In Villalbilla no permanent facilities are implemented, only some plots will be temporarily affected as accesses during the works.” Even so, the council has joined the mobilizationarguing that any large energy infrastructure must be done with planning and consensus. ANDon the other front. The promoting company has with the favorable environmental impact declaration and that its capacity—70.8 MW—could supply the annual electricity consumption of some 90,000 homes. Some landowners have already signed rental contracts with the developer. “The project is unstoppable, and it is better to make a profit,” one of them explained to Infobae. The debate has even divided the municipalities themselves: while Villalbilla and Torres prepare legal appeals, Mejorada del Campo has chosen for negotiating with the company. This last municipality has achieved reduce plant size by 40%, establish a local employment plan and compensation of 3.8 million euros. Even within the regional administration itself there are divergences: the General Directorate of Environmental Quality of the Community of Madrid issued a favorable report, while the General Directorate of Agriculture considered it unviable for affecting woody crops and recommended finding another location. The dilemma of the landscape. The Platform for the Defense of Viso insists that the problem is not solar energy itself, but the model of massive implementation without territorial planning. As we well knowthe debate is not new. In a forum for El País, energy expert Eloy Sanz warned that “rejecting almost any renewable development is a mistake,” and that “the less renewables, the more fossil fuels.” But he also criticized the use of the term “macro” as an emotional label: “The prefix ‘macro’ is key on an emotional level, regardless of the actual size of the project.” The dilemma extends throughout Spain. The motto “Renewable yes, but not like this” has caught on in rural areas of Andalusia, Aragon and Galicia. In Jaén, neighbors and farmers oppose an installation that would involve cutting down more than 100,000 olive trees. In Galicia, the Supreme Court provisionally suspended a wind farm for failing to evaluate its cumulative impact on the territory. The conflicts share a pattern: rural communities that support the energy transition, but demand order, transparency and balance. It will have to be distributed. The point is that the case of Villalbilla and Torres de la Alameda has an additional paradox: it occurs in one of the regions that produces the least energy and consumes the most. The Community of Madrid generates only 4.8% of the energy it usesbut it concentrates 11% of national demand. Meanwhile, other areas of the country—Extremadura, Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha or Andalusia— support the thickness of electricity generation. This shows that the background is the same: an energy transition that advances at an uneven pace and with little territorial planning. As the country seeks to meet 2030 climate goals, local communities are demanding a say in how and where their environment is transformed. “We want a just transition.” That is the phrase most repeated by the residents of Viso. His message coincides with that of many citizen movements that have emerged throughout Spain: support for renewables, but with respect for the territory. Maybe the key is in what pointed out Eloy Sanz: “The dilemma is not between progress or landscape, but between doing it well or doing it badly.” Between climate urgency and fear of change, Villalbilla and Torres de la Alameda embody a question that Spain has not yet resolved: how to achieve clean energy that is also fair? Image | Unsplash Xataka | The Altri megaplant has caused an enormous social response in Galicia. And now the Government has given … Read more

The army wants to expand the military area of ​​a privileged corner of Mallorca. His neighbors have told him not so quickly

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Cap del Pinar is a postcard place from the north of the island of Mallorca. Cliffs, coves, trees and unique views of the Mediterranean. None of that has prevented that small strip of land from motivating an institutional ‘riffrafe’ between the Alcúdia City Council (21,000 residents), where the small peninsula is located, and the Ministry of Defense. The reason: Cap del Pinar is a privileged place for locals, but also an Area of ​​Interest for National Defense. The question is how compatible both uses are. What has happened? That the future of Cap del Pinara cape located north of the island of Mallorca, has caused an institutional clash between the Government and the Alcúdia Town Hallthe locality in which the spit of land is located. The reason? For the department headed by Margarita Robles, it is a space of “national interest” for defense. For the Consistory, however, it is something more: a space for “high heritage and natural value” which plays an important role in local traditions and cannot be stolen from neighbors. Where does the problem come from? To understand it you have to go back a few decades, in the early 40’swhen the Army initiated a file of forced expropriation of the lands of The Victory. Your goal, remember The Confidentialwas to install military batteries and auxiliary services in several strategic points on the Majorcan island: Cap del Pinar and Cap Gros. In 1947, the Alcúdia City Council (the town where the first one is located) accepted the transfer, although including a small print that clarified that it was granting the land temporarily and reserving certain rights. That was 79 years ago, but the area and especially its use has continued to make people talk. Why’s that? Because the presence of the Army marked the use of the environment, which began to focus on national defense. So much so that already entering the 21st century, the Alcúdia City Council and the Government came to an agreement to guarantee that residents could enjoy Cap del Pinar, although with certain conditions. As published in April 2009 Mallorca newspaper, The pact contemplated that people could visit the military base during the summer months and respecting a maximum daily quota of 50 people. Before, yes, they needed to request a special permit, which in practice deters to quite a few neighbors. The result is that locals have been able to continue enjoying the area, although with limitations. And what happens now? That the army wants to reinforce its presence in that small (and privileged) salient in the north of Mallorca. Recently the ministry communicated to the City Council that wants to declare a barracks located right on the Cape road “Area of ​​Interest for National Defense”. In other words, it wants to expand the area it already uses as a military maneuver and shooting range to 145 hectares. Although Margarita Robles’ department is still processing the Royal Decree that will allow it to expand the “area of ​​interest”, the notice has been enough to put the Balearic Council on guard, which was quick to make a move. What has he done? A few weeks ago the municipal plenary agreed to transfer to Defense a list of allegations. Basically, the City Council warns that the expansion “could condition local powers” in matters of urban planning and heritage, in addition to the use of the environment. Because if there is something that is worrying in Alcúdia, it is that its neighbors will lose access to a space of “high natural and heritage value”. “This is our main demand. We don’t want to have to ask for permits to climb,” explains the mayorFina Batlessa, a The Confidential. Why this concern? Because it is not just any area. Beyond your environmental protectionthe Cap del Pinar peninsula is a space of tradition and enjoyment for the neighbors. Very popular excursions are organized, not counting the coves (or paths to coves) that are distributed throughout the area. The big question is… If Defense decides to expand the military zone, how would that affect the use that locals make of the environment? After all, the neighbors already have experience of what happened with the land transferred in the 1940s. Hence, the City Council’s allegations clarify that one of its objectives be “maintain the hiking and hiking activity”, “guarantee access without prior authorization” and protect the popular festivals that are celebrated in Victòria. “It should not entail unjustified limitations on the rights of citizens and municipal autonomy. Alcúdia must preserve its environment and traditions,” summarizes Linares in Mallorca Diary. In its allegations the Consistory ask For example, the expansion of the military zone does not interfere with “hiking and hiking activities” nor does it represent a “reduction in the free movement of people” during the holidays. Hunters also have a license valid until 2028. What does Defense say? The issue has generated so much controversy that the Ministry of Defense has already come out to clarify that the expansion will not affect the enjoyment of the area. He has also clarified that he does not aspire to another 145 extra hectares, but that this will be the total area that he will manage after the change, including those that he has already controlled since the 1940s. To be more precise, the focus is on a 400-meter stretch of land that will leave a stretch of road and part of the surroundings under his management. Will that affect its public use? A few days ago the department of Robles guaranteed to Mallorca Diary that both hikers and hunters will be able to continue enjoying the area “without problem.” That has not prevented the debate has escalated even beyond local and regional politics, reaching Congress, where Sumar Més has registered several questions on the topic. Images | Wikipedia (Frank Vincentz) and Selvatgi (Flickr) In Xataka | Ibiza promised them happiness with its coves. Until luxury villas and beach clubs began to privatize them with hammocks

A Japanese city has had enough of its neighbors spending the day on their cell phones. So he has set a limit: two hours

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“When you get on a train in Japan, most passengers are looking at their phones. They don’t do anything else.” Speaks Masafumi Kouiki, mayor Toyoake (Japan) and probably the country’s most recognizable face in the fight against addiction to smartphonesthe sleep hygiene and life away from the screens. The reason is very simple: despite the suspicion on the part of his neighbors, Kouiki has promoted an ordinance that limits the use of cell phones and tablets to two hours a day. The measure was launched October 1 and for now it has served one of the objectives that Kouiki pursued: to move consciences and generate debate. What has happened? That October has arrived with a curious legislative novelty in Toyoakea city of almost 70,000 inhabitants in Aichi Prefecture that in practice functions as a dormitory city for Nagoya. On Wednesday the 1st, a new rule came into force that restricts the time that your neighbors can spend in front of a screen for recreational reasons: maximum two hours. 120 minutes. Not one more. The measure was announced months ago, in Augustwhen it was still a proposal, and despite the huge stir that it generated has managed to move forward: in September it received the endorsement of the municipal assembly with 12 votes in favor and seven against. What does the standard say exactly? Roughly speaking, the ordinance, 2,400 charactersestablishes a limit on the recreational use of smartphones, tablets, consoles and computers. The rule applies to Toyoake residents and sets that limit at two hours a day, not counting time spent studying or working. There is an important nuance, of course: although it is an ordinance endorsed by the municipal assembly, in reality what it offers is a guidelinenot a mandatory rule. No one will check whether the residents of Toyoake conform to that standard or not. No sanctions are foreseen either. This is just a recommendation. Is it wet paper then? At all. To begin with, because Japanese culture exerts strong social pressure to follow official guidelines. Beyond its real impact, the rule has also served to open the debate on the excessive use of screens and its influence on aspects such as sleep. In fact, the same ordinance advises that younger children stop using their devices at 9:00 p.m. and those in secondary school and those under 18 should not drive them after 10:00 p.m. The objective: guarantee your correct rest. That’s all? No. On October 1, coinciding with the entry into force of the rule, the Toyoake Government sent emails to young people and parents in the city to insist on the same message. Primary and secondary school students were in fact urged to “take care of their rest and health hours” and agree with their families how much time they would dedicate to their devices. “The main objective of the ordinance is to guarantee sufficient hours of sleep,” underlines the organism. The City Council has also carried out a survey among 250 residents registered in its monitoring system and wants to find out the real scope of the guideline: whether the use of smartphones during free time, the duration of sleep or the hours of family conversation changes. TO beginning of next yearIn fact, the authorities want to do a new survey among their students. Why have they done it? To change habits. “It’s very sad to end the day looking at your phone all the time at home,” explained a few days ago Kouki a The New York Times. “I hope citizens change their behavior.” Rather than strictly limiting the recreational use of screens to 120 minutes a day, its purpose is to invite “reflection and debate” and make people think about how much time they spend on screens and until what time they do it. In 2024, a state study revealed that, on average, younger Japanese (those in primary or secondary school) invest about five hours up to date on their mobile phones. And not only that. More than 80% of Japanese people between 15 and 24 years old consider themselves “dependent” on smartphones and 14% already show symptoms of addiction. How have people responded? Depends. Not everyone has reacted equally well to Kouki’s attempts to restrict screen use. Although it is not a mandatory rule nor are there fines for breaking it, there are those who believe that the mere existence of the ordinance means an intrusion in the lives of the people of Toyoake.”In one sentence: it’s none of your business”, claims Mariko Fujie, one of the local politicians who voted against. In his opinion, there is no “scientific evidence” to support a norm that, he warns, also does not take into account the perspective of young people. “Many of my supporters find it condescending. This ordinance is complete nonsense.” Is Toyoake a unique case? Yes. And no. The Town Hall assures that theirs is the first standard of its kind in Japan. This is also presented by media such as The Japan Times either The Mainichiwhich have highlighted its pioneering nature. Whether or not this is the case, the truth is that it is not the first attempt by a Japanese public institution to put limits on the use of screens among the population. Especially among young people. A few years ago Kagawa promoted another ordinance that aimed to restrict young people’s access to video games. Their objective: that minors do not dedicate themselves to them more than one hour daily during the week, a margin that the authorities were willing to extend to 90 minutes on holidays. In Yamato, another town, they also prohibited use mobile to pedestrians while they walk. Images | Yifei Wong (Unsplash) and Launde Morel (Unsplash) In Xataka | In Europe we have a problem: we are becoming the Japan of the 21st century

The neighbors have made the City Council demolish it

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In the English town of Dewsbury, near Leeds, a businessman from the rest sector called Amir Azam decided completely transform a plot where there was already a modest house in a neighborhood of low and quiet family homes to build a brick and cement mastodon who put all his neighbors on a war foot until a judge has taken letters in the matter: “permanently withdraw the house, including the base and the foundations.” That is, throw down a millionaire investment. Family house to CasePlón. The millionaire bought the property in 2021 for about 275,000 euros and, after requesting permission to expand the small house he had already built, finally chose to demolish it completely and build a new one instead. The problem is that, instead of a family house of a plant, such as that of the rest of the neighborhood, The millionaire lifted in his place A CASEPLÓN Three floors, with brick walls more than 16 meters long and two additional buildings in the garden. A reform that was out of hand. The result was a residential complex of exorbitant proportions that broke with the visual harmony of the neighborhood. The neighbors denounced for three years the impact on the aesthetics of the neighborhood, claiming that the dimensions of the house and its oppressive design affected the adjoining houses, which they found a brick wall in front of their windows overnight. “We have small discreet bungalows here and suddenly this huge monstrous mansion appears,” They declared Some neighbors to the British Dailymail. Azam requested in 2023 a retrospective planning permit to the City Council, when the work was already finished by the residents on a war. However, the City Council rejected its application and urban planning officials declared that the mansion had an “oppressive, opaque and dominant” impact on the rest of the houses and that it does not “integrate comprehensively” into the dead end in which it was located. Fatal outcome for the millionaire. Finally, and after three years of litigation with local and neighbors, from the urban planning inspection it was decided that the only possible solution was the total demolition of the property. “The new house has a similar surface in terms of wide to the previous housing, but as it now has a two -waters front, its general volume and mass seem much greater. As a result, it seems incongruous next to the other more modest homes in the dead end. As its depth extends much further back, it creates a large side wall extension, which further aggravates its voluminous appearance,” The decision was ratified by the Urban Planning Inspector, which concluded that the construction was incompatible with the character of the environment and caused the quality of life of the residents and gave Amir Azam six months to “permanently withdraw the house, including the base and the foundations.” Demolition and restitution costs could exceed 100,000 euros, expenses that the solo businessman must face. Asked by the British press, Azam said he did not know the resolution and avoided making public statements about the ruling. It is not an isolated case. Such and as he collected the one of Dailymailthis is not the first time that a local millionaire builds a mansion with all the permits in order and then regret it. This happened with a couple of Cambridgeshire, north of London, who claimed that he was going to build a horsepower clinic, but actually raised a mansion valued in more than 1 million pounds. Once built, a judge also ordered to demolish that it was an illegal construction that was not adjusted to what had been planned in their permits. In the United States, Mohamed Hadid, real estate entrepreneur and father of beautiful and Gigi Hadid models, started in Bel Air the work of a colossal mansion of 2,800 square meters that never obtained the necessary permits. After years of litigation, justice He ordered his demolition for breaching a long list of urban and security regulations. The demolition of the structure, half -building, finally began in 2022 after a media and judicial process Very sound. A global phenomenon that also affects Spain. In Spain there have also been similar cases. In the exclusive Cala Llap, in Andratx (Mallorca), 12 luxury homes were built that exceeded 1.3 million euros each. Such and as he collected Eldiario.esthese homes were declared illegal and finally demolished By court order, which caused many of its owners to lose their millionaire investments. In Xataka | The “Off Market” has been the great secret of the millionaires: thus they have bought and sold their mansions without a trace Image | Unspash (Darran Shen)

In Ibiza the luxury villas and ‘Beach Clubs’ have taken over the bathing areas. And the neighbors are saying enough

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Every year Ibiza receives hundreds of thousands of tourists that dream of the same: enjoy the Sun of the Mediterranean and take a dip in one of its paradisiacal coves. That has converted the sand of the Ibizan coast in the object of desire for locals and visitors, a coveted (and quoted) privilege that has long faces a serious threat: privatization covert of the beaches. A risk that materializes in the form of hammocks and sun loungers. What happened? That the summer of 2025 will perhaps go down in history by the forest firesthe Heat waves or the You alert of the hoteliers, who despite the record influx of tourists who are registering Spain perceive a fall in their turnover; But of course it won’t solve it One of the ‘hot potatoes’ of the Balearic coast: the private occupation of the sand. Eldiario.es remembered it yesterday An article in which he remembers some of the main controversies that Ibiz Beach Clubs. It is not really a problem that affects only the Pitiusa Islands. In Malaga the neighbors They have warned of the “privatization of the beach” for the expansion of several beach bars and in Menorca There have been criticism For the closure of roads, which prevents visitors (and neighbors) from practicing hiking in the area. Where does the controversy come from? Ibiza is close to 230 kilometers Costa and a good part of it are beaches and coves that, for decades, attract tourists from all over the planet. The result is that a portion of its sand, with its umbrella and sun lounger, has become (especially during the summer) into a precious good … and disputed. Residents know it. And also tourists and hoteliers. Hence it is not uncommon to find in the island press Complaints by Beach Clubs and restaurants that occupy sand with hammocks and umbrellas, hoarding more space than they allow them Your concessions. Or even news on villas and companies dedicated to the luxury holiday rental that colonize ‘the coves. In August Nou Diari He warned that the “undercover privatization” of the beaches is filling the patience of the neighbors of Ibiza and recalled that for years it is not strange to meet with auxiliary and yacht vessels that approach the coast to display hammocks that stay there in case their owners decide to use them. Sometimes it happens. Others do not simply occupy coast. Are there specific cases? Yes. In Ibiza there are at least three that have given to speak over the last months. Of all perhaps the most popular is that of Cala Molíin the municipality of Sant Josep. Fed of the ‘colonization’ of Arenal, Last month Someone withdrew the sun loungers in the cove and left a message in English attached to one of the chairs: “The beach is a public space and is not included in the house you have rented. If you want to put your hammock, come like everyone else and place it wherever you want. Eivissa free of pirates!”. In August Nou Diari public That the sun loungers, umbrellas and other Molí apparatus was installed by a company dedicated to the rental of luxury homes in the area. As needed, the business was dedicated to deploying the furniture in the morning, occupying part of the Ibizan coast, as if it were an exclusive service for its customers. eldiario.es Precise However, the hammocks actually installed operators hired by a family housed in a nearby villa. Are there more examples? Yes. Another sound case is that of Cala d´en Serrain Sant Joan. In June Amics de la Terra denounced that a business was installing more hammocks on the beach than allows its municipal concession. He denounced her accompanies her A photo in which 30 sun loungers can be seen in pairs who occupy practically the entire cove. His complaint motivated a police inspection, which, however, verified that the concessionaire was complying with the limits, at least at the time the agents came. Ibiza Diario Precise In any case that, although at the time of the inspection it was found that there were 18 hammocks, “amount that coincides with the maximum authorized according to the current concession”, in the image released by AMICs it is clearly appreciated that at the time when the photograph was taken there was almost double (30). “He has only started summer and hammocks already throw us from the beach”, regretted The environmental organization in its publication. Is it a new problem? Not quite. Nor exclusive to Ibiza. The occupation (or “privatization”) of the coasts has heating the debate For yearsboth by individuals that get up early to place their umbrellas and then leave, like business that monopolize large portions of sand. In the Balearic Islands it is usually a reason for recurring discussion. Last year the residents of Sant Agustí and Cala Major (Palmad de Mallorca) They denounced publicly That, according to their calculations, they only had 22% of the beach for their enjoyment. In Ibiza, Cala Spartin Santa Eulària, too It has generated controversy This summer for a similar reason: the appearance of private hammocks. Images | Fred Bigio (Flickr) and Amics de la Terra Eivissa (Flickr) Via | eldiario.es In Xataka | Cabo de Gata promised them happy with the tourist pull of its beaches. Until the dunes became parkings

Adif has in his hands the great “obrón” of Valencia. Now it also has a gas leak and desperate neighbors

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With two years behind him and others three years projected aheadValencia is living one of his great works in the surroundings of its central parc, next to the Joaquín Sorolla station to convert the most important mobility node in the city. It is, in words that They are read on the project website“The project of greatest urban impact in the city.” The reforms are large and very draft. Form summarya New high -speed rail access To connect Madrid-Valencia with the Mediterranean corridor, both north and south of the city. The conventional and high -speed rail lines are buried (up to 9 kilometers of tunnels are created) and will result in a new central station that maintains the exterior facade but that changes completely inside, becoming a large intermodal step of high -speed trains, conventional lines, subway and bus. There will also be space to reform the lines dedicated to merchandise transport. In numbers, Valencia hopes to recover with the work a total of 230,000 square meters, largely dedicated to green areas and to join the adjoining neighborhoods, now separated by the train tracks. It is estimated that only the rail transformation will cost 665 million eurosassuming Adif and Renfe more than 50% of the cost of it. The work is currently in one of its phases with more activity. The known as “Playa de Roads”, the enormous space used by trains that reach the station and that right now is the great border that separates both sides from the work, will begin to be buried from the excavation of a tunnel of 1.2 kilometers long. This new stage, however, has arrived with an unpleasant surprise. A gas leak and various problems Two years after the works began, the neighbors are beginning to suffer the consequences of them. Beyond the usual inconveniences of this type of projects, the alarm jumped when the Excavations Adif caused a gas leak located on Olta Street, perpendicular to the García Lorca boulevard. The leak has been “controlled” and has been because during the excavations a gas pipe has been damaged to the point that has been drilled. Adif sources have explained to the newspaper Levant that there has been no risk for people and that the emergency protocol has been activated, with immediate notice to firefighters, police and emergencies. During the day of the incident He has worked to restore the service and forced to confine a community of neighbors adjacent to the works for security. However, the gas leak is “the drop that has filled the glass”, in the words of the neighbors who They have offered their testimonies to the local newspaper. They ensure that in addition to the transfer of vehicles and the impossibility of opening sales because “the land house” is filled with activities, the inconvenience is being recurring. Those affected that the cuts of light and water are usual but that, in addition, some homes have crazy. The latter is a serious problem and Valencian works are not the first that cause cracking problems in homes as a result of excavations. In Madrid, for example, the residents of the A-5 They know the cuts of light and water well as a consequence of the underground of the road but in San Fernando de Henares, next to the capital, The neighbors have denounced years ago That the expansion works of the Metro line are cracking their homes. To the point that 73 homes have been demolished and another 600 have presented cracks and serious structural problems. Photo | Valencia Central Park In Xataka | Madrid faces a capital challenge with the underground of the A-5: living with a hell in the face of the promise of future success

“Vuls the intimacy of the neighbors”

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The Supreme Court has established a clear limit to the installation of digital peephots In households, an issue that raises many doubts among users who want to place one in their home. THE CIVIL ROOM He has backed The prohibition of an electronic peephole with a camera in a house in Madrid, arguing that “violates the intimacy of the neighbors” who live in front when the doors are very close. A conflict between neighbors. It all started in an urbanization of the Madrid neighborhood of Aluche, where two couples resided with their doors facing only a meter and a half of distance. One of them decided to install an intelligent electronic peephole that automatically detected movement and could photograph, record video and send alerts to the mobile. The intention of this was to know if they received packages while they were away, but the device was constantly activated with the movements of their neighbors. The case was coming before. The Court of First Instance has already determined that the measure did not pursue security but comfortespecially considering that the building had a janitor and there were no special risks. From the court they considered that there were less invasive alternatives, such as traditional alarm systems, to guarantee house protection in case the couple required it. Why is it relevant. This sentence feels jurisprudence on the limits of placing a digital peephole at home, a topic that usually Provide many doubts depending on the capabilities of the device itself. The Supreme It has been blunt By establishing that continuous surveillance through electronic devices constitutes a “relevant affectation of personal and family intimacy”, especially when it is activated every time the neighbors enter or leave their home. The resolution. The supreme concludes that the couple’s comfort when placing the peephole “is not proportionate to the benefit of the satisfaction of the defendants.” In this way, the magistrates are clear that the comfort that supposes for the couple to know whether or not a package does not justify that invasion of privacy through the digital peephole, especially when it points directly to the access of a house. What does it imply for the future. This resolution will serve in similar cases to have a clear reference on what can be placed or cannot be placed in the sight of the house. In this case, the sentence establishes that the installation of cameras in spaces that can capture images of neighbors require a real justification of security. So, if you want to venture to install one of these digital peephoes, it will be important know what their abilities are Specific. In Xataka | A town in Toledo has tired of the squatters. So you are offering a new service to your neighbors to put them

Jeff Bezos and his millionaire neighbors live on a luxurious artificial island to which something basic is missing: he has no sewerage

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Indian Creek It is an artificial island on the Miami coast known for its multimillionaire residents and its extraordinary privacy. That has given him the nickname Billionaire Bunker. Figures like Jeff Bezos (Jeff Bezos, in fact, bought three mansions on the island and is building its main residence), Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump and even Julio Iglesias They have bought properties in this exclusive enclave. The island is connected to the continent only by a small bridge guarded by its own police, which makes it one of the most closed and monitored communities in the United States. However, as highlighted in The local pressin this luxurious paradise where most mansions have an average of 10 bathrooms, no one has taken into account How to delete properly the waste they generate. Millionaires in a Ciénaga. By not having sewerage infrastructure given the isolated character of the enclave, Indian Creek’s homes depend on individual septic tanks, located dangerously close to Bay of Biscay. This proximity has turned the graves into a constant source of pollution. According to published The New York Timesa 2018 study already warned of the high pollution indices of these septic tanks due to the sewage leaks To the bay. These leaks not only affect Water health that surround the island, but also to marine ecosystems. Neighbor, do you have a sewer left over? Given this situation, the Indian Creek government raised a possible solution: send its wastewater to the sewerage system of the neighboring town, Surfside, located on the other side of the bridge that communicates them with the mainland. However, Surfside responded in a diplomatic but firm way. Connect to the sewerage system that have paid and maintained their neighbors has a cost: 10 million dollars. For his part, Indian Creek considered the petition as an act of “extortion” and decided to look for alternatives that would not imply paying the neighbors the 10 million dollars hitch rate. The law of the sewer. One of these alternatives is to raise a claim to the government of the state of Florida since there is a state law that would force surfesides to accept the wastewater of its military neighbors to Eliminate septic tanks. According to that law, conveniently approved in June 2025, includes a provision that prohibits municipalities from blocking or charging for certain sewerage connections. According to published he Miami Heraldthis measure would prevent localities such as Surfside to reject projects such as Indian Creek or impose connection tolls to their sewerage lines, although they directly affect their urban infrastructure. If you use our sewers you are one of ours. In response, Surfside authorities raised a legal counterpart: if an acceptable agreement was not reached, they could contemplate the possibility of annexing Indian Creek to their municipality, so that both entities share fiscal and maintenance obligations. According to surfeside leaders, the Urban growth and the environmental pressure generated by Indian Creek justifies a formal solution and a common responsibility. Both populations are communicated by a bridge, so all the traffic and services that the island of the Millionaires needs compulsively passes through the streets of Surfsis. A private pipe. Rejecting the idea of annexation to Surfside, Indian Creek has designed an independent infrastructure project that consists in building its own sewerage system. This plan includes placing an underground pipe that would pass under the streets of Surfsis along one kilometer until reaching the Bay Harbor Islands sewerage network. In this way, the waste would leave the island without formalizing a connection with the system of its immediate neighbor. Stephen J. Helfman, Indian Creek’s lawyer, assured to The New York Times that “the preliminary works and preparation works for the future sewerage line will begin next month.” Meanwhile, the mayor of Surfsis, Charles Burkett, who initially requested the 10 million dollars, was more conciliatory after knowing that the law prevents him from refusing to facilitate the construction of that new sewerage line. “We hope to work with Indian Creek to help them achieve their goals with the least possible impact for our residents,” Burkett said. In Xataka | Billionaires prepare their mansions for apocalypse: luxury bunkers have become a trend Image | Flickr (Smithsonian)

China begins to build the largest dam in the world. His neighbors fear that they use it as a “water pump”

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The Pharaonic works They are not easy. Tell them The Linethe gigantic Horizontal skyscraper that he was confident years ago and that more and more and more. China, however, does not raise your foot from the accelerator and, every little time, it surprises us with some megaestructure. Now, and after a long planning, they have announced the beginning of the construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. And neighboring countries have shouted in the sky for a reason: the possible use of water as a throwing weapon. A monster. China has the largest dam on the planet. The three throats is the largest energy plant in the worldit is so huge that GROUNDS EARTH ROTATION With a refueling, and it is estimated that it has a production capacity of 88.2 million MWH per year. Impressive, but will soon be in a second place because they are preparing an even bigger dam. A set of dams, rather. Located on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Lto new biggest in the world It will have the capacity to generate 300 million MWH per year, you can cover the energy needs of 300 million people each year and “only” will cost 130,000 million euros. That impressive capacity will be possible thanks both to your turbines as to the use of the energy generated by the two -kilometer unevenness presented by the river in certain areas and a construction with five cascade dams. “The project of the century”. The area is one of the richest in hydroelectric resources in the world, and the idea is to drill between four and six tunnels of 20 kilometers in length through a mountain to divert half of the river flow to achieve 2,000 m³ per second and take advantage of all that force. It will not be a simple operation due to the conditions of the area and at the cost of the project, and that is what has led to China’s prime minister to qualify it as “the project of the century”. As we read in The GuardianLi Qiang made the statements during a ceremony in the region to commemorate the beginning of a construction that was announced in 2020 and has Aroused numerous criticisms. Out of China, yes. Risks. First, for natural reasons. Is found in the Tibet area And it is one of the most regions seismically active of the planet. It is where the Indian and Eurasian plates contact and where numerous earthquakes are given every year, some with important magnitudes. In fact, a recent earthquake already damaged five hydroelectric dams in the area, and the weight of accumulated water itself is another factor that can trigger earthquakes, As has happened. On the other hand, human reasons. Apart from the consequences that an earthquake of that magnitude can have for the local population, it is not the first time that displaces a population to build a dam. These population movements is something that fear Tibetan groups that claim to have no visibility on the plans of the Chinese government. And, when they have complained about other hydroelectric projects in Tibet, they have been repressed by the authorities. The area could not be more geologically complicated. Either at the geopolitical level And geopolitics. India and Bangladés too They look at the dam With the arched eyebrow. He Brahmaputra It is essential for agriculture and access to drinking water of millions of people along the river and fear that dams seriously alter their flow. It is something that would directly affect the agriculture and food security of these people and already They drop That the project is a strategic tool from China to exert pressure on neighboring countries, by being able to control or modify water flow at will. Neeraj Singh Manhas is the special advisor for South Asia in the Parley Policy initiative (organization that seeks to solve conflicts through diplomacy) and in statements to BBCHe commented that “China can always use water as a weapon, blocking or diverting it.” Even if they do not do it on purpose, it would not be the first time that a accidentlike him collapse In cascade of the Banqiao dam and another 61 dams in 1975, an event that caused 85,000 direct deaths and displaced 11 million people. “Water pump”. In addition, it is something that can go against the direct interests of India, which aims to build a hydroelectric dam on the Sang River (one of those feeding on the Tsangpo). Apart from the fact that the flow of the river can affect the energy interests of India, there are voices that warn about the possible use of China as a “water pump.” PEMA KHANDU, Minister of Arunachal Pradesh -a state of the Republic of India -, commented In a recent interview that the dam “can cause an existential threat to our tribes and a half visa. It is quite serious because China could use this as a ‘water pump’. Suppose that, suddenly, they release water: all our Siang belt would be destroyed, finished with tribes that would see how all its properties would be destroyed”. Nothing to worry about. From the Chinese government have always been rejected Those criticisms, ensuring that they do not seek “water hegemony” or intend to get benefits at the expense of their neighbors. On the other hand, it is alleged not only that the project will generate employment in the region, but will cover the energy needs and encourage something that China is advancing by leaps and bounds: he Renewable sector. In addition, the Prime Minister said that these concerns about ecological conservation have been taken into account when planning the project to “avoid environmental damage.” We will see what it is, but it is evident that the dam will be built and the intention is that it is operational in record time: by 2030. Images | Yogho, Guganij In Xataka | China is moving whole buildings at the same time to build underneath. Because? Because it can

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