In 1999, Madrid’s regional government closed down the former waste-treatment centre at Valdemingómez after the landfill site reached its capacity limit. Subsequently, it organised a tender for the regeneration and transformation of this large degraded area into forested public park whose botanic garden could shelter plant species native to the Community of Madrid. The project brings together four basic actions: sealing the surface of the landfill site, extracting the biogas accumulated within it for use in generating electricity, while transforming the surface of the landfill site into a public park of enormous biological value. Next to the park is the Environmental Technology Centre. This is a new public educational and cultural facility, situated in a strategic position for the development of the city. All of this was made possible by simply regenerating and transforming a heavily-damaged area.