The Plenary Hall of the Cabildo de Lanzarote hosted this Monday the official presentation of the Aesthetic Ordinances (OE) of the municipality of Arrecife, a key document within the framework of the General Planning Plan that seeks to reinforce the visual, architectural and landscape coherence of the island's capital.
The document, prepared by the architects Vicente Mirallave, Flora Pescador and Jin Taira, establishes clear guidelines on color, materials, advertising, gardening, and street furniture. It recovers white as a reference color, prohibits unauthorized advertising in public spaces, and promotes the use of native plant species as part of a strategy against climate change. It also proposes the creation of green networks, pocket parks, and climate shelters in the most needed neighborhoods.
In addition, the OE are aligned with the values of the Lanzarote Brand, promoting a sustainable, sober, and urban model with identity. Faced with the disordered growth of the past, these rules are committed to an aesthetic linked to the landscape, traditional architecture, and well-integrated contemporary solutions.
The president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, who chaired the press conference, stressed that Arrecife is Lanzarote's cover letter and stressed that "these ordinances allow us to dignify its urban image, adapting it to the values of the island and returning the prominence to a modern capital, representative and coherent with its environment."
Alongside him, the Councilor of the Biosphere Reserve, Samuel Martín, valued the effort made in this document, noting that the new OE are aligned with the principles of the BIOCRIT program and the values that support the declaration of Lanzarote as a Biosphere Reserve. "They are a key tool to order our urban territory with ecological, social and aesthetic sensitivity," he said.
For his part, the Deputy Mayor of Arrecife and municipal representative in the Council of the Biosphere Reserve, Echedey Eugenio, celebrated that for the first time specific aesthetic criteria are incorporated for all areas of the municipality, from the historic center to the industrial areas, passing through residential neighborhoods such as Altavista, Titerroy or Argana. "This allows for a comprehensive, respectful and egalitarian transformation, which represents a historic step in the comprehensive revaluation of Arrecife," he said.
Finally, the Councilor for Urban Planning of Arrecife, Maciot Cabrera, stressed the practical importance of the document: "This is the first step to 'Lanzarotize' Arrecife. The OE not only establish criteria for facades or street furniture, but also allow to speed up licenses and provide security to technicians, architects and developers. It is a useful, rigorous and thoughtful regulation to improve the quality of life of our neighbors."
Thus, these ordinances respond to realities such as chromatic disorder, untreated party walls, advertising saturation or lack of vegetation in public spaces and are committed to coherent facades, shaded spaces and a friendly environment for pedestrians.
The OE are now submitted for initial approval by the Municipal Plenary and will open a period of public display of at least 30 days, as established by Law 4/2017 on Land and Protected Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands.
