The Cabildo of Lanzarote will promote the application of the BIOCRIT landscape intervention guidelines through an agreement to be signed with the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote that will facilitate dialogue with businesses and local administrations for the transformation of the island's industrial areas.
This Monday morning, the president Oswaldo Betancort, the Minister of Environment and the Biosphere Reserve, Samuel Martín, and the president of the Chamber, José Valle, accompanied the architect Flora Pescador, a member of the BIOCRIT writing team, in the presentation of a computer graphic simulation of the application of these recommendations in four of the eight industrial areas, Los Mármoles, Argana, and Altavista-Tenorio, in Arrecife, and Montaña Roja, in Playa Blanca, in order to exhibit the evident aesthetic and visual improvement obtained.
The president highlighted the benefit of redirecting the urban landscape generated in recent times to the simplicity of the criteria shared in most local buildings, with the predominance of white and the absence or discretion of brand images and advertising and their strident colors. He also pointed out that "it has been the citizens of Lanzarote who have demanded greater urban planning control and tourist flows and a management more in line with the spirit and vision of César Manrique, such as the one we promote with these actions."
In his speech, Samuel Martín emphasized the adaptation of the document presented in 2016 to the new times and new realities, and announced that, once the guidelines are incorporated into the municipal ordinances, they will also be part of the future Island Planning Plan, which is in the drafting phase. "The common objective is to put an end to the disruption in shapes, strident colors and materials foreign to the typology of Lanzarote," he argued.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, José Valle, expressed his satisfaction for the possibility of collaborating in the transformation of the image of the island, which has in the ports of Los Mármoles and Playa Blanca, and the airport of Guacimeta, the tourist entry points. "These are small changes that have a great impact, as we have already seen in the industrial area of Playa Honda," he said.

The Cabildo, in white
"The island administration must set an example in the execution of the Pact for the Landscape, unanimously approved by the Council of the Biosphere Reserve." With these words, the president of the Cabildo also announced the new image of the building that houses the Cabildo of Lanzarote, with the elimination of the ocher color of its facade, which will become white in application of the BIOCRIT guidelines.
In this way, the Government of Lanzarote ratifies its support for this initiative that seeks to preserve the most traditional image of the island and mitigate the impact generated by distortions on its uniqueness.
"This image change work begins today, with the painting of the Cabildo; an action that gives continuity to others such as the agreement with the Chamber of Commerce to collaboratively address the transformation of industrial areas, the promotion of our unique landscape and our unequivocal will to recover the Lanzarote Brand that should never have been lost."
In the first months of the mandate, other public buildings have already been painted white, such as the island Library, the Agricultural Farm or the Social Welfare offices.