The Local Committee of Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC) in Arrecife presented on Tuesday afternoon its proposal Vete Por La Sombrita, a project that seeks to make the “hard squares” of the capital more habitable and climatically safe, in addition to encouraging residents to recover public spaces.
The spokesperson for the Local Committee, Sheila Guillén, explained to her colleagues in the organization the basic lines of this proposal, pointing out, first of all, that rising temperatures are exacerbating the so-called “urban heat islands” (UHI). These UHIs are areas within cities where temperatures are noticeably higher than in nearby rural or peri-urban areas. This thermal difference can exceed 5 degrees in some cases, especially at night and during episodes of extreme heat.
“The heat waves that we are suffering every summer, and the average temperature that we already have throughout the year, mean that we must adapt our public spaces to the climatic reality, ensuring the habitability of these and the safety of the residents who wish to make use of the city,” says Guillén, who has identified up to 13 “hard squares” in Arrecife that need transformation and climatic adaptation.
“Hard squares are those public spaces that are hostile to human activity, since they consist of an extensive surface of concrete or “piche”, which lack vegetation, shade areas, benches, fountains, etc. In short, infrastructures that do not invite residents to stay in them or, if they do, do not guarantee climatic safety.”
For Guillén, "Vete Por La Sombrita develops small actions that can be carried out in these 13 squares of Arrecife, improving their habitability, generating new spaces for neighborhood coexistence, reactivating neighborhoods, local businesses and reversing the city-resident relationship."
“We firmly believe that the city is for people and not for cars or large commercial areas. Our vision of the island and the city is aimed at recovering public spaces and neighborhood environments for people. We are focused on improving the quality of life of the residents of Arrecife with more health, more well-being and more happiness,” emphasizes Sheila Guillén.
To conclude, Guillén stated that this proposal does not involve large economic investments, but rather “the ability to generate projects and present them to the European Union, the Government of the Canary Islands or Spain, which today offer a multitude of financing lines for urban adaptation to climate change.” Many of these funds, she recalled, “are being returned by public administrations due to a lack of projects and initiatives.”
“Arrecife cannot be left behind in urban transformation and climate justice. We must plan today for what is already a reality, that our environments are being affected by high temperatures. Remember the heat wave a year ago when schools had to be closed for the first time,” says Sheila Guillén.