The Biosphere Reserve office has forwarded to the College of Architects of Lanzarote the conclusions of the participatory process of the Cabo Pedro park, in Arrecife, carried out in collaboration with the company URBANFIX in order to know the neighborhood interests and define the possible uses of that piece of public land. With the document in its possession, the professional entity will now have a period of six months to design the specifications for the ideas competition for the urban intervention in the La Vega plot.
The call promoted by the Cabildo of Lanzarote had a remarkable reception, with the favorable response of more than fifty people, who conveyed their opinions through online questionnaires and attendance at face-to-face sessions. Those who attended the meetings contributed ideas focused on improving the quality of life of the neighborhood and providing the park with elements that enhance coexistence and intergenerational use of the space.
The visit to the site and the subsequent conversation revealed a clear divergence between the current destinations of the area, exclusively for parking and dog walking, and the vision proposed for the future. The neighborhood contribution proposes the complementary uses of parking and green space that improve the habitability of the neighborhood.
The urban development must, therefore, establish a regulated parking area and another for a public park, which acts as a lung for the city.
The proposals include specific actions to qualify travel, such as the pedestrianization of surrounding streets, inclusion of parking for bicycles and improvement of access to public transport.
Involving the family
In addition, the specifications of the ideas competition must assess the incorporation of shaded areas, spaces for outdoor sports and the possibility of promoting the use of the nearby mareta and quarry. There was agreement in highlighting the restoration of the Cabo Pedro mill to recover its historical value and turn it into a neighborhood reference, the creation of a multifunctional park, with play areas for children, wooded areas and spaces for outdoor events such as cinema or sports activities. The importance of maintaining the safety of the park with good lighting and perimeter fences was also raised, to ensure its safe and sustainable use over time.
According to the Councilor of the Biosphere Reserve, Samuel Martín, "the participatory process has highlighted the importance of involving citizens in urban planning decisions, to achieve actions that respect both environmental values and the needs of the community. The Cabo Pedro Park is emerging as a space that will integrate sustainable mobility and habitability, strengthening the social fabric and improving the quality of life of the residents of La Vega."
The conclusions document ends with the recommendations to maintain the city scale in which the Cabo Pedro Park initiative is framed and to attend to the relevance of the "Water Paths" initiative; present the initiative and return of the participatory process to the technicians of the local Government, and contemplate participation milestones in the bases of the contest such as establishing an information point and promoting designs that allow a staggered urbanization of the space.
