The downtown area of our capital and Arrecife in general is at an important moment of change, as the renovation work on the avenue highlights the need for our city to adapt to the new reality, which can be none other than building a sustainable capital, in accordance with the urban concepts of the 21st century.
Now that the almost eternal works are finished, it is time to ask ourselves, what now, how is everything going to be organized? Well, all interests are legitimate and should, as far as possible, be taken into account. But let's go step by step. Regarding traffic, it should be noted that almost all cities that have a beautiful marina, and Arrecife's is beautiful, have that area pedestrianized or almost (public transport, residents and services), in this way the best part of the seafront is for the full enjoyment of citizens, which represents an asset for the town. Indiscriminate road traffic in both directions is impossible, as the road is very narrow and clashes head-on with the most elementary concept of sustainability. Nor do I see the circulation in one direction as recommendable, I think the city is for people, not for cars. We must banish concepts from the last century, which today no longer have a place, such as walking along the avenue "by car" or parking at the door of the store where we plan to buy.
Traffic on the avenue is part of a broader concept, which is mobility in the center of Arrecife, which involves good planning of the flow of vehicles and an awareness of residents and visitors to move around the downtown area on foot, which in many cities is already practically pedestrianized. The parking problem is present and it is the public authorities who have to solve it.
Regarding commerce, the pedestrian promenade that comes from the port of Los Mármoles will presumably bring many tourists to the center, which will possibly revive this activity. The merchants of the downtown area must realize that it is no longer like before, that their supremacy was indisputable. Now there is strong competition from external areas and they must reinvent themselves to be able to compete. Try, for example, to attract tourists at the cruise ship dock or other attraction activities on days with greater sales possibilities. At this point, institutional collaboration becomes essential.
A specifically affected group is the residents of both the avenue and nearby streets, as they will enjoy or suffer directly from the new arrangement. But in addition, almost all the parking spaces in the area have been eliminated (those located in front of the Government Delegation, in front of the Parador and Parque Ramírez Cerdá, those of the Warehouse have been reduced...). There are many homes in this area that do not have a garage, a situation that is now aggravated by this remodeling. Not a single word has been said about the bleeding situation in which these residents are placed. In all the cities where similar renovations have been carried out, parking alternatives are given to this group, and in this case the most obvious is to offer parking with a discount for being a resident of the area, in the municipal parking lot of the Canary Islands, where the City Council has a stake. Those directly affected cannot be left completely out of the game and at the feet of the horses of private initiative.
And I end by talking about cars. One of the maxims of sustainable urban development is pedestrianization, but this entails parking. This reality must be foreseen, providing this service at the entrance of pedestrianized areas at affordable prices that make its use appealing. All the cities that try to project themselves into the 21st century have already implemented this model.
*Eduardo Núñez González, resident of Arrecife.
