SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 7 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Official College of Architects of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro (COA) is celebrating World Urbanism Day (DMU’24) through its Board of Training, Professional Affairs, and Young Architects, with the organisation of the event ‘The Next City’. This session will centre on strategies and insights for planning cities that enhance livability, while emphasising the unique conditions and traits of the islands.
The event is set to commence this Friday at 6:30 p.m. with an official welcome from the dean of the College of Architects, María Nieves Febles, alongside the member responsible for the sector, Jorge Díaz.
This year, the College of Architects of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro, seizing the opportunity of DMU’24, draws attention to the necessity of addressing the upcoming urban development in the islands not solely from the perspective of regenerating urban spaces but also by optimising the management of natural resources, in line with the urban planning policies of Urban Agendas.
According to the dean of the COA, María Nieves Febles, this subject is “critical” for the islands to adequately meet and tackle the significant challenges they are currently facing.
“The distinctive characteristics of our territory compel us to engage with these issues now, lest urban centres expand chaotically and fail to adapt to the evolving needs of citizens. Population growth, new family structures, and diverse lifestyles necessitate proactive planning that we must implement as soon as possible,” emphasises the dean in a statement.
The session, which will welcome the general public until full capacity is reached, forms part of the urban awareness initiative that the institution is actively promoting.
ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY
In this regard, Jorge Díaz, head of the Training, Professional Affairs, and Young Architects committee, highlights the “importance of engaging citizens” in the planning of the spaces they occupy.
“It is vital for the average citizen to recognise that urban planning and their relationship with this concept are crucial for living in spaces that are resilient and responsive to their needs and aspirations,” adds Díaz.
The meticulous examination of density to optimise the increasingly scarce urban space, facilitating the creation of communal spaces and green areas; the development of infrastructure resilient to climate change; and the establishment of systems that foster sustainable mobility and manage water and energy resources, are among the essential topics to be covered this Friday.
To delve into these issues, the COA will host presentations from two esteemed experts in the field, including Xavier Matilla, an architect-urban planner from ETSAB-UPC, who has dedicated his professional and academic endeavours to urban planning, with a particular emphasis on fostering healthier and more equitable territories, and Joan Roig i Durán, also an architect-urban planner from ETSAB-UPC.
