The minor modification project of the PGO in this area of Geneto has received a favourable environmental report and is now beginning the process for its initial approval
The Urban Planning Department of the San Cristóbal de La Laguna City Council is carrying out a minor modification of the General Urban Development Plan (PGO) for the area of Calle Tamaragua in Geneto, an initiative that has received a favourable strategic environmental report and is now starting the process to select the best alternative and gain initial approval. This modification, which has already begun with an extensive participatory process, aims to adapt the urban environment to the needs of residents, with the goal of creating a neighbourhood with improved mobility, accessibility, and road safety.
The Mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, explains that “with this action, we are responding to a long-standing demand from the local residents for more pavements and parking spaces, and we reaffirm our commitment to providing a comprehensive solution to this urban environment.” In fact, both Calle Tamaragua and the streets perpendicular to it lack any continuity, which forces a two-way traffic system that, due to limited space, means that most of the road section is dedicated solely to private vehicles.
To reach this point, “the Urban Planning Department conducted an extensive participatory process, which included surveys, a walk with residents to identify specific problems and needs in the area, as well as informational sessions where the draft modification was presented and community and local stakeholders’ contributions were gathered,” highlights the Councillor for Land Management, Adolfo Cordobés.
As a result of this participatory work, Cordobés adds, “we propose models aligned with the goals of the Urban Agenda, which we will need to finalise in a definitive action and subject it to community participation. Furthermore, we will begin a series of works to ensure minimal impact from the intervention, which will include an archaeological study, an analysis of soil resources to ensure that no agro-ecologically valuable land is lost, as well as a project for the treatment and management of invasive exotic flora.”
Additionally, the councillor emphasises that “we will obtain a report from the Tenerife Insular Water Council to ensure sufficient water resources for urban supply and irrigation, the treatment of wastewater, and to prevent any impact on hydraulic infrastructures, including channels and the rainwater network.”
A single direction of traffic to create space
To achieve these goals of improving road safety and residential well-being, it is intended to continue Calle Tamaragua and limit vehicle traffic to one direction, necessitating urban transformation adjustments in this consolidated urban area and incorporating detailed planning of the adjacent lands, classified as sectorised urbanisable land not yet ordered, which had not been completed.
Of the five alternatives, the two deemed most favourable point to intervention on a surface area of 42,625 m² and a provision for open spaces of up to 41% of the total area, with an approach that seeks to reduce impact and enhance all services in the area, including open and community spaces.
To improve circulation, it is proposed to limit vehicle traffic on Calle Tamaragua to one direction, which involves intervening on the streets Andamada, Princesa Yraya, and Congelado, as well as creating a new extension road from Calle Aceviño. All of these will connect with Tamaragua through a new roadway, facilitating continuance of traffic. Different actions are also proposed to enhance the connectivity of the streets Picaman, Tahodio, Teguise, Tijarafe Tenbel, and Tamaduste, including increasing the area of open spaces.
Moreover, the various alternatives evaluated propose significant complementary actions to avoid impacts on existing buildings, as well as prioritising pedestrian traffic on those streets that do not have the capacity to connect to the urban layout or limiting them to exclusive use by residents.
Currently, the urban core of Calle Tamaragua and its surroundings is composed of a heterogeneous fabric, primarily residential, developing from about 450 linear metres of street from which seven dead-end transversal streets originate. Located at the edge of the metropolitan commercial node of the TF-2, this urban layout occupies nearly 3 hectares and has only one entrance and exit point.
