El Gobierno de Canarias y La Laguna impulsan Plan de Iluminación del Conjunto Histórico

The Ministry of Universities, Science, and Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands and the City Council of La Laguna have today presented two shared initiatives to continue advancing in the improvement of the historic city, actions that seek to contribute to the challenge that the locality has set itself to ensure that the contemporary and future needs of the residents in the historic city are compatible with the protection and preservation of the exceptional universal value that has earned it its declaration as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

As a result of this collaboration, the Ministry has granted the City Council two grants, totaling 1.4 million euros, to finance the drafting and first phase of the Lighting Master Plan for the ensemble and its buildings and monuments, as well as the events commemorating the 25th anniversary of its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez; the Minister of Universities, Science, and Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Migdalia Machín; the Councilor for Cultural Heritage of the locality, Adolfo Cordobés, and the Director General of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands government, Miguel Ángel Clavijo, have today explained all the details of this collaboration.

The Mayor thanked the Minister for her «commitment to the protection and dissemination of the heritage values of the historic city,» the only one in the Islands that has received this recognition from UNESCO, and highlighted that «this generous contribution will allow us to promote fundamental aspects of a new roadmap, the result of the analysis of these 25 years of experience and which will be agreed upon with the entire citizenship.»

In this sense, Gutiérrez recalled that «we are working on the tender for the first Management Plan of the Historic City, which will be developed through different master plans, such as this Lighting Plan, and the update of the Special Protection Plan for the ensemble, all to reconcile the needs of a modern city with the protection of heritage, avoiding gentrification, solving identified risks, and preserving its Exceptional Universal Value to pass it on to future generations.»

«This executive planning instrument for street, commercial, ornamental, and ephemeral lighting in the city, which will have a projection of a decade, presents an extremely relevant value for the municipality, promoting not only aesthetically important issues accredited for local economic activity, but also allowing us to ensure the safety of the facilities,» added the councilor.

Migdalia Machín valued that the project presented by the City Council for the drafting of the lighting project and its execution in the municipality integrates, coherently, within the framework of actions planned in the investment program linked to the rehabilitation of historic urban spaces and their dissemination and public knowledge.

Environmental sustainability

«The initiative has a high value, combining heritage conservation with environmental sustainability and the dissemination of historical heritage, emphasizing the subtle lighting of monuments, maintaining their historical and cultural character, and establishing guidelines for commercial lighting that avoid intrusive elements,» highlighted the Minister of Culture.

Likewise, Machín explained that the lighting adaptation of the cultural heritage of La Laguna, with a unified aesthetic, «will result in an increase in local economic activity, and will also contribute to the well-being of residents and the promotion and aesthetic improvement of Canarian cultural heritage.»

As established by the project for which this 400,000 euro grant has been awarded, the lighting plan responds to a priority public interest, preserving the historical and visual integrity of the city in compliance with the regulations for the protection of cultural heritage, promoting appropriate and respectful use of nocturnal space.

Furthermore, the project aligns with the light pollution control protocols established by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), of high scientific and cultural value, ensuring that any intervention in urban and commercial lighting in La Laguna does not interfere with the natural environment. It also fulfills the function of dissemination and awareness-raising about heritage, offering a unified and respectful visual experience that enhances the historical value and improves its cultural accessibility for residents and visitors.

While one of its objectives includes the implementation of actions for the gradual enhancement of heritage and emblematic buildings, the selection for the first phase will be the result of contributions made by citizens and various sectors of the locality during its drafting.

In fact, the municipality’s goal is for this document and all the plans that will be drafted this year to be the result of broad participation, so work is already underway to identify all operators present in the city. The aim is for all needs, experiences, and knowledge to be taken into account during drafting, but also to ensure that the population is involved in the long-term conservation and promotion of respect for heritage.

The municipality is already preparing the tender for the drafting of the Plan, and the implementation of the actions foreseen and included in the final document will correspond to various areas of the City Council.

25th anniversary events

Another aspect addressed by the Mayor and the Minister was the one million euro grant awarded by the Government of the Canary Islands, which will finance all the commemorative events of the 25th anniversary of La Laguna’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in the coming months.

This action is part of the promotion and dissemination of the cultural heritage of the Canary Islands, recognizing the exceptional universal value of the city of La Laguna and ensuring its cultural, educational, and touristic projection at the regional, national, and international levels.

These activities, included in the planning of the City Council of La Laguna, encompass cultural events, exhibitions, publications, educational programs, and other initiatives aimed at promoting the heritage value and raising public awareness about the historical assets of the municipality.

In this context, the grant allocated to the City Council of La Laguna allows financing a wide variety of activities related to the anniversary celebration. The planned dissemination actions and production of audiovisual materials contribute to projecting internationally the image of La Laguna as a cultural destination of reference, increasing its visibility and attracting quality tourism.

These actions consolidate its position as a benchmark in the management of world heritage and promote economic and social sustainability by strengthening the cultural and tourism sector.