What is innovative about this project?

  • Social:Promoting co-creation and co-design of the “housing neighbourhoods of tomorrow”, combining social, ecological and economic purpose.
  • Social: Aligning different interests that might promote or hamper district renovations by considering the role of mediators.

Valle de Jinámar is a neighbourhood with the largest public housing stock in the Canary Islands and one of the largest in Spain. Since the 1970s it has been experiencing increased rates of unemployment and people in vulnerable situations (social and economic). Telde City Council initiated a renovation of the neighbourhood and the residents’ life through an integrated approach, which combined building renovation and socio-educational programmes. With support across several governmental levels, and NextGenerationEU funds, Valle de Jinámar achieved positive impacts in the quality of life, the social capital in the community and to turn around the social stigmatisation of its citizens.

Local Partnership

  • Company: a total of 61 partnering companies and mostly non-for-profit organisations: social education; sport; arts; press and media; humanitarian; church; gender equality.
  • Municipality: Telde City Council
  • Housing provider: Empresa Municipal de Vivienda y Suelo del Ayuntamento del Telde (FOMENTAS)
  • Other: Spanish government; Gobierno de Canarias; Cabildo de Gran Canaria

Since 2017, Telde City Council has been promoting an integrated regeneration plan for Valle de Jinámar relying on local community organisations, the involvement of local residents and the financial contribution, and coordination, of the Canary Islands and Spanish government. The plan of Valle de Jinámar was designed with the needs of residents in mind. The aim was to put the community at the centre of the decision-making process and stimulate a sense of ownership over the management of the neighbourhood and of their own lives. Service providers, educational centres, institutions and retail also participated in a process focused on building the local community capacity as a lever for social and economic development. Associated companies carrying out the building renovation and social work provided employment opportunities to residents.

Key Facts

  • Year of construction: 1970
  • Renovation period: 2017-2027
  • Area of intervention (m²): 1,496,200 m²
  • Number of dwellings (before/after): 4,709
  • Housing typology: multi-apartment buildings
  • Housing tenure: Multi-ownership: owner-occupancy and public rental housing
  • Number of residents: 14,173
  • Shared facilities: community buildings: premises for organisations established in the neighbourhood; public services: nursery, children’s social centre, indoor sports centre, open-air sports centre, secondary school. Retail: pharmacies, shops, supermarket.

Financial information

  • Funding sources: Spanish government; Telde City Council; Gobierno de Canarias; Cabildo de Gran Canaria; NextGenerationEU; residents
  • Total cost of renovation (€): 83,272,064 € (6,598,557 € delivered)
  • Subsidies received (€):
    • 2.5% residents
    • 15% Telde City Council
    • 20% Cabildo de Gran Canaria
    • 20% Spanish government
    • 20% European Union
    • 25% Gobierno de Canarias
  • Rent before and after renovation (€/month): N/A
  • Energy bill (€/month): N/A

Context

The Canary Islands is the region with the highest number of vulnerable people in Spain (FOESSA report 20188). Valle de Jinámar in Gran Canaria hosts one of these highest concentrations, where they account for more than 20% of the total population. Jinámar is a neighbourhood located between the municipalities of Telde and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. It is divided between Jinámar historic centre, and Valle de Jinámar within the wider area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Valle de Jinámar is characterised by children and young people at risk, a high percentage of low-skilled professionals, high unemployment rates, high poverty and exclusion rates (46.28% of families: 32% men and 68% women), and social stigmatisation.

The population living in the Valley since the 1970s had limited economic resources and were accommodated in public housing. This was later privatised which made the tenants the owners of the property. Over time, it became clear that access to housing alone was not enough to address the main challenges and difficulties of the area.

Goals

  • Improve the living conditions of the community through building renovation and regeneration of public space.
  • Stimulate and motivate learning habits through after-school and socio-educational activity programmes for children and teenagers.
  • Promote healthy lifestyles, with addiction prevention programmes for young people and teenagers.
  • Foster healthy family values to protect residents from abusive behaviour.
  • Train the local residents to improve employment opportunities through literacy workshops and pre-employment training for adults.

Interventions

  • Renovation of 1,702 homes (mainly external), another 434 are under renovation and, 2,573 homes remain to be rehabilitated.
  • Refurbishment of the community and sports centres (Centro Integral de la Infancia, “El Invernadero”, Pabellón Juan Carlos Hernández, La Gerencia, el Ram, la Cancha del Dorado, etc.).
  • Co-design of a mobility plan with residents and concerned local shops aimed to increase healthy travel habits, including street pedestrianisation and cycling paths roll out.
  • Creation of two community gardens.
  • Institutionalisation of partnerships with 61 companies and not-for-profit local organisations.
  • Rolling out 135 socio-educational and employment projects for all age groups.
  • Organisation of workshops with collaborating entities and representatives of apartment associations
  • Conduction of satisfaction surveys with residents to obtain their feedback, which provided insights to be used in future renovation projects.
  • Establishment of an “Information Point” in the neighbourhood where local technicians can support and accompany the community and quickly address concerns.

Impact

  •  Increased level of citizen participation in socio-educational activities. An essential step towards decoupling vulnerable residents and criminal activities, substance abuse and toxic family environments.
  • Increased social protection for children and teenagers which is a factor in reverting misconduct and achieving higher levels of integration and sense of belonging to the wider community.
  •  Over 100 residents were temporarily employed and received training associated with the technical and social interventions of the project such as improving public space and the sports programme.
  • Satisfaction surveys conducted before and after the intervention showed that conflicts between neighbours were considerably reduced and community living has greatly improved thanks to the living conditions upgrade.

Advice to future “Lighthouse Districts”

  • Develop an integrated approach, i.e., combination of retrofitting with social actions to achieve a broader aim of reversing deep-seated vulnerable situations in the neighbourhood.
  • Involve different public administrations and financing bodies closely.
  • Involve the community in decisions related to renovation of their homes. Mediation skills are useful to avoid or mitigate potential conflict escalation.
  • Use appropriate communication methods to the different social (age) groups, as not everybody will be comfortable with ICT-based tools.
  • Include job market related actions. This can help establish trust within the residents.