Tenerife’s Innovative Initiative to Reclaim Community Spaces Amid Tourist Pressures

A new project in Tenerife is set to address the challenges posed by increasing tourist pressures on local communities.

Revitalizing Community Connections

The Rayuela Association is spearheading an initiative titled Social Infrastructures: The People’s Palaces in the neighborhoods of San Andrés and Punta Brava. This project is designed to enhance community bonds, alleviate feelings of isolation, and mitigate emotional distress in areas significantly impacted by urban development and tourism. It has garnered support from the Government of the Canary Islands, receiving funding through the 2025 Call for Social Innovation Project Grants from the Ministry of Universities, Science, Innovation, and Culture, where it achieved a commendable second-highest rating. Additionally, it has been recognized by the General Council of Social Work as one of the top three innovative projects in the nation for 2025.

Focus on Mental Health and Community Spaces

The initiative commences with a mental health assessment in partnership with the University of La Laguna, aiming to evaluate the project’s impact on the community. A central goal of the project is to analyze how effective this model can be in areas experiencing population displacement due to tourist activities. The focus is on reclaiming vital social infrastructures, including plazas, cultural centers, and libraries, which serve as essential venues for social interaction and support networks against loneliness and vulnerability.

By revitalizing these communal spaces, the People’s Palaces project aspires to rebuild community ties, encouraging residents to share their concerns, collaborate on solutions, and improve overall well-being.

Understanding the Concept of People’s Palaces

The term People’s Palaces is rooted in sociological theory, particularly from the work of Eric Klinenberg. According to Irene Ruano, the project coordinator and a member of the Rayuela Association, Klinenberg defines social infrastructures as spaces that foster relationships of trust and mutual support. These can be found in various settings, such as parks, markets, or school entrances.

Ruano emphasizes that a library exemplifies a people’s palace, as it is accessible to everyone and encourages engagement without any fees or specific requirements for participation. These spaces are crucial for nurturing community and social cohesion.

Furthermore, the project aims to help individuals recognize that the spaces they create together can transform into powerful community hubs, fostering resilience and social resistance.

Addressing the Impact of Tourism on Local Communities

In discussing the ongoing privatization of communal areas, Ruano highlights the chaos of modern life, which often obscures awareness of these changes. She notes that the project also seeks to collectivize feelings of unease within the community.

This approach is based on the understanding that many personal challenges, often viewed as individual issues, are rooted in collective circumstances. The project addresses emotional well-being and distress, arguing that various forms of discomfort have been overly medicalized. For instance, the high consumption of medication for emotional distress in the Canary Islands is a concern, and while not dismissing its validity, the project advocates for a broader understanding of these issues.

Ruano provides an example of how daily struggles, such as long commutes and parking difficulties in tourist-heavy areas, can lead to feelings of disconnection from one’s neighborhood. She points out that many residents are forced to relocate due to tourism, leading to a significant sense of loss and longing for their original homes.

The Rayuela Association is currently working on developing tools to measure the emotional distress experienced by those displaced by tourism. They are collaborating with the Social Work Department at the University of La Laguna to create a measurable instrument that can capture this discontent. Preliminary discussions indicate a widespread sense of sadness among residents who feel they can no longer choose to live in their beloved neighborhoods.

Throughout the project, the association has encountered families with young children who, despite being compelled to move, frequently return to their former neighborhoods to maintain their connections.

Key points

• The Rayuela Association is implementing the Social Infrastructures: The People’s Palaces project in Tenerife.
• The initiative aims to strengthen community ties and combat isolation in San Andrés and Punta Brava.
• It has received funding from the Government of the Canary Islands and recognition from the General Council of Social Work.
• The project includes a mental health study in collaboration with the University of La Laguna.
• It focuses on reclaiming social infrastructures to enhance community well-being.
• The concept of People’s Palaces is based on sociological principles from Eric Klinenberg.
• The project addresses the emotional distress caused by tourism and community displacement.