The City Council of La Rinconada has presented its urban regeneration strategy 'Culture that Provides Shade' at the GreenCities Forum in Málaga, aiming to mobilise around 10 million euros for climate adaptation, renaturalisation, and sustainable mobility.
La Rinconada has brought its city model to one of the main national showcases for urban innovation. The City Council participated in the GreenCities Forum: Urban Intelligence & Smart Mobility, held in Málaga, where it presented a strategy that intersects climate change adaptation with culture, public spaces, and sustainable mobility.
The delegate for Urban Agenda, Raquel Vega, was responsible for defending the project before a specialised audience. Under the slogan 'Culture that Provides Shade', the municipality presented a plan that integrates urban planning, cycling networks, cultural programming in parks, climate shelters, and the improvement of educational centres.
The economic objective is ambitious: to mobilise around 10 million euros for heat mitigation actions, climate adaptation, urban regeneration, renaturalisation, renewable energies, and energy efficiency.
"From the local government, we are preparing new projects to combat heat and strengthen green infrastructure," Vega announced during her speech.
The councillor emphasised that the green transition should not be a siloed initiative but a cross-cutting policy that reaches the daily lives of residents. In her opinion, infrastructures "reach their greatest value" when they are incorporated into the life of the city.
"A green space that embraces culture, coexistence, and participation becomes a social and climate infrastructure," the councillor highlighted.
One of the pillars of this roadmap is the so-called 'Shade Plan', which includes the improvement of patios and outdoor spaces of educational centres to protect the school community during the hottest months.
The so-called "cultural green backbone" is another distinctive element that La Rinconada showcased in Málaga. For example, the Book Fair takes place in the Dehesa Boyal park as part of the 'Station of Letters' programme, a project recognised with the National Award for the Promotion of Reading and a central piece of the municipality's candidacy for UNESCO Creative City.
Other green spaces host activities throughout the year. The La Jira park becomes a contemporary dance venue with the 'Footprints' cycle, while Las Graveras and The Embrace serve as musical meeting points and summer programming venues. According to municipal data, over 10,000 people have participated in summer cultural activities.
The strategy also relies on already constructed infrastructures funded by Feder-Edusi, such as The Embrace, which the City Council frames within the "green transition and urban improvement." In parallel, the local government is working to strengthen the role of libraries as cultural climate shelters.
Another planned action is the opening of the patio of the IES Miguel de Mañara as a public park. This measure aims to expand green infrastructure, share facilities with neighbourhoods, and create new areas for shade, play, and intergenerational coexistence.
The municipality, with 40,724 inhabitants, has a network of over 48 kilometres of cycling lanes, which equates to more than 1.17 metres of cycling infrastructure per inhabitant. The route connects urban centres with commuter train stations, microbuses, and intercity transport.
La Rinconada is also preparing to renew its Action Plan for Climate and Sustainable Energy (Paces) and its Municipal Plan against Climate Change, with a new phase of fund acquisition from Feder and the Ministry for Ecological Transition through lines such as Biodiversity Foundation, LIFE, and Innovae.
"Competing for funds is not an isolated action. It is a tool to transform the city and improve the lives of citizens. La Rinconada will continue seeking alliances and funding to respond with concrete projects to the environmental challenges of our time," Vega concluded.
Participation in GreenCities reinforces the projection of the local Urban Agenda and its commitment to a greener, connected municipality prepared for climate change.
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