La Laguna Named 'Accessible City' in AI-Driven Social Technology Awards

San Cristóbal de La Laguna has been named an "Accessible City" in the second annual Social Technology Awards, hosted by the Social Technology Foundation (Funteso). This recognition, announced on November 10 in Torrelodones, is particularly significant because of how the winner was chosen. Unlike traditional awards, the city did not apply; instead, the foundation used Artificial Intelligence to analyze the municipality’s digital footprint and public services.

By using data processing and semantic reasoning, the AI evaluated the city’s performance, ranking La Laguna ahead of finalists like Pontevedra and Vitoria-Gasteiz. The award highlights a management approach that goes beyond simply removing physical barriers, focusing instead on making digital infrastructure and government services accessible to everyone. Mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez noted that the award validates the city’s efforts to coordinate technical and political work, ensuring that administrative processes are inclusive for all citizens, regardless of their digital skills.

The true value of this award is its objectivity. By using technology to audit public information about universal design and service accessibility, the Social Technology Foundation has removed human bias from the evaluation process. For La Laguna, this latest honor serves as an independent, algorithmic confirmation that its urban environment and digital systems are successfully serving as a model for comprehensive inclusion.