Santa Cruz de Tenerife Launches Rambla Tree Renewal Project with Student Participation
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has launched a project to revitalize the Rambla’s greenery by replacing damaged trees with diverse species and upgrading underground infrastructure to improve urban climate resilience.
The renewal of the trees along the lower Rambla de Santa Cruz de Tenerife reached a milestone this morning as students from CEIP Rambla de Santa Cruz joined the planting effort. According to the City Council, the initiative aims to combine urban greenery management with environmental education for local children. This project is part of a broader strategy to replace trees that were found to have irreversible structural damage, which posed a safety risk to pedestrians.
Beyond simply planting new trees, the project involves a major upgrade to the ground beneath them. The City Council has implemented several technical improvements, including expanding tree pits by 80 centimeters, installing structural cells to help roots grow, and using permeable paving. These updates, along with new oxygenation trenches and a modern irrigation system, are designed to fix long-standing issues that previously prevented the trees from thriving.
The city’s approach to managing this space has also shifted. While past efforts focused on keeping the area looking uniform, current planning prioritizes biodiversity. The city is now introducing a variety of species, such as jacarandas and ficus, alongside smaller understory plants. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez, along with officials Carlos Tarife and Purificación Dávila, are leading this effort to turn the Rambla into a more resilient ecosystem capable of handling modern climate challenges.
This project highlights the local government's growing focus on managing urban trees, which are essential for cooling cities. By combining safety, community involvement, and improved underground infrastructure, the City Council hopes to ensure that the Rambla remains a vital "green lung" for the capital.