ULL Hosts "Cities of the Future" Conference on Culture, Innovation
The University of La Laguna will host "Cities of the Future: Innovation, Culture and Heritage for a New Urbanity" on October 30-31, exploring how culture, ideas, and community action can shape sustainable urban futures.
On October 30 and 31, the University of La Laguna will host a conference bringing together culture, ideas, and action to envision the future of our communities. The event, called "Cities of the Future: Innovation, Culture and Heritage for a New Urbanity," encourages participants to think beyond today and explore how art, public involvement, and cultural leadership can change communities from the inside out.
This conference is organized by the ULL-FECAM Cultural Chair of Cultural Management and Policies, with help from the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities (FECAM). It aims to create a space for universities, the public, and cultural experts to talk and share stories, showing how culture is deeply connected to our land, sustainability, and future.
The event starts on Thursday, October 30, with a key talk titled "Challenges and Strategies of the Local Cultural Ecosystem." Félix Manito, a historian and president of the Kreanta Foundation, will discuss the difficulties culture faces in local areas. Later that day, several community-led projects will be showcased, including the La Gomera Choreographic Center, Mi Pueblo Lee, Lava Circular, La Pinochera, Canarias Dance Festival Inside and Out, and Talleres Palermo. These examples highlight how local initiatives can strengthen community ties, identity, and social unity.
On Friday, October 31, discussions will center on cultural networks and long-term sustainability. Organizations like the César Manrique Foundation, Letras Verdes, and Merkarte will share their experiences, focusing on how culture, the environment, and public involvement are connected. The conference will conclude with a presentation by Àngel Mestres, general director of Trànsit Projectes, titled "325 to 311, Welcome to the Dark Forest: Internet and Culture." This talk will encourage attendees to think about the digital future through the lens of culture and creativity.
Admission to the conference is free, on a first-come, first-served basis. It will take place in the Audiovisual Room of Philology at the Faculty of Humanities (Guajara Campus, ULL). Everyone is welcome, including cultural professionals, managers, artists, students, urban planners, and anyone interested in how heritage, new ideas, and local areas are linked.
More than just an academic event, "Cities of the Future" is designed as a collaborative experience – a place for new ideas. Here, culture is seen as a way to create communities that are more human, sustainable, and deeply connected to who they are.