The El Veril project, that oasis of water slides and artificial waves that the Kiessling family is planning in southern Gran Canaria, is entering a phase where the risks can no longer be swept under the rug of propaganda. Analyzing the PMM's Socioeconomic Diagnosis, one understands that we are not just dealing with a theme park, but with a high-risk experiment in an area already stretched to its limits.
The Socioeconomic Information and Diagnostic Report (Draft and DIE phase, June 2025) identifies the loss of collective memory and the sense of belonging of the local community as a critical risk in the face of the transformation of El Veril. As detailed in the section on emotions and urban space (page 28), planning must be aware that citizens' perceptions are altered when space is geared exclusively towards tourism, which can lead to a disaffection of residents towards their own environment.
This risk is exacerbated by demographic pressure and gentrification as discussed in the analysis of demographic aspects (page 3), which notes that the current development model tends to displace the local population, compromising social cohesion and the diversity necessary for inclusive and sustainable urban planning.
Diagnosing the imbalance: What Gesplan cannot keep silent about
The Socioeconomic Information and Diagnosis report is, in reality, a notarized record of a crisis foretold. If one looks at the Index (page 3), it becomes clear that the concern is not only about the concrete, but also about the human fabric that is about to be torn apart.
The trap of the "Inclusive Tourist City" (page 29)
The document dedicates an entire section to this concept, but the reality it describes is that of a municipality, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, that is driving out its own residents. The risk of social segregation is extremely high. While El Veril aspires to be a "modernization hub," the report implicitly acknowledges that the current urban environment struggles with obsolescence and a lack of cohesion. How can you integrate a luxury park into an area where urban planning, as analyzed on page 26, is failing to address social diversity?
"Conscious Urbanism" versus Harsh Reality (page 28)
It's fascinating how the technical report feels compelled to address "emotions and urban space." It warns that planning must be "conscious," which is a polite way of saying the population is fed up. The risk of citizen disaffection is a ticking time bomb. If residents perceive the El Veril Metropolitan Management Plan as yet another wall separating them from the sea or their shared spaces, social conflict will be the first thing that happens at the park's inauguration.
The Gender Gap and Security (page 34)
For the first time, gender indicators are being incorporated into urban planning. The report suggests that the design of these large projects often ignores women's safety and mobility in public spaces. The risk here is creating a "leisure ghetto" that is safe on the inside but inhospitable and dark on the outside, disrupting the daily routines of women working in the sector.
This El Veril Management Plan is presented as an "improvement in competitiveness," but the socioeconomic diagnosis acts as an uncomfortable mirror. On page 155, the list of authors—ranging from economists to anthropologists—demonstrates that they have had to cover their tracks given the complexity of the monster they are creating. The question is simple: Can an artificial paradise be built on a diagnosis of social exclusion? The report says yes, provided that certain guidelines for "social cohesion" are followed, guidelines which, to date, have been conspicuously absent in southern Gran Canaria. The risk is that El Veril will be the final nail in the coffin of a balanced coexistence between tourists and residents.
