About to turn one hundred years old, the Parque Grande José Antonio Labordeta in Zaragoza is no longer open to the public. The main green area of the city will require a ticket since, from this Friday until January 7, a Christmas light and sound show, called Luzir, has been installed. It is opposed by environmental associations and municipal opposition parties, who accuse the mayor, Natalia Chueca (PP), of having awarded the private management “by hand.” The proposal aims to charge adults 15 euros – €9.5 for children – to tour the venue for three-quarters of an hour watching the performance of different classic stories.
Over more than 600 meters, the recreation of the stories occupies more than 20,000 square meters – two hectares -, where more than 400,000 LEDs, 600 luminaires, 4 projectors, 18 km of cable, 11 porticos, 10 main sculptures will be installed. and 135 figures. The organizations Friends of the Earth Aragón, ANSAR and Ecologistas en Acción Zaragoza question this light show due to the environmental impact of the nighttime lighting of various spaces within the park and due to human presence.
According to the associations, the event goes against the urban renaturation criteria that the City Council intends. In order to avoid this, they have collected, for the moment, 2,075 signatures against this installation by the company Zusup, which is also in charge of managing the Zity Space. However, as reported in El Periódico de Aragón, on this occasion the contract for the management of the Parque Grande facilities, which is a public space, has not been put out to tender.
Opposition parties have criticized this facility, questioning the management and impact of this show. PSOE councilor Eva Cerdán has said that this show “is inaccessible for many families due to its high prices. And a family with two children is going to pay 50 euros, what popular prices, yes sir.” Julio Calvo, from Vox, has said that “it is a clear example of favoritism towards a private company, while other neighborhoods, such as Valdefierro, have been denied similar events for unclear reasons.”
From Zaragoza en Común (ZeC), Elena Tomás has expressed her concern, like environmental associations, about the environmental impact of Luzir: “The park is a vital ecosystem for the city.” He has said that they have not had access to the technical reports on this facility and has accused the City Council of granting this space for a private event “without a tender and by hand: “Do not continue making these policies, look for another place to be the scene of your shows hitchhiking, but it’s not the city’s Parque Grande. It’s enough that they have turned it into Mr. Forcen’s Amusement Park to sell their pasta dishes there,” said Tomás, referring to the new kiosks.
Sara Fernández, the municipal Minister of Culture, has assured that “all the necessary technical reports have been carried out and endorse the viability of Luzir in the park” and has called on critical voices to go to court.
Impact on birds
The associations are assessing the impact on the birds, the trees and the BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest) elements of the park and have asked the City Council for reports on the specific measures taken to avoid the impact on the birds of the lights, sounds and noises derived from the spectacle and human presence, with explicit reference to scientific and technical reports that ensure that there will be no negative impact. They remember that a similar Christmas show called Natura Encesa in the Torre Girona gardens in Barcelona has been suspended due to the light and acoustic impact.
The Luzir intervention “will alter the natural dynamics of the park both due to the lighting and the presence of people at night. Various wild species, especially birds, will see their usual environment significantly altered at night both by lighting and by the human presence with voices and screams plus the noises derived from the spectacle,” the three associations state in a press release.
They also explain that the winter period is “critical” for birds due to the reduction in daylight hours, which in turn reduces the period of searching for food that allows them to generate the energy necessary to overcome the long hours without light and the low temperatures. They explain that “the discomfort to these animals forces them to consume more energy due to the stress caused by nocturnal activities or to move to suboptimal places with the consequent energy expenditure and less safety. This has direct consequences on natural winter mortality, which will increase. The Luzir show, furthermore, is not a one-time event but rather the interferences will be cumulative over several weeks.”
Lastly, the Asians also criticize the “commodification” of a natural and public space: “This is not the first time that a public space has been given away. Let’s remember the restaurants that have opened in the park and that, in the case of the Luzir event, will be paid for by attendees.”
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