La política social en la iniciativa Urban : los proyectos Urban en Tenerife (Canarias)

The revitalization of cities is and has been one of the priorities of the regional policy of the European Union. In order to achieve this objective, urban management was given specific funding in the period 1994-2006, channelled through the so-called Urban initiative. The objective of this initiative is to reverse the decline experienced in urban spaces by using integrated actions aimed at improving the urban landscape, reinforcing its economic competitiveness and working to reduce deprivation and social exclusion. However, in practice, the results obtained in social terms are subordinated to the improvement in the physical environment and the economic investment. The paper deals with the objectives and implementation of the Urban programmes in Tenerife, in order to show the disparity between the social order criteria established by the European Commission when financing these initiatives and the results finally obtained.