Plan 1010 Final Paper

8/10/2019 Plan 1010 Final Paper

1/15

Gustavo LaRotta

PLAN 1010 Community Analysis

11/30/2014

San Juan, Puerto Rico: A Community Analysis

Introduction

Puerto Rico, La Isla de Encanto (translated island of enchantment), lies in the Caribbean Sea

with its capital, San Juan in the Northern part of the island. The first settlement on the island of Puerto

Rico was Caparra, founded in 1508 byJuan Ponce de Len,a Spanish explorer and conquistador best

remembered for his supposed quixotic quest for the fountain of youth in Florida. San Juan, with its

strategic port location, provided the Spanish a perfect place to settle and defend itself from pirates.

Nowadays, San Juan is a booming tourist destination. The historic Old San Juan along with its famous

castle, El Morro, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. American tourists flock to San Juan to experience a

piece of the Caribbean without the need for a visa, as Puerto Rico is considered American soil. The old

section of the city is home to cultural monuments such as museums, colonial-era buildings and

churches. This, along with its beautiful beaches and booming nightlife make San Juan the place to be for

many tourists. Economically, San Juan is the home port for many major cruise ships and is among the

most important ports in the Caribbean.1This paints a rosy picture of the city when in fact, upon further

research, San Juan suffers from urban sprawl, traffic, lack of green spaces, financing issues and

building/environmental decay. The San Juan that the tourists see, albeit beautiful, has been in steady

decline and threatens the economic viability of the region. Because of all this, change must be made.

This paper will focus on identifying the problems within the city of San Juan, demonstrating the current

1Minister, Christopher. "The History of San Juan, Puerto Rico."About. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.

.
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericatheconquest/p/Biography-Of-Juan-Ponce-De-Leon.htmhttp://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericatheconquest/p/Biography-Of-Juan-Ponce-De-Leon.htm


2/15

choices for healing, and then offering my point of view, applying my knowledge of urban planning to

make recommendations.

Planning Issues

The Puerto Rico Planning Board was founded in 1942 as part of the New Deal and served as

the central authority on planning issues. Much like in the US, development in post WW II Puerto Rico

was designed to dependent on the car for transportation, leading to sprawl. However, during the 1970s

the local governments gained more autonomy with regards to planning within their jurisdictions. This

may seem like a victory for the local governments, but made collaboration between cities very difficult.

Thus, this leads to the current problem of the difficulty on deciding on planning methods and a

disintegration with other areas of Puerto Rico.2Along with that, planning and environmental

assessment is done using a lengthy and unpredictable evaluation process3. However, the government

recently created the Office for Land Use Planning in response to the current inefficiencies.

Many of the problems in San Juan are outlined in the Walkable City plan, in my opinion the

best view of the future of San Juan. The fact that historical landmarks are becoming hidden from view

with the construction of new buildings threaten the historical integrity of the region. Run down

neighborhoods such as La Perla suffer from building decay and a lack of integration with the rest of the

city. Over 30% of the city is underserved by public transit. Over 8% of the citys Isleta (Small Islandon

the northernmost tip of San Juan connected to the mainland by bridge) is vacant, including over a mile

of oceanfront land. The over 77,000 cars that enter the Isleta every day exceeds its capacity for cars,

leading to traffic and congestion. 18% of the coastline, much of it facing the ocean, is under serious

2"Portal De La Junta De Planificacion De Puerto Rico." Portal De La Junta De Planificacion De Puerto Rico. N.p., n.d.

Web. 26 Nov. 2014. .

3Martinuzzi, Sebastian, William A. Gould, and Olga M. Ramos Gonzalez. "Land development, land use, and urban

sprawl in Puerto Rico integrating remote sensing and population census data." Landscape and Urban Planning79.3

(2007): 288-297. Pg 2.


3/15

threat of erosion due to the wave action of the ocean. 43% of the buildings in the Isleta are considered

decaying and of the 7.5 miles of coastline, only 30% is accessible by the public. Finally, the pedestrian

experience is miserable, characterized by a disconnection with open spaces and sidewalks that are in

poor condition, with few crosswalks and even fewer areas of shade.4

Basic elements of transportation are in decay as well, as outlined below5:

Need for new right or left turn lanes and intersection channelization or to improve or extend

existing turn lanes and channelization

Significant pavement deficiencies (poor drainage, potholes, uneven pavement)

Insufficient roadway lighting or lack of lighting

Insufficient pavement markings or lack of markings

Deficient traffic signs or lack of essential signing

Inadequate or poorly coordinated traffic signals or lack of needed signalization

Capacity constraints and hazardous conditions resulting from reduction in number of traffic

lanes or obstacles immediately adjacent to traffic lanes

Visual obstructions caused by illegal signs, foliage, and other roadside features

Need for installation or replacement of median or roadside safety barriers

As is evident, vast changes must be made to make the simple experience of transportation not only

more enjoyable and tolerable, but safe so as to avoid unneeded accidents, crashes and fatalities.

4Di Mambro, Antonio and Santini, Jorge. "Walkable City San Juan." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

.

5The Strategic Planning Office of the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority Department of

Transportation and Public Works, comp. San Juan Urbanized Area 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan.(2010).

The Policy Committee of the Metropolitan Planning Organization. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

. Pg 83


4/15

Green infrastructure or urban vegetation, are vital to any city, because of their critical roles

in mitigating urban heat island and climate change, and for their provision of multiple ecosystem

services and aesthetics.6

As we can see, the urban area of San Juan is severely lacking any green space. This image was

constructed using satellite technology and was part of a study that concluded that of 20 cities in the US,

San Juan ranked only above Miami, New York and Chicago, bustling urban centers. This is something

that must change in order to enhance the quality of life for not only the tourists, but the locals as well in

an effort to bring wildlife back into the city to interact with humans.

6Ramos-Gonzlez, O. M. 2014. The green areas of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ecology and Society19(3):

21.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06598-190321.Pg 1.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06598-190321http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06598-190321http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06598-190321


5/15

7

There has also been a documented environmental noise problem within the urban space of San Juan.

After a study conducted by the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, it is fair to conclude that

through the day, sound levels remained fairly high (63 decibels) until late into the night (11 pm) and

reach a low of 58 decibels around 3 am. These levels could be considered dangerously high since the

World Health Organization says that most people are moderately annoyed by levels above 50 decibels

and seriously annoyed by levels around 55 decibels.8Noise pollution is clearly a serious problem that

must be fixed because of the numerous adverse effects on personal health and community.9Thus I

believe that it is vital to introduce noise reduction measures which begins with the measurement and

analysis of data followed by the introduction of a committee dedicated to implementing measures to

reduce noise so as to promote a higher quality of life for those in the area, visitors or permanent

residents.

The problems of sprawl are also clear as low density developments are beginning to characterize

the urban form of San Juan. This, along with almost complete reliance on the automobile for

transportation lead to the weakening of the urban center of San Juan.

7Ramos-Gonzlez pg 4.

8Alomar, Osvaldo, Wanda Cruz-Vizcarrondo, Olga Vinas-Curiel, and Jose Alicea-Pou. "Monitoring of the

Environmental Noise Level in San Juan, Puerto Rico." (n.d.): n. pag. Print. URL:

http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsAIDIS/PuertoRico29/alicea.pdf.Pg 4.9Alomar pg 4
http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsAIDIS/PuertoRico29/alicea.pdfhttp://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsAIDIS/PuertoRico29/alicea.pdf


6/15

10

As mentioned in the study by Martinuzzi, many of the productive agricultural lands have been

transformed into urban areas around the area of San Juan and even forest reserves have come under

human pressure.

11

As you can tell by the graph below, San Juan ranks last in population density with

other cities in the world with similar population numbers. This illustrates a major problem for

development for the city of San Juan, heavily pointing to the idea of land use reform for the local

government. Other problems for San Juan include its energy consumption and the need for renewable

sources of energy. Currently, electricity prices are 73% greater than in the US which clearly affects

quality of life, as air conditioning is mostly available within the bedrooms and turned on only when it is

time to sleep in an effort to save money. Thus, cheaper, more sustainable options would be welcomed

with open arms on the island and at the same time reduce the ecological footprint of San Juan.



(2007): 288-297. Pg 8.



(2007): 288-297. Pg 2.


7/15

12

Along with these physical problems San Juan suffers from, San Juan also experiences much

financial trouble. A major obstacle to mending these wounds and developing San Juan is the financing

needed to develop the city. Currently, the city and the island overall is struggling financially. One can see

the subpar creditworthiness of Puerto Rico with how the rates paid on its municipal bonds are strikingly

high, something that is seen when a debtor is not in good financial position to repay the loan.13



(2007): 288-297. Pg 2.13

"Puerto Rico Munis: Risks Increase - Fidelity.com." Puerto Rico Munis: Risks Increase - Fidelity.com. N.p., 01 Aug.

2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. .


8/15

Recommendations

Currently in discussion are four major plans and visions for the future of San Juan. The first

of these is the Economically Sustainable City. This view is the dominant view from the states main

agencies and focuses on the strategy of regionalizing key areas on the island based on their economic

and social overlaps as well as capitalizing on their strengths. It emphasizes a participative focus and that

the people are to decide with their choices how resources are to be allocated.14

The second plan is

called the Livable City. This plan emphasizes the marginal social and ecological aspects of the city. The

end goal of this view is to recover the city and make it livable, efficient, orderly, safe, beautiful and

accessible to those who have been marginalized in the past. It defines itself against past unsustainable

urban patterns of sprawl as committed to the revitalization and conservation of land resources.15The

third vision is the Ecologically Sustainable City. This plan values the sustainability of the natural

ecological systems. No institution specifically endorses this view, but has risen to the surface of

discussion by way of communal discourses and actions of NGOs. Key ideas include the connectivity

amongst the different and unique ecological systems and the vision of a city with a reduced ecological

footprint, with great connectivity and aesthetically pleasing16

. The final view of the city is the one that I

hold to be the best option for the future of San Juan, the Modern City. Also known as the Walkable City,

this plan is a reflection of the aspirations of former Mayor Jorge Padilla and calls for the redevelopment

and revitalization of the main urban cores. This vision emphasizes making the city visible, attractive and

modern and new so as to promote external investment critical to the economic development of the city.

Although highly ambitious, I believe that with teamwork among the different levels of government and

14Muoz-Erickson, T. A. 2014. Multiple pathways to sustainability in the city: the case of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ecology and Society19(3): 2.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06457-190302 pg 4.

15See note 14 above

16See note 14 above
http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06457-190302http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06457-190302


9/15

community, that this vision will give the city and the island as a whole something that it has yearned for,

something to be proud of. This sense of identification and connection with something of their own will

lead to an enhanced sense of community and connection, ideally leading to an economic and social

revitalization of not only San Juan, but Puerto Rico as a whole. Thus, the redevelopment of San Juan, if

done well, will have effects throughout the entire island, affecting multiple communities and is indeed

much larger than the geographical lines that separate San Juan from its neighboring municipalities.

The Walkable City plan is keen on capitalizing on the positives San Juan has to offer while

eliminating the negatives outlined previously. Among the positives is the fact that San Juan has a vibrant

culture complete with exquisite cuisine and Latin music. Its historic heritage is to be emphasized, as over

600 years of history is to be celebrated. Its topography allows access to wonderful views of the ocean

and other landmarks and its quality of open spaces allows for the potential for a great pedestrian

experience. Many of its weaknesses can be identified as strengths, as the existence of building decay

and vacant plots of land allow for a redefinition and rededication of that land to new, vibrant

developments. The potential for success is clearly there for San Juan.

The Walkable City plan proposes 10 strategic actions in order to realize the vision of the

Walkable City. They are outlined below.17

1.

Introduce integrated public transit system

2.

Implement state of the art public realm

3.

Establish pedestrian waterfront loop

4.

Pedestrianize old San Juan

5.

Revitalize rundown neighborhoods

6.

Protect the Isleta from erosion and sea level rise

7.

Protect and celebrate Isletas historical assets

8.

Develop and integrate north and south waterfronts

9.

Diversity and repopulate the Isleta


. Pg 14.


10/15

10.

Expand and diversify Isletas tourist assets

18

Above is a great visual summary of the changes the Walkable City Plan plans to introduce.

Bearing in mind the page limit for this paper, I will only examine in detail Strategic Action 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.

The introduction of an integrated public transit system is very much important as only 5% of

workers use mass transit to get to work.19The major problem with introducing this is that Mass transit is

very difficult in high crime environments. This is because people often dont want to associate

themselves with strangers who may be criminals. Another problem is that of race, lower-class


. Pg 15

19"Puerto Rico 2025." Stakeholders' Plan for Achieving Puerto Rico 2025 Vision(n.d.): n. pag. Web.

.


11/15

individuals are dark skinned and white upper-class citizens may shy away from public transit if it means

associating who those of different classes. Another key development is to extend the current public

transit system Tren Urbano (translated Urban Train) to Old San Juan as depicted below. Currently no

mass transit system services the Isleta (where Old San Juan is) nor the international airport, which is out

of view in this image and off to the right past San Jose Lake. Another novel idea is to bring in the use of

water taxis to escape the congested traffic that currently ails San Juan. A direct route following the blue

arrow is one possible water taxi route that can take advantage of the existing waterway and take

passengers to the Isleta.

20

The proposed extension of the Tren Urbano will be a light rail system, as opposed to the Tren Urbano

with utilizes an elevated bus system. This light rail system will be easier to install and will introduce

much needed public transit in the Isleta, which will in turn make it more sustainable and also walkable.

As you can see below, the dotted lines on the water are proposed water taxi zones and one can also see

the stops the light rail system will make on the Isleta. This, in conjunction with pedestrianizing San Juan,

can make this area a hub for commerce and social life.

20Freemark, Yonah. "San Juan Unveils Plan for "Walkable City," Hopes for Light Rail on Isleta." The Transport Politic

RSS. N.p., 16 July 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/San-Juan-Transit.pnghttp://www.thetransportpolitic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/San-Juan-Transit.png


12/15

21

Strategic Actions 2 and 3 are very much intertwined and will be critical aspects of creating a

modern, beautiful, walkable San Juan. Creating a state of the art public realm mandates many levels of

creativity. One of the best features of the current proposal is to connect the currently disconnected

north and south water fronts of the Isleta by way of green corridors.22By doing this, this fixes the

problem of the lack of green space and provides the potential to invite wildlife back into the public

realm. This, in conjunction with noise reduction measures can lead to a unique area in San Juan, where

both human and wildlife are able to interact. Another aspect of this proposal is to make the Isletas

gateways memorable and beautiful. Currently, driving onto the Isleta has been a painful experience due

to the number of on ramps and congestion of cars. This area is denoted above by the arrows and is

where the Isleta is connected by bridges to the mainland. A beautiful area here will help make the

driving experience more tolerable and demarcate this historic region from the rest of the city. Along

with that, those that live within the Isleta can identify with this monument as the entrance to their

home and their community.

Strategic action 3 is my favorite aspect, as it is the aspect that will transform San Juan into a

regional social and cultural hub. The establishment of a pedestrian waterfront loop filled with open


. Pg 17.


. Pg 19.


13/15

areas, green infrastructure, monuments, shops and restaurants can come to define the new San Juan.

Finally, the wonderful views of the ocean can be capitalized in boardwalk fashion for the community.

Onesimagination can only start to think of the possibilities for this. Bicycle tours, already prevalent in

San Juan, will only get increased participants with the introduction of a beautiful waterfront loop and

increase the health of the community.23Aside that, parks for children, amphitheaters for musicians and

more can truly elevate San Juan to an international hub of travel and local source of relaxation,

entertainment and social gathering. It is in this pedestrian loop that I sense the mix and manifestation of

culture, music, food and people that San Juan and Puerto Rico has to offer.

24

Strategic Action 5 calls upon the revitalization of rundown neighborhoods, among these, the

famous barrio (Spanish for neighborhood) La Perla (translated the pearl). Seen below, La Perla occupies

the area to the right of the green space in the middle of the image. As one can see, La Perla, albeit a

slum, lies on highly valuable real estate. This is something that I believe must be capitalized. Instead of

forcing the individuals to move out, I suggest that the state government buy the lands from these

peoples at high prices to incentivize the people to sell. Not only will this allow the government or an

23Gwenn. "Take a Bicycle Tour in Old San Juan." Puerto Rico Day Trips Take a Bicycle Tour in Old San Juan

Comments. Puerto Rico Day Trips, 21 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. .

24Di Mambro pg 24.


14/15

external third party to redevelop the land, but will also allow the impoverished people in La Perla a

financial boost to help their families get out of poverty.

25

Strategic Action 6 employs the use of sustainability that is also deeply intertwined with the

creation of the pedestrian waterfront loop. To protect the coastline from erosion and sea level rise, the

implementation of protective coastal reefs will limit erosion along the northern coastline storm surge

barriers along the northeastern and northwestern ends of the Isleta will protect is from sea level rise.

These precautions to the viability of the substantial investments the creation of the waterfront loop will

entail and serve as a commitment to the decision to make San Juan a destination spot for tourists and

locals. Another good idea would be to integrate the existing vibrant oceanic ecosystem with the

populace by introducing methods and ideology from Blue Urbanism.

In addition to these strategic actions, I would also recommend to create a renewable energy

plant especially in the JFK area of San Juan from methane from the neighboring landfill.26Another cool

idea to help with the integration of nature in the community is to introduce ecotourism into the area

with the creation of jogging trails, bike paths and parks designed to welcome wildlife. Ecotourism has

the potential to be real popular in San Juan due to the temperate weather the region has year around.

25Calderon, Jean Martin. "Safety Perception and Tourism Potential in the Informal Neighborhood of" La Perla", San

Juan, Puerto Rico." IJSSTH1.4 (2013): 1-23. Pg 6.

26Santini, Jorge. "San Juan: The Economic Engine of Puerto Rico." (n.d.): n. pag. Print. URL:

http://www.camarapr.org/presentaciones/British/9-British_Santini.pdf


15/15

The introduction of ecotourism would be working towards a local biophillic community, one where both

humans and nature coexist. Along with this, it also promotes health among the local community, leading

to a higher quality of life.

Conclusion

I have much pride in the recent developments in planning a vision for my hometown of San

Juan, Puerto Rico. However, I realize that much work, cooperation and dedication is needed to make

this vision of San Juan possible. My city is one full of potential and promise and it is sad that the current

situation was allowed to get to the point that it is today. The disintegration of the urban form of San

Juan has led to a style of living that is simply unsustainable. Although the visions of my community are

positive, action must be done quickly in order to better the quality of living for those currently living

there so as to prevent them from moving out. A buzz in the city must be created to get the community

behind this movement. Most importantly, financing these projects will require creativity and potentially

partnerships with third parties. Whatever has to be done must be done to alleviate the current situation

and it is my hope that my people back home will welcome these ideas with open hands. If achieved, this

vision will transform San Juan and Puerto Rico into an international hub in the Caribbean and lead to the

economic vitality of a region that recently has been hurting greatly as a result of the recent recession in

the US.

Documents

Plan 1010 Final Paper