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 by Juan Ponce de León, 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.1

This 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

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 1970’s 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

1 Minister, Christopher. "The History of San Juan, Puerto Rico." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/caribbeancities/p/sanjuan.htm>.

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.2 Along with that, “planning and

environmental assessment is done using a lengthy and unpredictable

evaluation process”3. 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 city’s

Isleta (Small Island on 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 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. <http://www.jp.gobierno.pr/>.3 Martinuzzi, 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 Planning 79.3 (2007): 288-297. Pg 2.

coastline, much of it facing the ocean, is under serious 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

4Di Mambro, Antonio and Santini, Jorge. "Walkable City San Juan." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://issuu.com/sanjuannews/docs/finalreportsummary_walkablecity_july3-final>.5 The 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. <http://www.dtop.gov.pr/pdf/JANUARY_2011_FINAL_SJUA_2030_LRTP_Feb4_2011.pdf>. Pg 83

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 safetybarriers

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.

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

6 Ramos-González, O. M. 2014. The green areas of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ecology and Society 19(3): 21.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06598-190321 . Pg 1.

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.

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.8 Noise pollution is clearly a serious problem that must be

fixed because of the “numerous adverse effects on personal health and

community”.9 Thus I believe that it is vital to introduce noise

reduction measures which begins with the measurement and analysis of 7 Ramos-González pg 4.8 Alomar, 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 4.9 Alomar pg 4

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.

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 10 Martinuzzi, 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 Planning 79.3 (2007): 288-297. Pg 8.

11 Martinuzzi, 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 Planning 79.3 (2007): 288-297. Pg 2.

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.

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

12 Martinuzzi, 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 Planning 79.3 (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. <https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/investing-ideas/puerto-rico-munis-isks-

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 state’s 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.15 The third vision

increase>.

14 Muñoz-Erickson, T. A. 2014. Multiple pathways to sustainability in the city: the case of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ecology and Society 19(3): 2.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06457-190302 pg 4.15 See note 14 above

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 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,

16 See note 14 above

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

17 Di Mambro, Antonio and Santini, Jorge. "Walkable City San Juan." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://issuu.com/sanjuannews/docs/finalreportsummary_walkablecity_july3-final>. Pg 14.

1. Introduce integrated public transit system2. Implement state of the art public realm3. Establish pedestrian waterfront loop4. Pedestrianize old San Juan5. Revitalize rundown neighborhoods6. Protect the Isleta from erosion and sea level rise7. Protect and celebrate Isleta’s historical assets8. Develop and integrate north and south waterfronts9. Diversity and repopulate the Isleta10. Expand and diversify Isleta’s tourist

assets

Above is a great visual summary of the changes the Walkable City Plan

plans to introduce.

18 Di Mambro, Antonio and Santini, Jorge. "Walkable City San Juan." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://issuu.com/sanjuannews/docs/finalreportsummary_walkablecity_july3-final>. Pg 15

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.19 The major problem with introducing this is that Mass transit is

very difficult in high crime environments. This is because people

often don’t want to associate themselves with strangers who may be

criminals. Another problem is that of race, lower-class 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.

19 "Puerto Rico 2025." Stakeholders' Plan for Achieving Puerto Rico 2025 Vision (n.d.): n. pag. Web. <http://gis.jp.pr.gov/Externo_Econ/Programa%20de%20Planificaci%C3%B3n%20Econ%C3%B3mica%20y%20Social/2004.09-PR_2025_Ingles_(Sep-2004).pdf>.

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.

20 Freemark, 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.

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.22 By 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 Isleta’s gateways memorable and beautiful.

21 Di Mambro, Antonio and Santini, Jorge. "Walkable City San Juan." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://issuu.com/sanjuannews/docs/finalreportsummary_walkablecity_july3-final>. Pg 17.22 Di Mambro, Antonio and Santini, Jorge. "Walkable City San Juan." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://issuu.com/sanjuannews/docs/finalreportsummary_walkablecity_july3-final>. Pg 19.

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

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. One’s

imagination 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.23 Aside 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, 23 Gwenn. "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. <http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/rent-the-bicycle/>.

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 24 Di Mambro pg 24.

prices to incentivize the people to sell. Not only will this allow the

government or an 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

25 Calderon, Jean Martin. "Safety Perception and Tourism Potential in the Informal Neighborhood of" La Perla", San Juan, Puerto Rico." IJSSTH 1.4 (2013):1-23. Pg 6.

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.26 Another 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. 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

26 Santini, 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

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.