SANTO DOMINGO – In Santo Domingo, there is an urgent need for the prompt approval of new urban ordinances for the entire National District, where polycentrism prevails and priority is given to the citizen, in a more inclusive compact city model, with accessible housing, avoiding gentrification and where mixed uses prevail, more trees, larger public spaces and a quality habitat for all Dominicans.
“From this perspective, over the years, Santo Domingo (SD) has been governed by precarious, packaged regulations that, by partially regulating the territory, have generated low-quality urban development. Law 163-01 created the National District (DN), of 91.58 km2, with 42.69% of its land regulated, as well as Laws 94-98 or 132-2001, which are obsolete and based on density and height, cripple the growth potential of the capital, as seen in the Central Polygon (PC),” highlights architect Kalil Michel Presbot in an article in Listín Diario.
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As we commemorate the founding of the city of Santo Domingo (SD), we can assess the city as a result of the regulations that shaped it, starting with municipal land management. Examples such as Antanas Mockus's modification of Bogotá's organic statute or J. Lerner's urban revolution in Curitiba (Brazil) demonstrate the direct correlation between sound regulations and a well-developed city.
From this perspective, over the years, Santo Domingo (SD) has been governed by inadequate, packaged regulations that, by only partially regulating the territory, have resulted in low-quality urban development. Law 163-01 created the National District (DN), covering 91.58 km², with 42.69% of its land regulated, as are Laws 94-98 and 132-2001, which are outdated and based on density and height restrictions, stifle the capital's growth potential, as seen in the central polygon (PC).
The PC (presumably referring to a specific area or district) occupies 4.26 km² and represents 4.76% of the territory of the National District. It houses more than 20 health centers, 1 public school and 33 private schools, 31 banks, with 28% of the land designated for residential use and 24% for commercial use, making it the hub to which everyone needs, from restaurants to educational options, must go. This explains the expansion of the gray mass of construction, which reduces public space, with a poor supply of green spaces and a shortage of parking. With more than 125,000 vehicles circulating daily, between traffic jams and delivery services, it constitutes urban chaos, caused by the monocentric approach promoted by Resolution 94-98.
On the other hand, the city is running out of land; the PC (presumably referring to a specific area or district) has barely 1.73 km² of buildable land left. Resolution 94-98 encourages greater land occupation and low-rise buildings, which not only prevents vertical compensation for freeing up land for public squares and trees, but also increases real estate prices, making housing unaffordable for most residents of the capital, who are forced to opt for informal dwellings or to live on the outskirts, making the DN (presumably referring to a specific area or district) an exclusionary city, or worse, Santo Domingo, a city for the privileged.
Therefore, by redefining land management, where regulations are not an end but a means, and knowing that "the right city is created by right regulations," we conclude that the repeal of Resolution 94-98 is imperative. In this regard, appealing to Carolina Mejía's repeated commitment to the city, I ask the mayor's office for the prompt approval of new urban ordinances for the entire National District. These ordinances should prioritize polycentrism, giving priority to the citizen, in a compact city model with multipurpose spaces, more inclusive density, and affordable housing, avoiding gentrification through mixed-use developments, increased tree planting, and more public spaces as areas of social cohesion within the urban fabric, so that Santo Domingo becomes a quality habitat for all Dominicans.
Source: Listín Diario
