In Greater Santo Domingo, vertical growth and real estate expansion have set the pace of urban development over the last decade. New towers, office buildings, and commercial and residential projects transform the landscape every year. And while this economic dynamism is positive and desirable, there is a structural problem that threatens the quality of urban life, citizen safety, and the very value of the developments: the illegal occupation of public space, especially sidewalks and property lines.
This phenomenon transcends social classes and sectors. We see it in marginalized neighborhoods as well as in the city's most exclusive areas. In neighborhoods like Naco, Piantini, Arroyo Hondo, or the Paraíso district, high-rise buildings and large developments often "absorb" sidewalks as if they were part of their private property, decorating them with planters, access ramps, custom paving stones, or ornamental elements that completely negate their original function: to allow safe pedestrian traffic.
And we're not just talking about makeshift workshops in residential areas or informal businesses that encroach on sidewalks in working-class neighborhoods. We're also talking about insurance companies, car dealerships, banks, and high-end developers who build right up to the edge of their properties and modify public space as they please, often without oversight or consequences.
A sidewalk is not a luxury. It's a right
Respect for sidewalks and property lines is not merely an aesthetic matter. It is a fundamental condition for urban order, mobility, and safety. Without functional sidewalks, a city becomes dangerous for pedestrians. Without adequate setbacks, buildings become crammed together, hindering ventilation, eliminating green spaces, clogging stormwater drainage systems, and reducing the future value of the area.
According to data from the Dominican Observatory of Urbanism (ODU), 62% of new residential and commercial buildings constructed between 2019 and 2023 in urban areas of Greater Santo Domingo do not comply with the minimum setbacks established by municipal regulations. In many cases, the required 3- to 5-meter front setback is eliminated to gain parking space or additional built area. This type of practice not only violates the National Zoning Regulations but also directly harms the quality of the immediate surroundings and the urban fabric as a whole.
A technical report presented by the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors (CODIA) in 2023 revealed that one in three constructions reviewed in middle and upper class urban areas violated at least one of the mandatory boundaries, and that municipalities do not have systematic post-construction permit inspection protocols.
Meanwhile, a survey by the Institute for Sustainable Urban Mobility (IMUS) revealed that over 68% of sidewalks in the capital are partially or completely obstructed by businesses, structures, unauthorized ramps, or parked vehicles. In neighborhoods like Villa Juana, María Auxiliadora, and Los Prados, more than 70% of pedestrians walk in the street due to a lack of sidewalk space. In other words, in much of the city, pedestrians have nowhere to walk without risking their safety.
Furthermore, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, investments in well-designed public spaces can increase property values in their immediate surroundings by between 5% and 25%. Conversely, the deterioration of public spaces tends to have the opposite effect: devaluation, insecurity, overcrowding, and a shift of property values to other, better-maintained areas.
Stolen sidewalks affect property values
This reality has a direct impact on property values. Areas where public space is deteriorated, encroached upon, or chaotic tend to lose their appeal to buyers, residents, and investors. And over time, this loss of value translates into lower returns, reduced rent, less investment, and a general decline in the area's overall condition.
It is contradictory that while city branding discourses attempt to project Santo Domingo as a modern capital, open to tourism, connected and with global ambitions, in practice the minimum standard of urban dignity is not guaranteed: walking on a sidewalk without obstacles.
As a great friend of mine, an architect and urban planner, always told me: “A woman can’t walk two blocks in heels on a sidewalk in Santo Domingo without having to step into the street or twisting her ankle.” And that phrase, which might seem anecdotal, accurately portrays the critical state of our public space.
The cities we admire take care of what we allow to be lost
It's paradoxical how we constantly draw inspiration from cities like Madrid, Bogotá, New York, or Miami, yet ignore the fact that these cities, despite their density and real estate pressure, jealously guard their sidewalks, setbacks, plazas, pedestrian crossings, and rules of urban coexistence. They do so because they understand that urban development cannot be achieved by sacrificing what makes communal life possible: public space.
Cities such as Medellín, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City have initiated processes of active recovery of public space, penalizing those who invade sidewalks and demanding adequate setbacks for new constructions, as part of their strategy to improve urban quality of life and attract formal investment.
Who is responsible for this?
The responsibility lies primarily with city councils and municipal departments of urban planning and construction oversight. They are the ones tasked with reviewing plans, approving construction, verifying compliance with regulatory setbacks, and applying sanctions for violations. However, in practice, most of these offices lack the operational capacity, independence, or political will to confront the major players in urban development. And meanwhile, the disorder becomes entrenched.
From the development sector, we understand the commitment involved in undertaking projects and boosting the economy, but this cannot become a blank check. It cannot be that, simply by purchasing land and paying for a permit from the city council, a developer believes they have the right to do whatever they want. The responsible agency must also step in and ensure that public space is not sacrificed in the name of growth.
It is urgent to strengthen these institutions, providing them with resources, technical staff, and effective legal tools. But it is also essential that citizens, trade associations, and responsible developers speak out, demand, and promote respect for public space as a non-negotiable condition for real estate development.
Conclusion
The problem of stolen sidewalks is not minor. It's not a trivial detail. It's a profound symptom of how the city is conceived and who is granted the right to occupy it. Because when a sidewalk is stolen, it's not just a technical regulation being violated. It's the only space where we are all equal, where it doesn't matter if you're driving or walking, if you own a building or not, if you're a customer or a passerby.
If we continue to allow high-rise buildings to eliminate setbacks, businesses to encroach on sidewalks, and no one to enforce the regulations, we will not only lose mobility. We will lose our city.
And without a city, there is no real estate value that can be sustained over time.
