City & Territory in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Using her capital, San Juan de Puerto Rico as its model, the paper describes city and territorial planning in Puerto Rico over the five centuries that separate the 16"C. From the present day, in doing so, taking into account both that Spanish constructive heritage and those North American influences upon the same that have been part and parcel of the country' s social and urban history. The author for this makes use of research done at archives in both in Spain and Puerto Rico as well as of maps of the island's city lay outs hitherto unavailable. With respect to Spanish colonial period, the legislation that had a bearing upon the establishing of those zones that have since become the historical planning framework are closely studied. The author gives an up-dated bibliography of studies in his field and points up matters that he feels warrant further study. That from which much might be learnt along with that which best might serve as a warning as to city and territorial planning both culled from her history are underlined as being together that which could be called the island 's live planning memory