Elements of Urbanism: San Juan, Puerto Rico

[Metro Jacksonville]

Elements of Urbanism: San Juan, Puerto Rico



San Juan, which is the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States, is the most important seaport, manufacturing, financial, cultural, and tourism center of the island of Puerto Rico.  

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/767

[jeh1980]

Nice photos. I think we are already building something similar to the shipyards project from one of these pictures. I think Jacksonville still has a chance to compete with cities like this. Just believe.

[thelakelander]

I don't think Jax has a chance to serious compete with San Juan, because they are two different animals.  San Juan is one of the first tier cities in the Caribbean.  But that's not want the thread is about anyway.  We can greatly benefit from applying many of the design elements they've used, locally on our own streets and projects.

For example:


We've developed a love affair with landscaped concrete planters on our sidewalks.  The problem with these is they limit the width of our sidewalks and nearly eliminate the chance for sidewalk vendors or outdoor seating areas. 



The sidewalks don't get any narrower than they do in many of these older vibrant urban cities such as San Juan.  One of the great examples we can take from San Juan is the use of bollards, as opposed to planters to help separate automobile traffic from pedestrian traffic, without compromising the width of sidewalks.  The city is currently, working on plans to redo Laura Street (remember Metro Jacksonville's study on "Lighting up Laura").  We have a chance to get rid of those planters and encourage businesses like La Cena to add attractive outdoor dining sections.  This is one element that we may want to seriously consider in those efforts.

[Jason]

What beautiful city.  Say Lake, how many times did you get smacked for taking pictures of all of those good looking ladies? 


Some of those sidewalks are crazy.  I can say that for the most part, Jax is lucky to have sidewalks as wide as we do.  Gives us tons more flexibility and, like you said, should be consumed with planters but with people and outdoor seating.

[thelakelander]

What beautiful city.  Say Lake, how many times did you get smacked for taking pictures of all of those good looking ladies? 

None.  I invested in a camera with pretty good zoom capabilities and I walked behind the wife.

Some of those sidewalks are crazy.  I can say that for the most part, Jax is lucky to have sidewalks as wide as we do.  Gives us tons more flexibility and, like you said, should be consumed with planters but with people and outdoor seating.

No doubt.  It was much easier to walk in some of the streets when cars were not coming.  We have the infrastructure in place.  We just have to take advantage of it.

[Jason]

None.  I invested in a camera with pretty good zoom capabilities and I walked behind the wife.

Smart man   

[Ocklawaha]

Looks like a American version of Cartagena, Colombia. You got out with your watch, new camera and cash intact... Just one of the fun little things one learns in San Juan. The passageways in the old fort smell like urine because after all... el bano is too far for a proper gentlemen to run. Has Puerto Rico discovered the toilet seat? The Bollards are cools too, they keep the cars in the street from those going down the sidewalk after midnight. Being a US territory with the "Church and State deal, I don't guess they paint the bright little crosses in the street where the've mowed down the stray foot traffic. Auto ownership is interesting too, one can invest in cool wheels only to have a different set by morning. They change at night as you steal your neighbors, he steals yours! When the police show up they just shoot everyone and ask the survivors what happened.

Well, okay, it WAS that way 20 years ago, and I lived to tell about it. Glad you got back in one piece mi Gringo amigo.

Ocklawaha

[thelakelander]

Things have definately changed.  For the most part we were staying over in Aguadilla, on the west side of the island, but made the two hour drive to San Juan to spend a day there on foot.  Here are some things I noticed:

1. It sucks being illiterate.  Although I do understand some of the words in writting, I don't speak Spanish.  I've always felt my kids should be taught multiple languages, since the world doesn't revolve around the US anymore.  Me and the wife plan to learn the language with the kids, after this trip.

2. Horrible Driving.  It was nerve racking driving over there.  There appeared to be no fast lane or use for blinkers.  The trip to San Juan consisted of being either ran over in the slow lane or running off the road in the fast lane to keep from rear ending someone driving 30 miles below the posted speed limit.

3. Urbanism. Even the small towns and villages are quite urban for Jacksonville's standards.

4. Agressive Vagrants.  Ours are wimps compared to theirs.  There they approach you even when you sit at sidewalk cafes and even send their kids to work for them.  However, they are easy to overlook because of the number of pedestrians on the streets.

5. Police force. San Juan apparently knows that tourism is its economic engine.  The city makes it known that Old San Juan is littered with its police force and that its safe to walk around during the day and night.  I heard the horror stories about the city and areas to avoid, but to tell the truth, we felt more comfortable there walking on their streets, then we do walking in our downtown.

6. The Forts.  They don't smell like piss anymore.  In fact, the old city feels like a Spanish version of New Orleans French Quarter, but its much cleaner.

7. Parking.  Despite the large number of people visiting Old San Juan, the parking garages are confined to a certain area and they are cheaper then parking in Downtown Jacksonville garages.  We were there all day and it cost us a little over $6.  The garages also have clear signage that is viable for at least a block or two before you reach them.  There are also signs with the letter "P" directing you to them.

[stephenc]

Looks like a American version of Cartagena, Colombia. You got out with your watch, new camera and cash intact...

Ocklawaha

Yeah, I spent two weeks in Cartagena on a missions trip in June of 2005. We got robbed next to El Castillo de San Felipe by a man who pulled a machette from his shorts, and also while we were in the Old City shopping. Overall all I had a wonderful experience. I love the spanish culture, as well as its history and cities.

[Ocklawaha]

Nice to hear your Cartagena trip was still a "good time". There really is no more beautiful spot in the World then Colombia. Hawaii pales and Rio blushes, Miami is ghetto without the balls to back up the law, and Ft. Lauderdale a lost cause.

I'm really glad that Lake had a good time in San Juan. My son hiked down into a canyon there and found a wrecked car at the bottom of a cliff...The body was still inside. In the Colombian Civil War some years back we were just 3 or 4 cars from an open fire fight that ended in several hacking deaths. Our car was certainly a possible target but we were ORDERED to hit the floor and not to move. When we finally got up and moving the soldiers were sweeping up the mess and still keeping "EYES FRONT...or else!"

Speaking FOR COLOMBIA, they just finally got sick to death of the robbery and mayhem. They passed laws similar to the FBI of the 1930's. "SHOOT TO KILL!" Awards were handed out to citizens that turned states evidence. Escobar and the other gang leaders were hunted down like animals and taken out. The Force de Air increased by 100 helicopters, dozens of troop transports, airborne, and over 40 new KFIR fighter bombers. In short they went after the enemy with a vengence. Muggers were STOMPED to death on sidewalks by mobs of shoppers. The Navy (Colombia has the finest South American Naval Academy) started a shipbuilding program of Colombian designed and built next generation warships. New German built "U" Boats haven't yet made them a "Blue Water Navy" but THEY GUARD OUR CARRIERS when off SA, and frequent Mayport. Frankly today at midnight in Cartagena, Medellin, Bogota or Cali your probably far, far safer then ANYWHERE in Jacksonville. Medellin, worlds "Most dangerous City" has a crime rate about 1/4 of Jacksonville's.

It's like that other thread "THE CITY" is saying, it's about how we could remake ourselves. Lake, you and I ought to head with the families to Medellin for a week. I'll show you REMAKE and you won't have to speak the lingo...

Ocklawaha

[raheem942]

damn i wanna go

[Matt]

now that's a city!

[thelakelander]

an email, I received from a friend in the architecture and planning industry about this thread:

San Juan is pretty much like all cities in Cuba, the main difference being that a lot of buildings are crumbling down in Cuba but on the other hand the urban environment is less altered with fewer new buildings (no money for new construction).

I read the discussions about the pictures, in general all American Cities have to learn from Latin American and European Cities, the automobile and sprawl killed the sense of urban space in this country and even when some cities are trying to reclaim urban spaces it is hard to understand what they are trying to accomplish. As you said, streetscaping seems to be what some consider salvation when it is just a ridiculous attempt. It is what Lakeland is doing it is what Jacksonville is doing and so forth.

One element that you do not point out but for me it is a key component of the problem and I noticed it when I arrived to the USA is the color of the cities. Everything in the USA goes in Earth tones (Brown, Beige, Off-Whites). This makes American cities boring and anonymous, if you go back and look at your pictures you will see how the vibrant colors translate into urban energy, the city is more inviting and alive just because of this psychological factor.

I believe learning a second language will be good for your kids, it is an American thing not to try, but paradoxically I find that the main reason is not that American English Speaking People don’t want to learn, it is that most people in the world who learn a second language learn English, so the need is not there. In Europe is the same, in most countries people learn two or three languages and always English is one of them. Who are behind all this? The British, only a few try to learn German, French or Spanish because they do not find a use for it.

The color of structures and their impact on the urban core is an element we haven't really discussed on this site.

[ProjectMaximus]

so how would you like to see colors implemented into the new structures in jax?

[MattnJax]

Jacksonville has a few colorful structures downtown. The Carling, the Landing, the neon lights on the Acosta, the Main St. Bridge, the Hart Bridge (which hopefully they paint with a fresh, green paint job in the near future) all come to mind.