The debate is taking place at UNPHU on urban issues in the Central Polygon

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), faithful to its commitment to the possible and sustainable improvement of Dominican cities and especially their metropolitan areas, where more than 50% of the country’s total population has been concentrated; held on Monday, March 27, 2023, the Technical Discussion Board, «What is happening with the Central Polygon of Santo Domingo».

In the activity, the architect Omar Rancier explained that the area called Central Polygon, at the time (1998) was presented as the first area of the city of Santo Domingo to have its specific regulations. These regulations were the result of a careful process of consultation with the different actors in the area, inhabitants, and traders. However, the implementation of these regulations, known as Resolution 94-98, has had difficulties in its implementation mainly due to weaknesses in management and monitoring and the demands and pressures of some sectors of real estate development.

He expressed that despite the ADN (mayorship of the National District) effort with the formulation of the POT Capital and the proposed ordinance for the Central Polygon, these weaknesses have dramatically manifested in the processes of land use, densities, irregular heights and occupations, deficit of public spaces and collapse of basic infrastructure from transit to storm drainage. This last one, with tragic consequences in the floods of last November 4.

‘’These situations have generated a healthy rapprochement between the neighbors, who have assumed their role as stakeholders in regulations that secure their habitat and the authorities of the city council, who are striving to improve them, with the objectives of Identifying the problems affecting the Central Polygon, exploring different ways of ordering the territory and proposing viable solutions. This includes inviting  ADN to consult and agree, through working tables, the new regulation with the different actors and inhabitants of the Central Polygon. 

The event was coordinated by architect Omar Rancier, dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Arts (FAA). Moderated architect Constantinos Ph. Saliaris, director of the FAA School of Design and rapporteur of architect José Antonio Constanzo, FAA Coordinator.

The following panelists participated: architect Jesús D’Alessandro, Technical Secretary ADN; Engineer Alexandra Cedeño, INTRANT; Raúl De Moya, architect-urbanist, FUDPHU president; architect Cristóbal Valdez, UAE/UNPHU;

Marcos Barinas, architect, and planner; Engineer Annerys Meléndez, President ACOPROVI; architect Carlos Jorge, Junta de Vecinos; architect Alejandro Herrera, and Mirtha Cabral, both NACO Neighborhood Board.

The participation of the different panelists can be summarized in some relevant points: The proposal of the Neighborhood Boards that the new proposal of regulations return to the discussion table where the different actors of the Central Polygon participate in order to fulfill the due process regarding the socialization of the regulations; the need to define clear rules of urban action in the sector; the efforts of the ADN to provide the National District with planning instruments that respond to the needs and demands identified in the territorial diagnosis made; among other important steps.

According to the activity’s report, it was declared: The need to build among all the actors a City Vision that contemplates an integral planning of the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo. Such planning also entails paying attention to intermediate and small cities, which continue to lose population because of lack of opportunities, and to rural areas. Finally, they made available spaces and academic capacities to the processes that aim to create a better, sustainable, and resilient city.

The event took place in the north wing of the Horacio Álvarez Saviñón Auditorium on March 27, 2023, and was broadcast on the UNPHU YouTube channel. You can see it at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdDzDBDEyGA