NewsWhore
06-01-2010, 02:30 PM
Architects interviewed by Listin Diario say that the city government does not understand what makes a public space. "The authorities here see public space as a space for promotion and vending that ends up only generating benefits to some sectors, and not to the population," says architect and urban researcher Marcos Barinas. Barinas says that despite the existence of very well qualified urban planners, the municipality has not known how to put potential public spaces to their best use. "A green area, surrounded by streets, does not mean it is a public space with civic vocation. It is simply a public space because you have access to it, but it loses its quality of human interaction," he says.
The newspaper reports that the World Health Organization says that a city needs to have 10 to 15 square meters of public space area per individual. But with a population of more than 1 million people, the National District section of Santo Domingo has less than one square meter of park area per individual.
The better public space areas of the city are the Mirador del Sur Park, the Botanical Gardens, the National Zoo, the Olympic Center, Plaza de la Cultura, and Colon and Duarte plazas in the Colonial City.
The National Statistics Office says that the National District has 91.08 square kilometers, 910,076 inhabitants and a population density of 10,030 inhabitants per square kilometer. Among plazas, parks, sports courts, roundabouts, boulevards, there are 7,716,864 square meters of space for public use.
"The problem is that our city is in the hands of people who administratively do not understand about public spaces, who know nothing about urban planning and then they surround themselves by people that they do not listen to," observes architect Emilio Brea. "It is not that they don't work, it is how they work. I think the present mayor has made 10 children's parks, that are not parks, but plazas, about 5 or 6 neighborhood funeral homes, but what about the rest of the city?" he asks.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
The newspaper reports that the World Health Organization says that a city needs to have 10 to 15 square meters of public space area per individual. But with a population of more than 1 million people, the National District section of Santo Domingo has less than one square meter of park area per individual.
The better public space areas of the city are the Mirador del Sur Park, the Botanical Gardens, the National Zoo, the Olympic Center, Plaza de la Cultura, and Colon and Duarte plazas in the Colonial City.
The National Statistics Office says that the National District has 91.08 square kilometers, 910,076 inhabitants and a population density of 10,030 inhabitants per square kilometer. Among plazas, parks, sports courts, roundabouts, boulevards, there are 7,716,864 square meters of space for public use.
"The problem is that our city is in the hands of people who administratively do not understand about public spaces, who know nothing about urban planning and then they surround themselves by people that they do not listen to," observes architect Emilio Brea. "It is not that they don't work, it is how they work. I think the present mayor has made 10 children's parks, that are not parks, but plazas, about 5 or 6 neighborhood funeral homes, but what about the rest of the city?" he asks.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)