Current Urbanization
Santo Domingo Population: 3,388,809
Santo Domingo is known as the largest city of the Dominican Republic. With a population of 2,201,941, Santo Domingo is ranked as the #1 largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean. It is the site of the first castle, fortress, cathedral, and university in the New World. Santo Domingo is the cultural, financial, political, commercial, and industrial center of the Dominican Republic. With the city's harbor at the mouth of the Ozama River, Santo Domingo is also known for being the chief seaport of the country.
Santiago de los Cabelleros Population: 1,200,000
Santiago de los Cabelleros is the second largest city of the Dominican Republic and is the fourth largest city in the Caribbean. Because of its location in the Cibao Valley, it has many agricultural advantages including being a leading exporter of rum, textiles, and cigars. It was originally located in the town of San Francisco de Jacagua, but it was destroyed by an earthquake and moved to its current location in 1506. The city was destroyed once again by another earthquake in 1562.
La Romana Population: 130,000
La Romana is a province of the Dominican Republic which is located near Catalina Island. The capital (La Romana) is the third largest city in the country. It is home to one of the world's largest resorts and top golfing destinations, Casa de Campo. The urban population consists of people living in the seats of municipalities or municipal districts. The rural population consists of those who live in the districts and neighborhoods outside of them.
Applicable Models of Urban Development
Most of the Dominican Republic's cities demonstrate the Griffin Ford model. The Griffin Ford model shows that most cities have a central business district, one dominant elite residential sector, and a commercial spine. Around the mid 1980's, there was a housing deficit that affected nearly 400,000 housing units. The National district suffered the most dramatic effects because of this. Because of the scarcity of low-income housing in the area, squatter settlements began to increase. In Santo Domingo, these settlements were concentrated along the Ozama River and on the city's periphery.
The primate city of the Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is the hub of all political, economic, and social activities. It has a population of 3,388,809, population density of 3,187 per square mile, and 65 percent of people living in urban slums.
People & Urban Issues/Problems
In 2019, 81.83 percent of the Dominican Republic's total population lived in urban areas and cities. The Dominican society has a small population of the wealthy upperclass, a medium-sized middle class, and a very large poor class. The poorest areas of the country inhabits parts of Santo Domingo. In Santo Domingo, shanytowns sprawl around the edges of the city and in remote rural areas. The most poverty-stricken area in the Dominican Republic is in the Southwest near the border of Haiti. In this area, thousands Haitian migrants and poor Dominican families inhabit shacks.
Because of the rapid growth of tourism in Santo Domingo, the government has started pouring millions of dollars into repairing streets, renovating old buildings, and installing street lights in attempts to move tourism away from the beaches and closer to the historical city on Santo Domingo. Business owners accept the changes that will occur in their city due to the fact that it would bring them more income, but residents are nervous that they would be priced out by a surge of boutiques and new restaurants.
Infrastructure in the Dominican Republic is poor and unevenly distributed, but it is slowly being improved. Cities and towns that support tourism has high quality infrastructure, yet rural areas and more remote areas receive minimal support with infrastructure. The Dominican Republic overall is a friendly country that inhabits welcoming people. However, there is a high crime rate with petty crimes of robbery such as pickpocketing and bag snatching. Government officials recommend citizens to not carry large amounts of cash, wear expensive jewelry, or leave personal possessions unattended.
The traffic fatality rate is at an all time high in the Dominican Republic. For every 100,000 inhabitants in the Dominican Republic, 42 die every year from traffic accidents according to the World Health Organization. In the Dominican society, it is normal to see motorists scrunched up with shopping bags and large cargo on their motorcycles. Many of these motorists fail to follow traffic procedures when driving. Many of these people speed entirely above the speed limit, fail to stop at red lights, and take over sidewalks. With these types of incidents, government officials have been trying to come up with ways to eliminate the accidents caused by motorists and other motor-vehicle drivers.
Because of the rapid growth of tourism in Santo Domingo, the government has started pouring millions of dollars into repairing streets, renovating old buildings, and installing street lights in attempts to move tourism away from the beaches and closer to the historical city on Santo Domingo. Business owners accept the changes that will occur in their city due to the fact that it would bring them more income, but residents are nervous that they would be priced out by a surge of boutiques and new restaurants.
Infrastructure in the Dominican Republic is poor and unevenly distributed, but it is slowly being improved. Cities and towns that support tourism has high quality infrastructure, yet rural areas and more remote areas receive minimal support with infrastructure. The Dominican Republic overall is a friendly country that inhabits welcoming people. However, there is a high crime rate with petty crimes of robbery such as pickpocketing and bag snatching. Government officials recommend citizens to not carry large amounts of cash, wear expensive jewelry, or leave personal possessions unattended.
The traffic fatality rate is at an all time high in the Dominican Republic. For every 100,000 inhabitants in the Dominican Republic, 42 die every year from traffic accidents according to the World Health Organization. In the Dominican society, it is normal to see motorists scrunched up with shopping bags and large cargo on their motorcycles. Many of these motorists fail to follow traffic procedures when driving. Many of these people speed entirely above the speed limit, fail to stop at red lights, and take over sidewalks. With these types of incidents, government officials have been trying to come up with ways to eliminate the accidents caused by motorists and other motor-vehicle drivers.
Use of Space Within Urban Areas
In Urban areas of the Dominican Republic, space is used mainly for business and industry purposes. In these areas, tourism is also very popular. There are many tourist attractions, especially in the city. Beautiful homes are also found in these urban areas as well.
Picture Captions:
Slide 1: Restaurants in the city
Slide 2: Santo Domingo City
Slide 3: Luxury home in Santo Domingo
Slide 4: Shopping Strip in Santo Domingo
Slide 1: Restaurants in the city
Slide 2: Santo Domingo City
Slide 3: Luxury home in Santo Domingo
Slide 4: Shopping Strip in Santo Domingo