Capstone Year Investigation

Socioeconomic integration between coastal cities in western Puerto Rico:

Recognizing “Porta del Sol” as a tourist destination and the opportunity of growth and redevelopment of its waterfronts.

Although Porta del Sol accounts for sufficient infrastructure for both road and air transport, maritime transportation seems to lack a unitary link that facilitates traveling between marinas and the existing water-oriented destinations. This causes a disconnection in the trajectory between them, thus complicating not only navigation but the realization of the everyday coastal activities as well. Also, the opportunity of international maritime travel and tourism through the said region is non-existent at the time being in opposition to its historic past. Furthermore, the proposal responds to this concern by supplementing the museum programming with a series of amenities that serve both the community and tourists alike and the construction of a new port. Spaces of this nature are imperative to achieve encompassing a wide magnitude of users and to be able to provide the relevant facilities to stimulate the socio-economic exchange between the parts.