Hipólito Mejía agreed with President Balaguer that the modernization of the city of Santo Domingo with the construction of overpasses has rid the city of its romanticism and charm. Balaguer recently authored a contribution to El Siglo newspaper where he criticized that preference was given to vehicles rather than people in the modernization efforts of the city of Santo Domingo implemented by the Fernández administration. The article is the talk of the day in Santo Domingo. Mejía said that he would not involve his government in megaprojects, would prefer smaller, less costly projects. Nevertheless, he said he would finish the projects that were started. When asked to comment on Balaguer’s contribution, President Fernandez refused to comment. Architect Edwin Cott and Omar Rancier in the Listin Diario today say that the main goal of the construction works in Santo Domingo was to create a political impact. Urban renewal was not the focus of the constructions, they say. Architect Pablo Morel lamented that Balaguer did not speak up a couple of years ago, in time to stop the works. Like Cott and Rancier, Morel favors leaving open spaces for people in the city. He said that with what was invested in the overpasses, the first phase of the Resure project to recover green areas along the Ozama River could have been carried out, creating a new park area for the city. In the Listin Diario, architect Rafael Lora agrees with Balaguer. He said that a city has two users — pedestrians and car drivers. He said that 75% of the inhabitants of the city of Santo Domingo are pedestrians, and questions how is it possible that the transport solutions were carried out to benefit the 25% that drive cars. He mentions the successful urban renewal in Barcelona as a contrast to the destruction of several of Santo Domingo’s most lovely avenues to replace them with the overpasses. He favors the construction of wide avenues, and criticized that the 27 de Febrero Expressway has only one pedestrian crossing. He mentioned what is apparent, that buildings and businesses along the expressways are closing down leaving the areas to become slum areas. He highlighted that Balaguer’s contribution seeks that the new government that starts 16 August not repeat this negative experience.
