Colonial City of Santo Domingo

World Heritage Research

Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Colonial City of Santo Domingo from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.

• Urban Layout of the First Ibero-American Cities on the Continent through Conventual Foundations: The Cases of Santo Domingo (1502) and Panama Viejo (1519)

  Religious orders played a pivotal role in shaping the urban layouts of two early Ibero-American cities, Santo Domingo and Panama Viejo. In Santo Domingo (1502), convents established on city outskirts directed expansion along grid-like axes, reinforcing urban control. Conversely, Panama Viejo's (1519) design emerged from longitudinal streets dominated by convents, defining its structure until its abandonment in 1671. This study leverages cartography, historical records, and GIS analysis to compare their evolution, revealing how religious power influenced colonial urbanism. Findings highlight the significance of conventual foundations in structuring early American cities.

  Cubero-Hernández, A., Raony Silva, E., & Arroyo Duarte, S. (2022). Urban Layout of the First Ibero-American Cities on the Continent through Conventual Foundations: The Cases of Santo Domingo (1502) and Panama Viejo (1519). Land, 11(12), 2144. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122144

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• Application of Geophysical Prospecting Methods for Soil Structure Characterization of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

  Geophysical prospecting methods reveal that the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant colonial buildings in the Dominican Republic, is situated on soil classified as 'C'—very dense soil and soft rock—according to NEHRP standards. This classification, determined using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) techniques, suggests that the site could experience moderate seismic risk during earthquakes greater than 5.0 Mw, common in Hispaniola due to its location between the North American and Caribbean plates. Georadar tests further confirmed the absence of unknown caverns beneath the cathedral's foundation, validating the seismic classification. The study underscores the importance of such methods for assessing the vulnerability of heritage structures in seismically active zones.

  Pérez-Cuevas, J., Flores-Sasso, V., Prieto-Vicioso, E., Ruiz-Valero, L., & Sandoval, S. (2021). Application of Geophysical Prospecting Methods for Soil Structure Characterization of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. 12th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions. https://doi.org/10.23967/sahc.2021.030

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• Urban Forest Sustainability in Residential Areas in the City of Santo Domingo

  Urban forest planning can significantly enhance climate resilience and mitigate climate change impacts, particularly when tailored to socioeconomic factors. A study of four residential areas in Santo Domingo revealed that Gazcue exhibited the highest urban forest sustainability index, driven by job stability, medium-high income, and property ownership. The research, based on 147 interviews and ecosystem service measurements from 2016–2019, highlighted the importance of integrating tree species selection, spatial design, and legal frameworks into urban planning to foster territorial sustainability. These findings underscore the need for strategic urban forest management that balances economic value with environmental benefits, offering a model for other cities facing climate challenges.

  Bonilla-Duarte, S., Gómez-Valenzuela, V., Vargas-de la Mora, A.-L., & García-García, A. (2021). Urban Forest Sustainability in Residential Areas in the City of Santo Domingo. Forests, 12(7), 884. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12070884

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• Contested Conquests:African Maroons and the Incomplete Conquest of Hispaniola, 1519–1620

  A re-evaluation of Spanish anti-maroon campaigns on Hispaniola reveals that these actions were integral to the prolonged and often incomplete process of Spanish conquest, challenging the dominant narrative of post-conquest colonial order. The study highlights that African maroons, traditionally seen as resistors, were also active 'conquerors' in their own right. This insight emerges from an analysis of a 1571 royal decree authorizing the 'conquest' of maroon communities, a term rarely used for anti-maroon campaigns, which typically employed euphemistic language like 'reduce,' 'pacify,' or 'dislodge.' The research approach involves examining the linguistic and historical context of this decree, linking it to broader patterns of resistance and conquest in Spanish America from 1519 to 1620.

  Schwaller, R. C. (2018). Contested Conquests:African Maroons and the Incomplete Conquest of Hispaniola, 1519–1620. The Americas, 75(4), 609–638. https://doi.org/10.1017/tam.2018.3

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• La ville coloniale de Santo-Domingo (République dominicaine), entre patrimonialisation et gentrification

  Santo Domingo, the 'first city of the New World,' undergoes significant socio-spatial transformations driven by tourism development and gentrification. The study reveals that the city's rich colonial heritage—marked by landmarks like the first convent and university—attracts substantial international tourism, which in turn fuels investment and gentrification, particularly in its historic core. This process reshapes the urban landscape while preserving its cultural significance. The research links tourism growth to these changes, employing a qualitative approach to analyze spatial and social dynamics.

  Buzenot, L., & González Pérez, J. M. (2018). La ville coloniale de Santo-Domingo (République dominicaine), entre patrimonialisation et gentrification. Études Caribéennes, 39-40. https://doi.org/10.4000/etudescaribeennes.11535

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• A new colonisation of a Caribbean city

  Gentrification and 'touristification' in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo have significantly reshaped urban dynamics, increasing economic competitiveness but also exacerbating segregation and urban poverty. The study reveals that recent urban planning shifts, often supported by supranational development agencies, have prioritized tourism and property investment, leading to stark socio-urban contrasts. Morphological analysis highlights how these changes have altered the city's landscape, with serious implications for social equity. The research underscores the consequences of such transformations, offering insights into the broader impact of global tourism trends on Caribbean urban centers.

  González-Pérez, J. M. (2017). A new colonisation of a Caribbean city. Tourism and Gentrification in Contemporary Metropolises, 25–51. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315629759-2

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• An integrated model for evaluating investments in cultural heritage tourism in the Dominican Republic

  Investments in cultural heritage tourism can significantly boost economic growth, employment, and income in tourism-dependent economies. A study on the Colonial City of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic demonstrates that enhancing cultural heritage tourism opportunities diversifies the tourism product, expands the visitor base, and increases tourism expenditure. The research introduces an integrated economic model combining economy-wide modeling, time series analysis, stated preference approaches, and net present value analysis to evaluate such investments. This framework provides valuable insights into how targeted investments can accelerate economic development, offering a replicable approach for other regions with similar goals.

  Banerjee, O., Henseler, M., Maisonnave, H., Beyene, L. M., & Velasco, M. (2017). An integrated model for evaluating investments in cultural heritage tourism in the Dominican Republic. Tourism Economics, 23(8), 1568–1580. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816617713229

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• The Economic Benefits of Investing in Cultural Tourism: Evidence from the Colonial City of Santo Domingo

  Investing in cultural tourism yields substantial economic benefits, significantly boosting economic growth and household well-being while avoiding negative consequences such as reduced output, employment, and terms of trade. A study applying a novel framework to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Colonial City of Santo Domingo, demonstrates that a hypothetical US$90 million investment in cultural tourism could generate these positive outcomes. The research integrates quantitative methodologies from environmental and tourism economics, highlighting that indirect and induced benefits often overlooked in traditional cost-benefit analyses can lead to substantial undervaluation of returns on investment. Conversely, disinvestment in cultural tourism was shown to have detrimental effects on the economy, underscoring the importance of sustained investment in preserving and promoting cultural heritage for sustainable development.

  Banerjee, O., Velasco, M., Maisonnave, H., Beyene, L. M., & Henseler, M. (2017). The Economic Benefits of Investing in Cultural Tourism: Evidence from the Colonial City of Santo Domingo (, Ed.). Inter-American Development Bank. https://doi.org/10.18235/0001267

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• Inventing space in the cañada: Tracing children's agency in Los Platanitos, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

  Children in the informal settlement of Los Platanitos, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, actively challenge negative perceptions of their environment by redefining the liminal space of the cañada—a polluted waterway—as a source of agency and creativity. Through play, imagination, and representation, they transform tropes of decay, filth, and danger into meaningful elements of their urban experience. This study highlights the potential for children's placemaking practices to inspire radical, everyday-based approaches to urban planning that move beyond traditional discourses of citizenship-formation and technical interventionism.

  Sletto, B., & Diaz, O. O. (2015). Inventing space in the cañada : Tracing children’s agency in Los Platanitos, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 47(8), 1680–1696. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518x15597104

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