“Puerto Rico: gateway to landscape” from an ecological perspective

Abstract

The exhibit Puerto Rico: Gateway to Landscape proposes to explore various ways in which citizens approach the landscape, or construct it – inside and outside the city – and considers city planning, the creation of parks and natural reserves, and their interpretation. From a perspective of citizen involvement, this thematic scaffolding related to landscape and the various ways we connect to is important, not just because it is relevant in the context of today’s Puerto Rico but also because it represents an opportunity to make a conscious effort to evaluate – from an interdisciplinary perspective, and in a community-focused way – what our green spaces represent. This focus enables us to extol the value of a land-use policy, which is essential for the holistic development of Puerto Rican society. The functioning of many natural elements or systems within the landscape (rivers, lakes woodlands, and the soil, for example) impacts many aspects of the citizenry’s well-being and development, from the provision to citizens of such essential services as water and food, or the regulation of cycles (such as floods; soil degradation, desiccation, and salinization; pests; and illnesses) to the representation of a potential to contribute to the island’s cultural, aesthetic, spiritual, socio-economic, and health development. Given this context, we ask ourselves: How do citizens approach landscape with the context of today’s Puerto Rico.

Citation

Gonzalez, Grizelle. 2015. “Puerto Rico: gateway to landscape” from an ecological perspective. In: MAC and MAAH (Ed.), Puerto Rico: puerta al paisaje. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo and Museo de Arte, Antropología e Historia de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. p. 287 – 291.