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THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT
IN THE REALITY OF VIRTUAL WORLD: THE CASE OF PUERTO RICO
Oma H. Es ada Meléndez
Fo me Doc o al S uden
oes ada78@ho mail.com
+1-787-748-0048
Ad iana I. Oli a ez González
Coo dina o o Mas e P og am
oli a es.ad [email protected]
+11-52-33-1072-4887
Cen o Uni e si a io de A e, A qui ec u a y Diseño
Uni e sidad de Guadalaja a
Calz Independencia N e 5075, Huen i án El Bajo, Guadalaja a, 44250, México
dc s_comunicad[email p o ec ed].mx
+11-52-33-1202-3000 Ex . 38686
Key wo ds: De elopmen , Te i o ial De elopmen , Vi ual Reali y, Pue o Rico
Abs ac
In he new i ual wo ld, i becomes necessa y o conside new concep s o de elopmen ha
allow o achie e social jus ice and equi y. I is o his eason, in his a icle p esen a syn he ic
e iew o he de elopmen heo ies e olu ion, he de ini ion o he concep o e i o ial
de elopmen and he implica ion o his concep in he case o Pue o Rico. The indings
p esen ed in his a icle a e pa o a la ge in es iga ion ha was de eloped in he Doc o a e
P og am o Ci y, Te i o y and Sus ainabili y a he Uni e si y o Guadalaja a, Mexico. The main
objec i e o his esea ch was o de e mine how he p ocesses o e i o ial de elopmen we e
a ec ed by he p esence o dependen e i o y geopoli ical condi ion.
Howe e , his academic esea ch is only he basis o ex ending a discussion abou a concep
ha equi es u he analysis o adjus o o he eali ies in he wo ld and o inco po a e he
lessons and expe iences o o he indi iduals. I necessa y unde s ands ha e i o ial
de elopmen concep is ela i ely young and has only wo decades since i s i s o mula ions,
so i equi es a p ocess o ope a ionalize he de ini ion componen s. Such wo k would allow he
e i o ial de elopmen concep can be conside ed in he p epa a ion o di e en e i o ial
s udies and analysis.
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In oduc ion
Today, he e is alk ha socie y has en e ed in o a new e a whe e communica ion and
in o ma ion ha e become hei mos impo an asse s. A new e a, in which socie y begins o
ha e pa o hei exis ence in a wo ld ha no ma e ializes in he physical sphe e bu a he in
he i ual. Usually, in he ield o in o ma ion and echnology, i ual is used o e e o he
eali y cons uc ed by sys ems o digi al o ma s.
This i ual wo ld has seen by some people as a posi i e elemen o coun ies and indi iduals
because he knowledge is socialized, he ela ionships and in e ac ions a e globalized and mo e
eedoms a e ex ending o he human being. Bu he bene i s o his i ual eali y a e a om
being global because he e a e many people in he wo ld who do no ha e access o his
echnology.
Fo his eason, i is necessa y o obse e he phenomenon o i uali y as a ba ome e o global
inequali y and he p oblems ha ha e e i o ies o achie e adequa e le els o de elopmen .
The lack o access o he in e ne is oday, cause o social exclusion p ocesses. Indi iduals ha
wan o join he ne wo ks canno do so because hey ha e lack economic esou ces, poo
in as uc u e, unknown he echnology o simply a e no a basic necessi y o hei li es.
Gi en his eali y, which is ine i able o he a ious socie ies in he wo ld, i is necessa y o
e isi he no ion we ha e o de elopmen in he e i o ies. I is necessa y o e-examine i only
look he de elopmen om he pe spec i e o economic g ow h o we should conside he
in oduc ion o o he al e na i e concep ions ha gi e mo e weigh o human de elopmen .
The e o e, in his a icle is examined he e olu ion o he concep o de elopmen , he de ini ion
o e i o ial de elopmen and he analysis o he s udy case o Pue o Rico.
E olu ion o he de elopmen concep
Be o e in oducing a de ini ion o he e i o ial de elopmen concep mus s a om he
his o ical e olu ion o he de elopmen e m. This e m eme ged in he nine een h cen u y om
he s udy o he ichness accumula ion p ocesses in he indus ialized coun ies and ha o e
ime became a heo e ical o mula ion di ec ed a changing he eali y o economically backwa d
coun ies. This heo e ical o mula ion, which is p epa ed o he second hal o he wen ie h
cen u y, was cons an ly changing because in he implemen a ion ecei ed mul iple c i iques.
In a hesis p epa ed by An onio L. Hidalgo (1998) o he Uni e si y o Huel a, Spain, i can
app ecia e he di e en kind o hough s ha a ious heo is s elabo a ed abou de elopmen . In
his hesis, he classi ied he de elopmen hough in o i e ca ego ies shaped by he heo ies o
mode ni y, s uc u alism, neo-Ma xism, neo libe alism and al e na i e heo ies o de elopmen .
This kind o hough s a ed o copy he de elopmen p ocesses o he indus ialized coun ies
bu he di icul ies encoun e ed in he implemen a ion o many heo ies will be he engine o he
cons an e olu ion o he concep .
The i s line o hough which was elabo a ed abou he de elopmen was ela ed o mode ni y.
The e is an e o o a ionalize he his o ic ansi ion om p eindus ial socie y o indus y, in
o de o es ablish s a egies ha we e applicable o coun ies ha we e economically lagga ds
a e Wo ld Wa II. The heo e ical o mula ion unde his s eam o hough goes om 1940 o
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1960. The heo ies ela ed wi h his s eam o hough we e ound: he s ages o economic
g ow h, he doc ine o he icious ci cles o po e y, he pos -keynesian dynamic models, he
neoclassical models o s uc u al change and he deba e on he balance and imbalance o
g ow h.
I is pa o an e olu iona y app oach, which iews de elopmen as an end o which all na ions
should aspi e. Di e en coun ies he e o e should be placed along a con inuum ha is bounded
by he poles o adi ion and mode niza ion. Acco ding o Hidalgo (1998), he undamen al
cha ac e is ics o hese heo ies a e i e and consis o : 1. iden i y de elopmen wi h economic
g ow h and mode ni y, 2. conside he phenomenon o unde de elopmen as a p oblem o
backwa dness and s agna ion, 3. see indus ializa ion as a key elemen o mode niza ion, 4.
concei e planning as an essen ial elemen o de elopmen policy, and 5. conside he aid, loans
and o eign in es men as ac i a o s o he g ow h p ocess (p. 68).
The i s c i icism o he mode niza ion heo ies a ises om he s uc u alism ha aking place in
La in Ame ica. These heo ies ha e i s o igins o he la e o ies, due o he de elopmen o a
c i ique o neoclassical heo ies o in e na ional ade. Among he heo e ical con ibu ions o his
school o hough ound wo ks as he endency o de e io a ion o he e ms o ade, he cen e -
pe iphe y model, he dualism, he obs acles o de elopmen , he s uc u alism dependence,
in e dependence, and he neo-s uc u alism.
The elemen s o he s uc u alis heo y o he de elopmen , acco ding o Hidalgo (1998),
consis in dis inguish be ween economic g ow h and de elopmen and de ine he concep o
unde de elopmen (pp. 104-105). S uc u alis s concei e he economic g ow h as me ely
expansion o p oduc ion based on he use o exis ing echnology while economic de elopmen
is de ined as a con inuous expansion o he numbe o sec o s using ad anced echnology.
Unde de elopmen , a he han being seen as an economic backwa dness in ce ain egions, as
p oposed by he mode nis s, is seen as a pa icula his o ical p oblem o how hese economies
a e inse ed in o he in e na ional economy.
Among he p oposals sugges ed o add ess he p oblem o unde de elopmen , i 's ound he
in e en ions o go e nmen s o pe iphe al coun ies di ec ed o ans o m i s p oduc ion
s uc u e by he c ea ion o di e si ied na ional indus ial sec o s. This economic s a egy has
been called he indus ial model o impo subs i u ion. As impo ed p oduc s a e p oduced
in e nally in he e i o ies by local ac o s, also mus be educed he dependency ela ionships
be ween coun ies.
The neo-Ma xis heo y a ises du ing he pos wa as an al e na i e o he heo y o
mode niza ion. Among he heo e ical wo ks p oduced in his school o hough a e he mode n
heo y o impe ialism, neo-Ma xis dependency, unequal exchange, he wo ld capi alis sys em
and disconnec ion. The main elemen s o he neo-Ma xis heo y can be summa ized in he
elabo a ion o a de ini ion o unde de elopmen , explana ions o unequal ela ions be ween
coun ies and es ablish he need o a adical poli ical change o achie e economic de elopmen
(Hidalgo, 1998).
Unde de elopmen o neo Ma xis hinking is a p ocess cha ac e ized by con inuous ex ac ion
o he su plus gene a ed in he pe iphe y by he ad anced capi alis economies. The
indus ialized capi alis coun ies in oduced he pe iphe al coun ies o a sys em o ela ions o
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unequal exchange in which he economic su plus was ex ac ed om he pe iphe y. Such
unequal ela ions des oy p e-capi alis a isan p oduc ion o he pe iphe ies and educes
incen i es o indigenous capi alis indus ial de elopmen .
Pa allel o he de elopmen o s uc u alis and Ma xis heo ies, was o ged a c i ical s eam o
he mode ni y heo y om conse a i e sec o s. Since he mid-se en ies, he de elopmen
hinking has been clea ly domina ed by he neoclassical app oach, de eloped by neolibe al
hinke s. Acco ding o he wo k o Vic o Ba one (1998), he economic policies o neolibe alism
a e based on he absolu e ee ma ke , p i a iza ion o s a e monopolies, in e en ion on
mac oeconomic a iables, con ainmen o wages, agains ax e o m and ade o ien ed o he
expo s p omo ion.
These policies a e implemen ed by an ideological discou se cha ac e ized by he
commodi ica ion o igh s and conques s o he wo ke s, iden i ica ion o he s a e wi h all bad,
he de elopmen o a sphe e o i ual consump ion, he imposi ion o a common neolibe al
sense, app op ia ion o he ocabula y o p og essi e o ces, he illuso y cha ac e iza ion o
al e na i e op ions and en ision he le s and social o ganiza ion as spokesmen o de ea is
p agma ism.
The economic pe spec i e ha ha e he neolibe alism and he o he heo ies lead in he
se en ies o he elabo a ion o o he concep ions o he de elopmen denomina ed al e na i e
heo ies. Acco ding o Hidalgo (1998) hese heo ies a e he esul o a change o iew ha
capi al accumula ion is no longe he u he end o he de elopmen bu a he he sa is ac ion
o he basic needs o man (p. 232). Among he ea u es o consensus ha has his line o
hinking a e ound: he sa is ac ion o human needs, ake ad an age o endogenous esou ces
o he e i o ies, s eng hen he con idence o socie y, make p ope use o he esou ces o he
biosphe e and gene a e a poli ical ans o ma ion ha allows sel -managemen and ci izen
pa icipa ion.
Te i o ial De elopmen
Al e na i e heo ies ha e been a b eak h ough in he concep ual e olu ion o de elopmen .
These ha e achie ed o edi ec he ocus on he economic ield o o he aspec s we e also
impo an o de elopmen as he en i onmen , socie y and poli ical igh s. Howe e , hese
heo ies ha e been de eloped agmen ed so i has equi ed an e o o syn hesis and
consolida ion o make hem ope a ional. This p ocess o heo ies consolida ion can be ound in
many wo ks p oduced by a ious heo is s and ins i u ions abou e i o ial de elopmen .
The concep o " e i o ial de elopmen eme ged as a concep associa ed wi h he idea o
e i o y" (Bece a & Pino, 2005, p. 91). The geog aphical loca ion became he main elemen o
be conside ed in gene a ing a de elopmen p ocess. The e i o y is no only a physical place
whe e a popula ion li es bu a he he geog aphical a ea in which social dynamics a e buil
h ough ne wo ks, ins i u ions and social capi al (CEDET, 2011). Howe e , acco ding o
Schneide & Pey é (2006), he e i o y in his concep o de elopmen "loses i s heu is ic and
concep ual sense" (p. 84) o become a a iable in which can pe o m some ype o in e en ion
abou he space o he popula ion.
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In his sense, " he e i o ial de elopmen app oach p esupposes ac ion on space and changing
social ela ions" (Schneide & Pey é, 2006, p. 84). The e i o y has he dual unc ion o being;
on he one hand, he lens o supposed whe e he solu ion o he p oblems o de elopmen is
conduc ed and, secondly, he subjec whe e p ac ices a e implemen ed o achie e a wel a e
s a e. These ea u es lead o conside he ac o s o dynamics a ec ing he subjec o s udy. In
heo e ical wo k p oduced by Boisie (2004), Be ejillo (1995), Méndez (2002), FAO (2005),
MIDEPLAN (2005) and Ramí ez (2011) a e p esen s he new e i o ial eali y.
Se gio Boisie (2004), p o ides he keys o unde s anding he new en i onmen in which
e i o ies a e imme sed. This au ho es ablish ha his new en i onmen is con igu ed h ough
he in e ac ion o h ee new scene ies ha a e con ex ual, s a egic and poli ical. The con ex ual
scene y is ela ed o he p ocesses o ex e nal ade opening ha globaliza ion has de eloped
and he in e nal poli ical opening ha has been c ea ed by go e nmen decen aliza ion. In he
s a egic scene y i has gi en a new e i o ial o ganiza ion based on a i ual logical and a new
o ms o e i o ial managemen ocused on he quasi-s a es and quasi-companies. In he
poli ical scene y is no ed a mode niza ion o he s a e based on e i o iali y and ein en ing o
local go e nmen s o hos unc ions o di ec and encou age he de elopmen .
The s a emen s o Boisie a e suppo ed by he wo k o Blanca R. Ramí ez (2011), who ies o
e alue he unc ions o he s a e and ins i u ions in he cu en global eali y. Fo Rami ez, he
wel a e s a e as he neolibe al ha e con on ed p oblems o impel policies which end o
de elopmen he e i o ies. Gi en his eali y, s a es need a ans o ma ion o become in agen s
o e i o ial cohesion, make a a ional, ai and by consensus o he na u al and he i age
esou ces use; and p omo e an equi able and ai compe i ion.
In he w i ing, Te i o ies in he Globaliza ion, Fede ico Be ejillo (1995) sugges s he need o
associa e de elopmen wi h he c ea ion o a new en i onmen in which he compe i i e is
associa ed wi h he ad an ages o he e i o ies and he ac i i ies o be pe o med a di e en
le els o sys em. The e o e, o his au ho , he c ea ion o inno a i e en i onmen s ha a e
a icula ed in in e -local p oduc ion ne wo ks a e an impo an conside a ion o he
de elopmen . Rica do Méndez (2002) coincides wi h hese app ecia ions when de eloping an
a icle dedica ed o he ela ionship he e a e be ween Inno a ion and e i o ial de elopmen .
On he o he hand, Be ejillo con ibu es o he elabo a ion o a de ini ion o e i o ial
de elopmen when he a gues ha e i o y in e en ion should be pe o med on he basis o
ede ine he planning p ocess. Fo his au ho planning should inco po a e s a egic
managemen and p ospec i e. The Minis y o Na ional Planning and Economic Policy o Cos a
Rica (MIDEPLAN, 2005) suppo s he app oach o Be ejillo when expose ha p ospec i e is "a
unique e en which se es o o e come he limi a ions and con adic ions posed by he sho -
e m and gene a e hope o ci izens " (p. 5).
In he case o Food and Ag icul u e O ganiza ion o he Uni ed Na ions (FAO, 2005), ci izen
in ol emen is ano he elemen o be conside ed in he de ini ion o e i o ial de elopmen . In
he expe ience o de eloping echnical assis ance p ojec s o 30 yea s, his o ganiza ion ha e
ound ha op-down s a egies do no wo k. In i s poin o iew, he social en i ies, e e y day,
ha e been aking a mo e leading ole in decision-making on he e i o y, which leads o
conside new app oaches such as "bo om-up" and he use o pa icipa o y me hodologies.

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The app oach p esen ed in di e en a eas o e i o ial de elopmen ca y o conside o he
heo e ical wo ks ha g ouping di e en pe spec i es and isions which hey ha e been done
on he issue. Among hese wo ks a e impo an o men ion hose p oduced by Ma ia S. Di
Filippo (2008), DDTS (2009), CEDET (2011) and Be na d Pecqueu (2013). Wo ks ha help o
de ine dimensions, componen s, ca ego ies, a iables and indica o s o he e i o ial
de elopmen .
Figu e 1
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Making a e lexion o he di e en de ini ion ha ha e been elabo a ed abou he concep o
e i o ial de elopmen , we can say ha i is a de elopmen app oach ha in eg a es di e en
disciplina y and sec o al s a egies; whose pu pose is sys emically build social en i onmen s
ha ensu e cons an imp o emen o he quali y o li e o ci izens who a e pa o a e i o y. To
achie e his objec i e, e i o ial de elopmen equi es sys emic solu ions ha add ess di e en
a eas o socie y li e as a e he poli ical-ins i u ional, economic-p oduc i e, en i onmen and
cul u e-social.
Conce ning o poli ical and ins i u ional dimension, e i o ial de elopmen mus inco po a e
ins i u ional, o ganiza ional and manage ial p ocesses. Ins i u ionally, i should be gi en p ocess
o p omo ing local p oduc s h ough en e p ises de elopmen ha ecei e public suppo .
O ganiza ionally, he local go e nmen s uc u es mus be ans o med o assume he his o ical
esponsibili y o managing he e i o y. Func ion ha could be pe o m s a egically by means o
p ospec i e, he public pa icipa ion and use o endogenous subs an i e elemen s.
The economic-p oduc i e dimension o he e i o ial de elopmen should be achie ed h ough
changes and ans o ma ions in he p oduc i e en i onmen ha will allow a good inse ion o
ma ke s. These changes should esul in a p oduc i e specializa ion, gene a ing inno a i e
en i onmen s and de elopmen sys emic compe i i eness. Economic achie emen s ha mus
be accompanied by imp o emen o he social and en i onmen al aspec s.
In social e ms, e i o ial de elopmen should be di ec ed o build an en i onmen in which
human de elopmen is achie ed. This means o a icula e a p ocess in which he ac o s o a
gi en e i o y exploi hei ull po en ial and sa is ies hei needs and in e es s. This social
cons uc ion mus no be in con lic wi h he en i onmen , because he e mus be a balance
whe e he na u al and local cul u al he i age is alued.
The e i o ial de elopmen in he case o Pue o Rico
Pue o Rico is an island loca ed in he Ca ibbean Sea, be ween he geog aphical coo dina es:
la i udes 17° 50' and 18° 30' No h and longi udes 65° 13' and 67° 58 'wes . I is loca ed a he
junc ion o he G ea e and Lesse An illes, which posi ions o he cen e o his egion (Gould, e
al., 2008, p. 8). Supe icially, i has a land a ea o abou 9,104 squa e kilome e s. I s e i o y is
composed o a main island, wo smalle islands, Vieques and Culeb a, and se e al isle s and
cays as Mona, Moni o, Desecheo and Caja de Mue os. I bounded on he no h by he A lan ic
Ocean, on he sou h by he Ca ibbean Sea, he eas wi h he Vi gin Islands Passage and on he
wes by he Mona Passage.
This island o i s geos a egic impo ance since i s disco e y in 1493 has been in a posi ion o
subo dina ion o economic powe s. Ini ially his subo dina ion was unde Spanish empi e, bu
since 1898 is pa o he e i o ies domina ed by he Uni ed S a es o Ame ica. This domain
condi ion has made Pue o Rico a place o implemen a ion o a ious de elopmen models
h ough i s his o y in o de o be expo ed o o he pa s o La in Ame ica. Among de elopmen
s a egies ha ha e been implemen ed in Pue o Rico om he second hal o wen y cen u ies
a e ound he policies o s uc u alism, he model o mode niza ion and a ious s a egies o
neolibe alism.
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Du ing he las go e nmen adminis a ion es ablished by he Uni ed S a es in Pue o Rico,
be ween 1941-1946, he indus ializa ion p ocess used c i e ia simila o hose p oposed by he
s uc u alis s a egies. The las US go e no in he island, Rex o d G. Tugwell, implemen ed
s a egies consonan wi h wha is known as a model o indus ializa ion h ough impo
subs i u ion and public in e en ions o sponso o he c ea ion o di e si ied na ional indus ial
sec o s. In his ask he go e nmen c ea es ins i u ions ha we e p ojec ed as physical
mani es a ion o he aspi a ions o Pue o Ricans o de elopmen .
The p ocess o indus ializa ion o Pue o Rico began in 1942 wi h he c ea ion o he Indus ial
De elopmen Company. This agency was c ea ed wi h he ini ial goal o es ablishing ac o ies
wi h inancial suppo om he go e nmen . The ac o ies we e c ea ed o p oduce goods o
local consump ion wi h aw ma e ials p oduced in he coun y (Sil es ini & Luque de Sánchez,
1987, p. 507). Among he ac o ies ha we e es ablished by he De elopmen Company we e
cemen , pape , shoes, glass, and ce amic p oduc s. This i s indus ializa ion s a egy ailed in
he g ea ask o educing unemploymen and po e y, because he e ec s caused by he
Second Wo ld Wa ha o e shadowed any achie emen in his ega d.
Be o e he assump ion ha i s model o indus ializa ion was a ailu e, subsequen
go e nmen s we e obliged o adop he p e ailing end o he heo ies o mode niza ion. The
go e nmen changed i s de elopmen s a egy by he adop ion o an economic policy ha
pe secu ed o con ince Ame ican capi alis s abou he ad an ages o in es in Pue o Rico.
These ad an ages consis ed on cheap labo , compe i i e ope a ing expenses, g an ing a i
p o ec ion o goods p oduced on he island and en e o Uni ed S a es ma ke , low p oduc ion
cos s o new businesses (including wa e and cheap elec ici y), gene ous ax incen i es and
implemen a ion o go e nmen p og ams o ain wo ke s o hese US companies o inc ease
hei yield (Mu ien e, e al., 1994, p. 214).
In ha sense Pue o Rico became an indus ial encla e o he Uni ed S a es whe e local
p oduc ion was gea ed owa ds gene a ing p oduc s and se ices ha need his coun y. This
economic s a egy had i s achie emen s as inc eased li e expec ancy, imp o ed heal h
condi ions o ci izens, aised he le el o educa ion and de eloping a signi ican middle class.
Howe e , mode niza ion s a egies, which emain he coun y's economic policy, ha e ceased o
succeed when he wo ld has globalized and economic policies ha e led o neolibe alism. The
opening o ma ke s be ween coun ies and he de elopmen o ee ade ag eemen s ha e
unde mined compe i i eness o Pue o Rico. The e a e coun ies wi h access o he US ma ke
ha o e be e bene i s o companies ha we e loca ed on he island.
Gi en his eali y, he economic and social model o Pue o Rico has en e ed a p ocess o
economic con ac ion ha has educed labo supply and go e nmen e enue. I is o his
eason, since he nine ies, he go e nmen has been implemen ing neolibe al measu es ha a e
looking o educe unc ions. The s a e go e nmen has decen alized unc ions o municipal
au ho i ies and has hi ed p i a e companies o p o ide go e nmen se ices. Among he
se ices mos a ec ed by neolibe al policies a e heal h. I wen om a uni e sal heal h ca e
sys em o one in which p i a e insu e s, con ac ed by he go e nmen , p o ide se ices o he
medical indigen s.
1206
Thanks o his neolibe al de elopmen model has been sh inking go e nmen al s uc u e, bu a
he expense o c ea ing a p i a e sec o ha dependen on go e nmen unds. A p i a e sec o
ha some imes does no imp o e he se ices o e ed by he go e nmen and does no educe
he iscal cos s o dispensed hese. In his dilemma, Pue o Rico equi es es uc u e i s
de elopmen model o i he new global eali y, hence wo hwhile examining he con ibu ions
ha could be ob ained o he concep o e i o ial de elopmen .
A he poli ical le el he go e nmen al s uc u e o Pue o Rico complies wi h he p ecep s ha
e i o ial de elopmen concep seeks o achie e ins i u ionally. On he one hand, hey ha e
delega ed unc ions o local le el and on he o he , ha e ins i u ed p ocesses o ensu e ci izen
pa icipa ion. I is only necessa y ha he spacial plans p epa a ion inco po a e he p ospec i e
app oaches and he p ocesses o s a egic planning.
In he economic sphe e, Pue o Rico equi e o a p oduc i e specializa ion ha is no ied o
p oduc i e changes in hei adminis a i e au ho i y. I necessa y ha he island economy
specializes in he c ea ion o p oduc s and se ices ha uly exploi he capabili ies o
manpowe and physical esou ces a ailable. Bu abo e all, i is u gen o inco po a e a
de elopmen s a egy ha gene a e an inno a i e en i onmen . This change o pe spec i e
should be accompanied by a ede ini ion o compe i i eness as a business oppo uni y ha
alues he good s uc u a ion o he di e en e i o ial sys em le el.
In he social sphe e, Pue o Rico equi ed measu ing human de elopmen indica o s. The da a
o his indica o a e p oduced by he UN o many independen coun ies, bu no o dependen
e i o ies. The measu emen o hese indica o s would allow Pue o Rico compa e i s
pe o mance ela i e o o he coun ies in he wo ld as well as wi h o he uni s o he same
e i o y. Finally, in he en i onmen al sphe e he case o s udy shows con adic ions palpable
because, al hough has s ic en i onmen al egula ions, in he p ac ice i s u ban model goes
agains sus ainabili y s a egies. Pue o Rico has implemen ed a model o subu ban
de elopmen ha consumes he limi ed esou ces o he island and p omo es he ca as he
unique means o anspo .
Conclusion
The i ual wo ld has been expanding ac oss coun ies and social g oups hus o ming a new
e i o iali y ha equi ed di e en concep ions o de elopmen . Today is inescapable ha he
p og ess and de elopmen o coun ies is s ongly ied o he connec ion wi h he
communica ion ne wo ks. The lack o access o hese media a e causes o exclusion and
backwa dness o ce ain social sec o s. The e o e, i is necessa y o check he isions o
de elopmen in he coun ies.
A new iew o de elopmen can be ound in he al e na i e heo ies, especially om he
pe spec i e o e i o ial de elopmen . This concep is ela i ely young and seeks o syn hesize
a ious heo e ical cu en s as human de elopmen , local de elopmen , sys emic
compe i i eness and sus ainabili y. Cu en s o hough ha de eloped in isola ion and equi ed
uni ied in one concep . The e o e, in his a icle we ha e de eloped a de ini ion o e i o ial
de elopmen based in he con ibu ions o di e en heo is s.