remember when my Mother used to take me to the Colonial City to buy clothes and shoes. We would come all the way from Barahona, a province located in the south

of the country, to the“ Conde”, the main shopping street of Santo Domingo back in the 70 ´ s. Back then, it was only a two-track street. When I walk on it today as the pedestrian space that it has become, I wonder how two cars coming in opposite directions were able to travel through it. For me, el Conde street, the Alcazar and the Las Damas street made up the Colonial City, Primate of America.

A few years later, I was offered the coordination of a Project that had the main objective of contributing with the revitalization of the micro and small businesses located in the Colonial City, and since entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses is my passion, I couldn’ t feel anything but fortunate for the opportunity. However, I never imagined that this Project would not only get me to reunite with this City that I used to visit with my Mother, but would also allow me to take a stroll through each of its narrow streets and recognize every monument, every business, every home, all the history that, like the pieces of a puzzle, make up that square kilometer of the city of Santo Domingo.

The Project was designed as an addition for the revaluation of the Colonial City that’ s been ongoing since 2012 by the Development of Tourism Program, managed by the Ministry of Tourism, which is focused mainly on the improvement of urban public space. To date, among its main achievements, we can highlight:

• The overhaul of 2.5 kilometers of streets for sightseeing tours.

• The recuperation of 120 historical facades, property of people of low income.

• A plan for alternatives to regulate street selling, which is currently being implemented.

In the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, or the“ Zone” as many call it, you’ ll find an important architectural complex from colonial times that was declared Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1990, which encompasses a group of institutions considered a set of firsts in America: first cathedral, first town hall, first hospital, first customs office and the first university; besides many other buildings of that era( The Alcazar of Columbus and other royal palaces, fortresses, churches, convents, monasteries and hospitals).

Like in many Colonial Cities, gentrifying has occurred, which has reduced its population since the 60’ s and up until the 90’ s, when the Colonial City suffered a process of depopulation due to the migration of its residents to other areas of the city that offered more comfort and better quality

public services, which had a negative impact in the economic activities of this area. Currently, its population is of approximately 7,750 inhabitants, 78 % of which are over 35 years old, contrary to the demographic tendencies of the country. The average income declared as single family income of over 50 % of the inhabitants only reaches $ 20,000DOP( approximately USD $ 420).

For around 14 months I’ ve been roaming around the cobbled streets of a city immersed in important changes, looking for micro and small businesses to incorporate to the assistance program that we offer. The experience of working with the business owners of the Colonial City has been enriching.

We’ ve found two completely different business profiles: the micro businesses of more than 15 years of establishment, with very interesting proposals for traditional quality products( cuisine, local sweets, arts and crafts, tailoring, etc) but aren’ t integrated to the experience of the City, for neither the tourist or the local residents; and those that due to the process of urban rearrangement have taken advantage of the business opportunities that are opening up, creating more innovative and differentiated proposals. To date, we’ re working with 40 of these micro businesses that are betting on their incorporation into the new offer that’ s being developed in the Colonial City.

Tamara Mera, Engineer Consultant in the subject matters of Entrepreneurship and Business Management. Professor at the Department of Business Management in PUCMM, and Coordinator of the FOMIN Project of Commercial and Urban Revitalization of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.----------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: tamara. mera @ gmail. com Facebook: https:// www. facebook. com / tamara. mera. 98 Linkedin: https:// www. linkedin. com / in / tamara-mera-146b856 /