II.

Havana and Its Metropolitan Area

Havana is one of the oldest cities founded by Europeans in the western hemisphere; the Spanish established the city in 1519. Its history spans three principal periods, each of which is clearly reflected in the urban landscape: the Spanish colonial (1519 to 1898), the American neocolonial (1898 to 1959), and the revolutionary (1960 to present). The colonial period, lasting nearly 400 years, gave Havana much of the Spanish colonial architecture that distinguishes it and led the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to designate the colonial core of the city, Old Havana, as a World Heritage Site in 1982.

The city's first settlement was constructed on the western edge of Havana Bay. The channel into Havana Bay is flanked by four imposing colonial forts constructed of coral-limestone. Two of these sit at the entrance to the channel: on the north the Castillo del Morro, which now houses a maritime museum, and on the south the Castillo de la Punta, which contains the Museum of Fortifications and Armaments and is also the site of the nightly canon-firing ceremony. Two other forts are sited on the channel: the massive Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana on the north side, which now houses a museum of ceramic arts, and the Castillo de la Real Fuerza on the south side, which was undergoing restoration work in the late 1990s.

The original city focused on the central plaza, the Plaza de Armas. Focusing on a central plaza was a pattern of settlement typical of Spanish colonial cities, with important military, political, and religious buildings constructed within close proximity. The imposing colonial fort, Castillo de la Real Fuerza, lies adjacent to the plaza on the north. Other noteworthy landmarks are also built along the plaza, among them the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, which served as the home of the colony's governors, then later as the presidential palace, the seat of the city's municipal government, and the city museum. The Palacio de Segundo Cabo, originally constructed as a colonial post office in 1772, also sits on the Plaza de Armas.

The Plaza del Catedral located just a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas represents another important focus in Old Havana. Havana's cathedral, known as either the Catedral de la Habana or the Catedral de la Concepción Inmaculada dominates the plaza with its unusual mismatched belfry towers.

The Plaza Vieja, established in 1584, represents another major historic landmark of Old Havana. However, in contrast to the other plazas, public and religious architecture are absent. Instead the palatial homes and mansions of the city's colonial elite flank its sides. Many of these buildings have fallen into disrepair, but several are in various stages of restoration. One, the Casa de los Condes de Jaruco, has been fully restored and stands as an excellent example of a late colonial mansion.

Like many colonial cities in coastal areas, the Spanish walled the city to protect it from attacks by pirates and foreign powers. Havana's walls were built from 1674 to 1797 and enclosed an area of about 3 sq km (about 1 sq mi). This area defined the extent of Old Havana. The city's walls were torn down in 1863 to accommodate the growing city. The narrow streets of the old city contain many buildings of historical and cultural significance, accounting for perhaps as many as one-third of the 3000 buildings found in Old Havana.

Although Havana expanded slowly westward beyond the city's walls as early as 1800, this expansion increased during the four–year occupation of Cuba by the United States following the Spanish-American War (1898). Styles of architecture from the United States exerted a strong influence in these new areas of the city. Located just west of Old Havana and symbolic of U.S. influence is the Capitolio Nacional, a stunning white limestone building built in 1929 representing a near replica of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The building once served as the seat of the Cuban legislature and now houses the Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum. The Capitolio marks the beginning of Central Havana, a working class neighborhood and commercial district. Central Havana is sandwiched between Old Havana on the east and the new urban districts of Vedado and Miramar on the west.

Vedado, located along the Caribbean waterfront, was developed extensively during the decades between 1930 and 1960, when Havana developed as a major destination for U.S. tourists. High-rise hotels, casinos, restaurants, and upscale commercial establishments, many reflecting the then-popular art deco style, mushroomed in the Vedado district. In the late 1990s Vedado represented the principal commercial area of the city, and its environs were home to a variety of important landmarks including the José Martí Stadium, the University of Havana, the National Theater of Cuba, and the Colón Cemetery.

The upscale suburb of Miramar lies further west along the coast. The wealthy Cubans and foreigners who once occupied the expensive homes and mansions of this seaside district are mostly gone, primarily as refugees to the United States, but the district still retains its exclusive feel. Foreign embassies, diplomatic residences, upscale shops, and tourist facilities for wealthy foreigners are common in the area.

Influence from the United States in Havana is also reflected in some elements of the road system. American engineers conceived and initiated the construction of the city's Malecón, an elegant road that begins on the bay near the Plaza de Armas in Old Havana and hugs the coast as it runs westward to Vedado. Havana has a number of multilane highways, following the North American pattern. One such route connects the José Martí International Airport south of the city with the Plaza de la Revolución in the city center.

The Cuban Revolution in 1959, which brought the revolutionary government of Cuban leader Fidel Castro to power, led to dramatic changes in the city's urban landscape. Perhaps most significant was the decision by the government to reduce the level of investment and the concentration of resources in the city and distribute them more evenly among Cuba’s cities. Reduced government funding for Havana lead to the neglect, deterioration, and decay of much of the city's streets, buildings, and infrastructure.

Nevertheless, important innovations have taken place in the urban landscape during the revolutionary period. Notable changes have included the construction of new buildings following the rather austere styles of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), which became a close ally of Cuba following the Cuban Revolution. The development of the Habana del Este area on the east side of the bay and the construction of large apartment block towers throughout the city are typical of this pattern. Havana's landscape, especially in the southern and southwestern suburbs became increasingly industrial as the government sought to promote and diversify manufacturing in Cuba.

Housing in Havana is in short supply and what is available is often overcrowded and in poor repair. The unwillingness of the government to devote a greater proportion of the national budget to Havana has contributed to this problem. The loss of economic support from the USSR following the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe during the late 1980s and early 1990s has made the housing situation worse. Water, sewer, electricity, and cooking facilities are found in well over 90 percent of all dwelling units. However, services have deteriorated dramatically, causing water shortages and electric blackouts. Many generations of a family will often share dwelling units, while the former homes of wealthy residents have been subdivided into smaller living units or transformed into student dormitories.