Power to Puerto Rico: Jonathan Marvel lecture

Hurricane Maria, which made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, caused devastating damage across the island. Power failed in a total blackout; it was only fully, and seemingly precariously, restored in mid-August 2018, a full 11 months later. Over the past year, Puerto Ricans have dealt with shortages of all kinds, including water, materials, and appropriate levels of post-disaster aid.

On September 17, 2018, architect Jonathan Marvel discussed the ongoing work of Resilient Power Puerto Rico for the Franzen Lecture on Architecture and Environment. Marvel is principal of Marvel Architects, with offices in New York and San Juan.

Following the lecture, the League’s Rosalie Genevro moderated a discussion featuring Marvel; Deepak Lamba-Nieves, the research director for the San Juan-based think tank The Center for a New Economy; and Resilient Power Puerto Rico team members Daniela Lloveras Marxuach, Héctor Ralat Sotomayor, Cristina Roig-Morris, and José Juan Terrasa-Soler.

Prior to the lecture, Lamba-Nieves provided an overview of current conditions, challenges, and opportunities for development in Puerto Rico. The video can be found here.