The Cuban architect Edelberto "Bertín" Díaz, residing in Panama, warns that Havana needs its own urban solutions, tailored to its territory, culture, and climate, rather than the uncritical importation of foreign models that have historically resulted in what he calls "effectism."

His diagnosis identifies two dimensions of the change that Cuba needs: "This is not just a transition of a political order; there is a transition of what can be a city frozen in time. A culture that, at a certain moment, turns its spaces into a museum in one way, and it needs to be guided to 'transition,' for those spaces to gain value and for their life not to be a burden."

On the other hand, in an interview granted this Sunday to CiberCuba journalist Tania Costa, Díaz responded to the question of whether Havana could have a green space similar to New York's Central Park with a firm stance: "If you tell me that I have to crush 50 apples to have what New York has, it seems a little absurd to me."

Instead, the chief architect of Iberostar until the year 2000 suggests exploring their own alternatives. He mentions bamboo as a plant with "one of the best qualities of enhancing the quality of oxygen," although he acknowledges that "it needs to be studied." His main argument is that "to achieve the same result, you don't need the same recipe."

Díaz also criticizes Cuba's historical tendency to import solutions that do not fit its reality. He cites Paseo del Prado, the Capitolio, and Soviet prefabs as examples of transplanted models with uneven results: "At the end of the day, this is mere showmanship," he asserts.

That urban crisis he refers to has concrete figures: nearly 1,000 buildings collapse annually in Havana, the national housing deficit has exceeded 800,000 homes for years, and 35% of the housing stock is in fair or poor condition. The Cuban Housing Plan only met 39% of its goal in 2024 due to a shortage of cement.

Neighborhoods like Centro Habana and Habana Vieja are experiencing the greatest deterioration, with irreversible loss of historical heritage and more than 30,000 cubic meters of garbage and debris created daily, which lead to diseases such as dengue.

The regime, for its part, has only just begun to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem of buildings at risk of collapse, while the government's response has been consistently inadequate.

Political transition in Cuba

Regarding the political transition, Díaz is cautious but firm. "I definitely believe that a change is on the horizon. How it will come about, I have no idea exactly. What the proposal will be, I also have no idea, but it is clear that there is a need for change, and an urgent change, in the reality of the Cuban population," he states.

The architect urges not to wait for that moment to get organized. "Without a doubt, it is necessary to act with foresight," and warns that improvising in the midst of a transition would be a mistake: "You could find yourself caught with your pants down."

Díaz also notes that there are already emerging interactions between professionals and groups with political interests, and that these arrangements could become formalized "in the very near future."

It is also worth considering the ideas of those who previously attempted to outline a roadmap, as they "bring with them criteria and principles that are likely to illuminate what the next steps should be at a given moment."

Finally, the architect argues that urban sustainability must incorporate local cultures and the development of employment in each area, not just the economic logic of a business.