Bayamon

Bayamón demonstrates ecological succession in urban economies—transitioning from agricultural monoculture through industrial production to a service and healthcare hub within a single municipality's history. Sugar and coffee plantations defined the Spanish colonial era; textile factories, iron foundries, and precision manufacturing dominated the twentieth century. Now the "Ciudad de Salud" (Health City) initiative anchors a healthcare economy attracting medical professionals while five top-rated private universities supply educated labor.

The municipality functions as San Juan's suburban complement rather than competitor. Bedroom community dynamics shape residential patterns: families commute to the capital while living in Bayamón's spacious suburban neighborhoods. Yet retail concentration provides local economic activity—Plaza del Sol and Plaza Rio Hondo rank among Puerto Rico's largest shopping centers. The distribution and supply chain sector leverages proximity to San Juan's port and airport. Manufacturing persists but has shifted from heavy industry to higher-value production integrated with the pharmaceutical sector.

This succession pattern from agriculture to manufacturing to services mirrors the broader Puerto Rico trajectory but compressed into observable municipal scale. Sugar mills that once defined Bayamón's economy now exist only as historical artifacts; the watch and zipper factories that followed similarly closed. Yet each transition created infrastructure that the next phase utilized—bank branches established for agricultural commerce served industrial firms, which generated demand for the universities and hospitals that now define the economy. The city demonstrates how path dependence shapes economic evolution: today's healthcare cluster builds on yesterday's industrial workforce and infrastructure.