Luis E. Santiago

Associate Professor of the Practice, City Planning & Urban Affairs

Luis E. Santiago is an associate professor of the practice in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at BU’s Metropolitan College, teaching courses in city planning and urban affairs. He has been teaching since 1995, having held faculty positions at University of Central Florida, University of Puerto Rico, Colorado State University, Cornell University, and Ithaca College. Much of Dr. Santiago’s research is focused on sustainability as well as policies and attitudes related to the impact of urban development on ecosystems. Santiago has helped secure major grants from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for research on beach and coastal ecosystems in Puerto Rico, among others, and is widely published in journals such as Environment and Natural Resources Research, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Urban Public Economics Review, Ecology and Society, Sustainability, and many more. Santiago has presented at conferences and seminars worldwide.

Research Interests

Courses

Scholarly Works

Refereed Journal Articles

Luis Santiago, Kevián Pérez, Aurelio Castro, Maritza Barreto, and Jaime García. “A Hedonic Approach to Coastal Resilience in Post-Hurricane Maria’s Puerto Rico.” Coastal Management 52, no. 6 (2024): 359–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2024.2431940

Santiago, L., Forero, J., and Meléndez, E. “Proceed with Caution: Social Acceptability of Forestry Practices in Puerto Rico among Environmental Non-Government Organizations and Civic Society.” Environmental Management vol. 73 (2024): 920–931. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-024-01942-0

Lee, Y., and Santiago, L. “Race, class and gender identity: implications for transgender people’s police help seeking.” Police Practice and Research 24, no. 1 (2022): 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2022.2085102

Santiago, L., Forero-Montaña, J., Melendez-Ackerman, E., Gould, W., and Zimmerman, J. “Social Acceptability of a Sustainable Forestry Industry in Puerto Rico: Views of Private, Public, and Non-Profit Sectors.” Forests 13, no. 4 (2022): 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040576

Forero-Montaña, J., Zimmerman, J., González, E., Wadsworth, F., Ward, S., Meléndez, E., Santiago, L., and Lee, C. “Developing a growth yield model for planted big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) at advanced age in subtropical moist forest in Puerto Rico.” Trees, Forests and People vol. 5 (2021): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2021.100113

Santiago, L., Barreto, M., Montañez-Acuña, A., Flecha, T., Cabrera, N., Bonano, V., Bracero Marrero, L., and Díaz, E. “A Coastal Vulnerability Framework to Guide Natural Infrastructure Allocation in Compressed Time.” Environmental Management 67, no. 1 (2020): 67–80.

Santiago, L., Flores, D., and Hong, C. “The Impact of Flooding and Hurricane Maria on Community Risk Planning and Management Frames: The Case of San Juan, Puerto Rico.” Urbe vol. 12 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-3369.012.e20190062

Olivero, S., Meléndez, E., Santiago, L., and Santiago, R. “Attitudes towards Residential Trees and Awareness of Tree Services and Disservices in a Tropical City.” Sustainability 12, no. 1 (2020): 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010117

Santiago, L., and Hong, C. “Regaining tractability through reframing of a watershed management conflict: A case of southwestern Puerto Rico.” River Research and Applications vol. 36 (2020): 422–429. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3548

Forero-Montaña, J., Zimmerman, J., and Santiago, L. “Analysis of the Potential of Small-scale Enterprises of Artisans and Sawyers as Instruments for Sustainable Forest Management in Puerto Rico.” Journal of Sustainable Forestry 37, no. 3 (2018): 257–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/10549811.2017.1406372

Santiago, L., Loomis, J., Ortiz, A., and Torres, A. “Valuing Urban Tropical River Recreation Attributes Using Choice Experiments.” Environment and Natural Resources Research 6, no. 2 (2016): 128.

Melendez, E., Nytch, C., Santiago, L., Verdejo, J., Santiago, R., Ramos, L., and Muñoz-Erickson, T. “Synthesis of Household Yard Area Dynamics in the City of San Juan Using Multi-Scalar Social-Ecological Perspectives.” Sustainability 8, no. 5 (2016): 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8050481

Santiago, L., Gladkikh, T., Betancourt, L., and Vargas, Y. “Green versus Gray: Attitudes toward Vegetation in a Tropical Metropolitan Square.” Environment and Natural Resources Research 5, no. 2 (2015): 109.

Muñoz-Erickson, T., Lugo, A., Meléndez, E., Santiago, L., et al. “Knowledge to Serve the City: Insights from an Emerging Knowledge-Action Network to Address Vulnerability and Sustainability in San Juan, Puerto Rico.” Cities and the Environment 7, no. 1 (2014): 5.

Meléndez-Ackerman, E. J., Santiago-Bartolomei, R., Vila-Ruiz, C. P., Santiago, L. E., García-Montiel, D., Verdejo-Ortiz, J. C., Manrique-Hernández, H., and Hernández-Calo, E. “Socioeconomic drivers of yard sustainable practices in a tropical city.” Ecology and Society 19, no. 3 (2014): 20.

Santiago, L., Verdejo-Ortiz, J., Santiago-Bartolomei, R., Meléndez, E., and García-Montiel, D. “Uneven Access and Underutilization of Ecological Amenities in Urban Parks of the Río Piedras Watershed.” Ecology and Society 19, no. 1 (2014): 26.

Ramos, L., Villanueva, L., Santiago, L., and Rodríguez, Y. “Green Area Loss in San Juan’s Inner-Ring Suburban Neighborhoods: a Multidisciplinary Approach to Analyzing Green/Gray Area Dynamics.” Ecology and Society 19, no. 2 (2014): 4.

García-Montiel, D., Verdejo-Ortiz, J., Santiago-Bartolomei, R., Vilá, C., Santiago, L., and Meléndez, E. “Food sources and accessibility and waste disposal patterns across an urban tropical watershed: Implications for the flow of materials and energy.” Ecology and Society 19, no. 1 (2014): 37.

Loomis, J., and Santiago, L. “Economic Valuation of Beach Quality Improvements: Comparing Incremental Attribute Values Estimated from Two Stated Preference Valuation Methods.” Coastal Management 41, no. 1 (2013): 75–86.

Loomis, J., Santiago, L., and López, Y. “Effects of construction and operation phases on residential property prices of the Caribbean’s first modern rail transit system.” Urban Public Economics Review vol. 17 (2012): 57–78.

Loomis, J., and Santiago, L. “Testing Differences in Estimation of River Recreation Benefits for International and Domestic Tourists as a Function of Single- Versus Multiple-Destination Day Trips.” Journal of Hospitality and Marketing Management 20, no. 2 (2011): 143–165.

Santiago, L., and Pantojas, E. “An Empirical Analysis of Employment and Wage Clusters in Puerto Rico: 1979-1999.” Forum Empresarial 15, no. 1 (2010): 1–23.

Santiago, L., and Loomis, J. (2009). Recreation Benefits of Natural Area Characteristics at the El Yunque National Forest.” Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 52, no. 4 (2009): 535–547.

Santiago, L., and Loomis, J. “The Relative Economic Value of Tropical Forest Rivers for Social Recreation and Nature Based Recreation.” University of Puerto Rico Social Science Journal vol. 20 (2009): 156–175.

Santiago, L., González-Cabán, A., and Loomis, J. “A Model for Predicting Daily Peak Visitation and Implications for Recreation Management and Water Quality: Evidence from Two Rivers in Puerto Rico.” Environmental Management 41, no. 6 (2008): 904–914.

Books

Colón, A., Mulero, M., Santiago, L., and Burgos, N. Estirando el Peso: Acciones de Ajuste y Relaciones de Género Ante el Cierre de Fábricas en Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, Puerto Rico: Center for Social Research, University of Puerto Rico, 2008).

Chapter in Edited Volume

Pasqual. J., Hawkins, C., Santiago, L., and Bollman, H. “Biomethane as a fuel for the transport sector in Brazil and the United States: An analysis based on the water-energy-food nexus.” In The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: What the Brazilian Research Has to Say, edited by F. De Araujo, M. Dalla Fontana, T. Malheiros, and G. Marques (Sao Paulo Research Foundation, 2022): 245–261.

Conference Participation

Santiago, L. (moderator and presenter). “How green is the path to livable and sustainable outcomes? Initiatives in pursuit of a greener Orlando.” The 16th Annual Public Administration Research Conference, March 25, 2022 (online).

Santiago, Ramos, An, and Lescano (presenters). “Perspectives on Seeking Safe Space in Central Florida.” The 61st Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, October 22, 2021 (online).

Barreto, Santiago (presenter), Montañez, Flecha, Cabrera, Bonano, and Bracero. “A Coastal Vulnerability Framework to Guide Natural Infrastructure Funds Allocation in Compressed Time.” The 61st Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, October 7, 2021 (online).

Santiago, L. (moderator and presenter). “Visions of a Sustainable Creative Village: An Urban Planners Perspective.” The 15th Annual Public Administration Research Conference, March 19, 2021 (online).

Santiago, L. (roundtable presenter). “Transnational University-Community Collaborations for Post-Disaster Recovery: Research, Education and Engagement.” The 60th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, November 6, 2020 (online).

Santiago, Lee, and An (presenters). “Gendered Perspectives on Seeking Safe Space While Experiencing Homelessness.” The 60th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, November 5, 2020 (online).

Santiago, L. (roundtable participant). “Homelessness and Planning.” The 59th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Greenville, South Carolina, October 25, 2019.

Santiago, L. (presenter). “Coastal Community Reconstruction in Compressed Time: Funding Distribution in Puerto Rico’s Socially Vulnerable Communities after Hurricane Maria.” The 59th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Greenville, South Carolina, October 24, 2019.

Santiago, Flores, and Hong (presenters). “The Impact of Hurricane Maria on Community Flood Risk Planning and Management Frames: The Case of San Juan, Puerto Rico.” The 2019 Fall Congress of the Korea Planning Association, Seoul, Korea, October 25, 2019.

Barreto, M. (presenter), and Santiago, L. “Physical and Social Vulnerability Indicators to Determine Natural Infrastructure Priorities in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.” The NASPAA Emergency Management Education Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 4, 2019.

Santiago, L. (presenter). “Equity Planning in Compressed Time: The (In)Equitable Distribution of Coastal Natural Infrastructure Funding in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.” The 49th Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, Luskin Conference Center, Los Angeles, California, April 25, 2019.

Santiago, L. (moderator). “Disaster response and recovery.” In Pursuit of Puerto Rican Studies Research Summit, Orlando, Florida, April 17, 2019.

Santiago, L. (panel moderator). “In search of a sustainability framework to inform Orlando planners in times of rapid growth and technological change: Bridging the gap between urban planning theory and practice.” Public Administration Research Conference, Fairwinds Alumni Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, March 1, 2019.

Santiago, L. (presenter). “The Impact of Hurricane Maria on Community Flood Event Planning and Management Frames: The Case of San Juan, Puerto Rico.” The 58th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Buffalo–Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo, New York, October 26, 2018.

Santiago, L. (roundtable participant). “Towards a More Equitable Development for Post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico.” The 58th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Buffalo–Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo, New York, October 25, 2018.

Santiago, L. (discussant). “Urban Informality.” The 58th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Buffalo–Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo, New York, October 25, 2018.

Santiago, L., and Barreto, M. “Livability Indicators to Inform Coastal Co-management Efforts in the Face of Climate Change.” The 48th Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, Toronto, Canada, April 6, 2018.

Santiago, L. “Planning for the Sustainable Recovery of Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria.” The 48th Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, Toronto, Canada, April 6, 2018.

Barreto, M., Torres, J., Ortiz, J., Santiago, L., Setegn, S., Guild, L., Ramos, C. and Armstrong, R. (poster). “Human Impacts to Coastal Ecosystems in Puerto Rico (HICE-PR, NASA Award NNX14AJ23G): A remote sensing, hydrologic, ecologic and socio-economic assessment with management implications.” The International Ocean Colour Science Meeting 2017, Lisbon, Portugal, May 15–18, 2017.

Santiago, L., Flores, D., and Castello, M. “Community Non-Governmental Approaches to Achieve Livability and Manage Climate Induced Risk at the Local Level: The Case of the San Juan Watershed.” The 47th Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 19–22, 2017.

Santiago, L. (session chair and discussant). “Accessing the Commons: Environmental Justice and Gentrification in Urban Green Space.” The 56th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Portland, Oregon, November 3, 2016.

Santiago, L., Torres, A., and Ortiz, A. “Ecosystem Trade-Offs and Conflict: Stakeholder Accounts from an Urban Tropical Watershed.” The 56th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Portland, Oregon, November 6, 2016.

Santiago, L. (conference co-chair). The Asian Conference on Urban Planning and Sustainable Cities, Hiroshima, Japan, September 1–3, 2016.

Santiago, L. (session chair). “Environmental Sustainability & Environmental Management: Freshwater, Oceans and Seas.” The Sixth Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment; Kobe, Japan, June 9–12, 2016.

Santiago, L., Torres, A., and Ortiz, A. “Does Knowledge of Environmental Organizations Translate into Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors? Evidence from an Urbanized Tropical Watershed.” The Sixth Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment; Kobe, Japan, June 9–12, 2016.

Dr. Hans-Jürgen Burchardt (presenter) and Santiago, L. (moderator). “Development and Extractivism in Comparative Perspective.” Graduate School of Planning, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, March 29, 2016.

Santiago, L., Torres, A., and Ortiz, A. “Does Greater Environmental Awareness Translate into Higher Valuation of Ecosystem Attributes? Visitor Attitudes in an Urban Tropical Watershed.” The Second Asian Conference on the Social Sciences and Sustainability, Fukuoka, Japan, November 1–3, 2015.

Torres, A., Ortiz, A. and Santiago, L. “Ecosystem Services Provision and Environmental Consciousness at Small-Scale Settings: The Case of the Manatí Watershed.” Poster Competition Fourth Place Winners, US Coral Reef Task Force, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, October 27, 2015.

Santiago, L., Torres, A., and Ortiz, A. “Environmental Awareness and Behavior Among Direct Ecosystem Service Users in an Urban Tropical Watershed.” The 55th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Houston, Texas, October 25, 2015.

Torres, A., and Ortiz, A., and Santiago, L. “Regulating Ecosystem Services and Users Connection to Nature: The Case of an Urban Tropical Watershed in Puerto Rico.” The 55th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Houston, Texas, October 25, 2015.

Santiago, L. (discussant). “Externalities of Development in China, Principally PM2.5.” The 55th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Houston, Texas, October 25, 2015.

Santiago, L., Gladkikh, T., Betancourt, L., and Vargas, Y. “Green Versus Gray: Attitudes and Preferences Towards Vegetation in a Puerto Rico Metropolitan City Square.” The 54th Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 30, 2014.

Santiago, L., Santiago, R., Verdejo, J., Meléndez, E., and García, D. “Natural Resource Conservation Based Recreation Patterns in a Densely Populated Watershed in Puerto Rico: The Role of Urban Neighborhood Parks and Green Areas.” The 53rd Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1, 2012.

Ramos, L., Villanueva, L., and Santiago, L. “Green Area Loss in San Juan’s Suburban Neighborhoods: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Analyzing Green-Gray Area Dynamics.” The 53rd Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1, 2012.

Ramos, L., Villanueva, L., and Santiago, L. “It’s Not that Easy Being Near Green: Obstacles to Accessibility to Urban Green Spaces in the Rio Piedras Watershed in Puerto Rico.” The 53rd Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1, 2012.

Santiago, R., Verdejo, J., and Santiago, L. “Asleep at the Switch and Unsuspecting Victims: Examining Flood Risk Awareness and Adaptive Capacity in an Urban Watershed in Puerto Rico.” The 53rd Annual Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1, 2012.

Santiago, L., and Loomis, J. “Testing whether marginal values of tropical beach attributes are stable across CVM and choice experiments designs.” The Ecological Society of America, Portland, Oregon, August 9, 2012.

Meléndez-Ackerman, E., Santiago, R., Santiago, L., Vila, C., García-Montiel, D., Lastra, L., Figuerola, C., Verdejo, J., Manrique, H., and Hernández-Calo, E. “Plant species diversity and abundance in the Río Piedras watershed: Associations with physical and socioeconomic factors.” Ecological Society of America, Portland, Oregon, August 9, 2012.

García-Montiel, D., Santiago, R., Meléndez-Ackerman, E., and Santiago, L. “Consumption and waste disposal patterns of households in a tropical urban watershed.” Ecological Society of America, Portland, Oregon, August 9, 2012.

“Recreation Visitation in Tropical Forest Rivers: Puerto Rico’s Mameyes and Espíritu Santo.” Hydrology Days, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, March 21, 2007.

“The Emergence and Growth of Employment and Wage Clusters in Puerto Rico during the Period 1980–2000.” World Planning Schools Congress, American Collegiate Schools of Planning, Mexico City, Mexico, July 13, 2006.

“Regional Diversity and Pockets of Specialization in Puerto Rico: 1980–2000.” North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association, Seattle, Washington, November 13, 2005.

“The Emergence and Growth of Industrial Clusters in Puerto Rico during the Period 1980–2000.” American Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Kansas City, Missouri, October 28, 2005.

“Impact of Plant Closings on Displaced Workers.” Caribbean Studies Association Annual Conference, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 3, 2005.

Conference Proceedings

Santiago, L., Torres, A., and Ortiz, A. “Does Knowledge of Environmental Organizations Translate into Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors? Evidence from an Urbanized Tropical Watershed.” Paper presented at The Sixth Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment, Kobe, Japan. Japan: IAFOR (International Academic Forum), June 9–12, 2016.

Santiago, L., Torres, A., and Ortiz, A. “Does Greater Environmental Awareness Translate into Higher Valuation of Ecosystem Attributes? Visitor Attitudes in an Urban Tropical Watershed.” Paper presented at The Second Asian Conference on the Social Sciences and Sustainability, Fukuoka, Japan. Japan: INTESDA, November 1–3, 2015.

Santiago, L., Loomis, J., González-Cabán, A., Hein, C., and Scatena, F. “Sustainable Recreation Use of Two Rivers in Puerto Rico: Does Peak Recreation Visitation Affect Water Quality?” In Proceedings of the 2008 International Forum on Sustainable Environmental Development (2008).

Other Publications

Santiago, L., and Liu, L. “East meets West: The role and value of inter-cultural competence in a short-term academic exchange program.” PLERUS vol. 25 (2016): 195–208.

Funded Grants and Contracts

2019–2022: Sub-Award Co-Principal Investigator, “Assessing Post-Storm Recovery Stage of Beach Systems in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and Implications for Coastal Planning Best Practices.” US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ($1.5 million).

2019–2021: Sub-Award Co-Principal Investigator, “Developing the Infrastructure for a Puerto Rico Wood Product Team.” US Department of Agriculture Forest Service ($415,000).

2017–2019: Co-Principal Investigator, “The impact of public policy on the adjudication of land use in the river basins of the Rio Grande de Manatí and Río Loco.” University of Puerto Rico Institutional Funding for Research, University of Puerto Rico ($88,000).

2014–2015: Principal Investigator, “San Juan Urban Long-Term Research Area.” United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station ($15,000).

2014–2019: Co-Principal Investigator, “Human Impacts to Coastal Ecosystems in Puerto Rico (HICE-PR): A remote sensing hydrologic, ecologic and socio-economic assessment with management implications.” National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($1,412,375).

2012–2015: Consultant, “Efficacy of Informal Science Education (ISE) Practices to Develop Hispanic Citizen Scientists in the Watershed of the Rio Grande of Manatí, Puerto Rico.” US National Science Foundation ($574,052).

2010–2012: Principal Investigator, “A Comparison of Contingent Valuation and Choice Experiment Stated Preference Methods to Quantify Economic Values of Coastal Natural Area Attributes. University of Puerto Rico Institutional Funding for Research.” University of Puerto Rico ($35,000).

2010–2012: Co-Principal Investigator, “San Juan ULTRA-Ex.” US National Science Foundation ($200,000).

2010–2011: Co-Principal Investigator, “Risk-Benefit Assessment for Energy-Source-Diversification Policies in Puerto Rico: A Discrete Choice Approach.” Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Economics Program ($15,000).

2010–2011: Co-Principal Investigator, “Unemployment and Gender in Puerto Rico.” University of Puerto Rico Center for Social Research (approx. $25,000).

2008–2010: Co-Principal investigator, “Resilience thinking in sustainable management of the Río Grande de Arecibo watershed: The use of a spatially explicit framework for understanding responses to perturbations.” University of Puerto Rico ($140,688).

2006–2007: Co-Principal Investigator, “Online Research Methods Seminar.” University of Puerto Rico ($10,000).

2005–2007: Principal Investigator, “An Economic-Spatial Profile for the Development of a New Economic Strategy for Puerto Rico.” University of Puerto Rico ($44,498).

2004–2005: Co-Principal Investigator, “An Economic-Spatial Profile for the Development of a New Economic Strategy for Puerto Rico.” University of Puerto Rico—Innovative Initiatives for Research ($28,395).

2003–2008: Sub-Award Co-Principal Investigator, “Modeling Complex Interactions of Overlapping River and Road Networks in a Changing Landscape.” Interdisciplinary collaboration among Colorado State University, Utah State University, and the University of Puerto Rico. US National Science Foundation ($203,683).

Invited Talks—International

Conference presenter, “A Coastal Vulnerability Assessment to Guide Recovery Fund Allocation.” Intercontinental Panel on Territorial Planning and Sustainable Development: III SUSTENTARE + VI WIPIS, November 17, 2021 (online).

Speaker, “When Smart Meets Sustainable: Technology and the Pursuit of a Green, Just City.” International Seminar on Smart and Sustainable Cities, Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil, October 9, 2019.

Speaker, “Hurricane reshaping of coastal island regions: an assessment of ecosystem service information needs for community resilience.” Smart Cities Conference, Feng-Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, May 18, 2019.

Plenary speaker, “Coastal Ecosystem Indicators to Plan for Sustainable Community Recovery Efforts in an Era of Climate Change.” The Third International Conference on the Humanities, Social Sciences and Sustainability, Hiroshima, Japan, December 22, 2018.

Plenary speaker, “‘Sustainable’ Development Initiatives for the Contemporary City: Challenges and Opportunities.” The Asian Conference on Humanities, Social Science and Sustainability, Hiroshima, Japan, August 6, 2017.

Plenary speaker, “Finding the ‘Sustainable’ in Contemporary Urban Planning Practice.” The Asian Conference on Urban Planning and Sustainable Cities, Hiroshima, Japan, August 1, 2017.

Plenary speaker, “Looking at the City through a Greener, More Sustainable Lens.” The Asian Conference on Urban Planning and Sustainable Cities, Hiroshima, Japan, September 1, 2016.

“Costs and Benefits Associated with Monocropping.” School of Architecture, University City, University of San Carlos, Guatemala City, Guatemala, May 22, 2014.

“Urban and Suburban Green Area Dynamics in San Juan, Puerto Rico.” Feng-Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, October 15, 2014.

“Resident Perception of Green Areas, Bodies of Water and Vulnerability to Flooding in a Tropical City.” UVIGER, University City, San Carlos University, Guatemala City, Guatemala, June 6, 2014.

“Introduction to Environmental Economics & Ecosystem Service Valuation.” University of San Carlos, Zacapa, Guatemala, June 2–5, 2014.

“Flooding Vulnerability in Urban Watersheds: Flood-Prone Communities in the Río Piedras Basin” (with Raúl Santiago and Julio Verdejo). N-AERUS XII Conference: The City at a Human Scale, ETSAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, October 20, 2011.

“San Juan ULTRA-EX: Percepciones de Residentes sobre Areas Verdes y su Vulnerabilidad a Inundaciones en una ciudad Tropical.” University of Valencia, Tarongers Campus, Valencia, Spain, October 17, 2011.

“Sustainable Recreation Use of Two Rivers in Puerto Rico: Does Peak Recreation Visitation Affect Water Quality?” 2008 International Forum on Sustainable Environmental Development, Taichung, Taiwan, May 22, 2008,

“An Empirical Analysis of Employment and Wage Clusters in Puerto Rico: 1980-2000.” International Conference on New Concepts and Approaches for Urban and Regional Policy Planning, Leuven, Belgium, April 3, 2007.

Invited Talks—National and Local

Conference presenter, “Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Services Planning.” Congress of Land Custodians and Farmers of Puerto Rico, April 10, 2021 (online).

Panel participant, “Crossing Latinidades: Climate Pilot Symposium.” April 9, 2021 (online).

Speaker, “Post-Hurricane Natural Infrastructure Assessment to Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Puerto Rico’s Coastal Communities.” School of Earth and Environment Colloquium, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, September 19, 2019.

Santiago, L., Barreto, M., and Montañez, A. “Coastal Indicators to Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.” Regional Science, Planning, and Policy Analysis Seminar Series, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, September 13, 2018.

“Recreation Preferences and Value Orientations in the Rio Grande de Manatí Watershed.” University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, September 14, 2017.

“Looking at a Caribbean Island-City through a Green Sustainable Lens.” Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, November 8, 2016.

“Associations Between Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Natural Attribute Valuation Among Recreationists in Puerto Rico’s Northern Coastal Region.” Latin American Forest Association, University of Puerto Rico, Utuado, Puerto Rico, March 7, 2016.

“Green vs. Gray: Attitudes and Preferences toward Vegetation in a Metropolitan City Square and Environmental Justice Implications.” International Institute of Tropical Forestry, US Department of Agriculture, San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 29, 2015.

“Green vs. Gray: Attitudes and Preferences toward Vegetation in a Metropolitan City Square.” Architecture School, Polytechnic University, San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 21, 2015.

“Underutilization of Ecological Amenities in Urban Parks and Private Green Spaces of the Río Piedras Watershed.” Puerto Rico Professional Planners Society, Cataño, Puerto Rico, November 5, 2013.

Santiago, L., Ramos, L., Villanueva, L., and Rodríguez, Y. “Findings Presentation to Joint Commission of the Municipality of San Juan and San Juan ULTRA.” Urban Affairs Office, Roosevelt Plaza Building, San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 24, 2013.

“Environmental Impacts of Inner-City Decline: the Río Piedras Watershed” (with Luis E. Ramos and Luis Villanueva). San Juan Ultra Science Meeting, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, US Department of Agriculture, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, May 31, 2012.

“Valuing Green Urban Spaces: Hedonic Price Valuation of Green Urban Spaces in the Río Piedras Watershed” (with Julio Verdejo and Raúl Santiago). San Juan Ultra Science Meeting, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, US Department of Agriculture, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, May 31, 2012.

“The Role of Social Research in Urban Ecology: An Example from San Juan ULTRA-EX.” Universidad de Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 11, 2011.

“San Juan ULTRA-EX: Resident Perceptions of Green Areas and Vulnerability towards Flooding in a Tropical City.” Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, October 3, 2011.

“Is the Bias-Efficiency Estimation Tradeoffs in Double Bounded Dichotomous Choice CVM Less Pronounced Using Visitor Survey Data?” (with John Loomis, David Gebben, David Harpman and Luis Villanueva). Selected poster prepared for presentation at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s AAEA, CAES & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, 2010.

“Recreation Benefits of Natural Area Characteristics at the Caribbean National Forest.” 22nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, Chattanooga, Tennessee, July 16, 2008.

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