Hecho Para Llevar: Bridging Urban Divides Through Community-Based Food Delivery in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Abstract

Urban economic inequality continues to challenge efforts towards inclusive and sustainable development. This article presents a case study of a participatory, community– university partnership that co-developed a culturally grounded food delivery initiative to promote economic opportunities in Caño Martín Peña (CMP), a historically marginalised community in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Anchored in a community economic development (CED) framework and guided by a shared action learning approach, the project connected CMP’s small, family-owned restaurants with the neighbouring financial district, Milla de Oro (MdO), through a locally designed lunch delivery system. The initiative, Hecho Para Llevar, emerged from a collaboration between Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Proyecto ENLACE, a local community development corporation. Using mixed methods – including interviews, surveys and iterative participatory engagement – the project identified shared interests, logistical barriers and opportunities for mutual benefit. The resulting model leverages community assets such as culinary traditions and informal delivery networks, whilst addressing structural challenges like limited market access and digital infrastructure. Economic projections suggest that the initiative can generate sustainable income for restaurants and delivery workers, whilst offering affordable, culturally relevant meals to MdO employees. We underscore the ethical imperative that replication of this model must avoid placing disproportionate responsibility on marginalised communities and instead ensure shared accountability among institutional and systemic actors. This case contributes to the scholarship of engagement by demonstrating how participatory, cross-sector strategies can bridge spatial and economic divides, foster community agency and offer a replicable – and ethically grounded – model for equitable urban development.