Aibonito barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center of Aibonito, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 3,539. As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called pueblo which contains a central plaza, the municipal buildings, and a Catholic church. Fiestas patronales are held in the central plaza every year.
The central plaza, or square, is a place for official and unofficial recreational events and a place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The Laws of the Indies, Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" , and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors. These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain.
Sectors
Barrios in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores. The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others. The following sectors are in Aibonito barrio-pueblo: Barrio Pueblo Norte, Barrio Pueblo Sur, and Urbanización Buena Vista.
Urban development
When law 1-2001 was passed, measures were taken to identify and address the high levels of poverty and lack of resources and opportunities affecting specific communities in Puerto Rico. By 2008, there were 742 places on the list of Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico and in 2004 the municipal area of Aibonito had made the list. Then in 2014, William Alicea Pérez, the mayor of Aibonito celebrated the improvements that had been made to Aibonito, specifically to its urban center. Several infrastructure projects were completed in 2014. An assisted living center was inaugurated, and a stadium as well. The mayor announced plans for a future gym, gave updates on progress of another stadium and other projects that were under way for the benefit of Aibonito. Pérez indicated that its urban center had been transformed and would continue to be improved upon. The construction of a gym for boxing and martial arts is underway with the help of Miguel Cotto, a Puerto Rican boxing champion.
