The following article on Government's urban revitalisation plans for Port of Spain and San Fernando was submitted by the TT Society of Planners (TTSP) and the TT Institute of Architects (TTIA).
As urban planners and architects, we have a vocation to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions, primarily through strategic land use allocation, design guidance, sustainable land development practices, and a number of other cross-sectoral policy interventions.
First and foremost, we are members of society and share in the collective responsibility of nation building. It is therefore our duty to advocate for the public good through policy advice, education and sensitisation, and standing up for the public's right to be an invaluable partner in the governance of land development.
This year, TT celebrates its 59th year of Independence, and the physical and societal conditions facing us as a nation are unprecedented. We acknowledge, are impacted by, and share many of the palpable feelings of our fellow citizens in these trying times: anxiety about an uncertain economic future; sadness about the loss of lives and mental and economic trauma experienced over the last fifteen months, and; deep concern for the exacerbation of socio-economic inequity generated by our pandemic response measures.
If we hope to move forward towards a collectively empowered and resilient future, our institutions and approach to governance must treat us citizens as inherently intelligent, worthy of a voice, and able to make informed decisions.
After decades of erratic and inconsistent planning interventions, we are faced with an ever-worsening situation in which we continue to pursue unsustainable forms of development. Ribbon residential development, car-centred transportation policies, and low urban residential densities have left us with unnecessarily high levels of inefficiency in the use of scarce energy, land and economic resources; elements characteristic of suburban sprawl. Unmet housing demand, derelict and decaying town centres, the economic and psychological burden of long work commutes, a crippling dependence on imported cars, and the loss of the most fertile agricultural land are some of the most visible consequences of poor urban management decisions.
To begin to reverse these unsustainable patterns of development, we must begin to dismantle the outdated ideologies, policies, and practices executed by the State with focus and haste. Whilst we are heartened by the recent emphasis on the revitalisation of San Fernando and Port of Spain, we must raise grave concerns about the State's undemocratic and deficient approach. We wish to highlight recent events and announcements that bear witness to a lack of transparency and decision-making in the interests of the public.
In the forefront of the public's minds is the much-promoted urban revitalisation of Port of Spain. This latest attempt, though touted as the definitive transformative effort, bears no resemblance to a progressive, 21st century planning activity.
