Updated building codes can help the Caribbean face disaster. But the region also needs a better way to think about preparedness. The aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria renewed calls to fortify Caribbean cities. Recently, the Inter-American Development Bank pledged U$1 billion in loans to support a more resilient Caribbean. The hurricanes that recently battered … [Read more...] about How the Caribbean Can Prepare for More Violent Hurricanes
Actions for sustainable urban development in Belize City through the year 2050
Last time I blogged about how a city can transform stranded assets, like cemeteries and abandoned properties, into magnets for urban regeneration. The new flavor of the week is “canals”. Belize City is located at the mouth of the Belize River and Haulover Creek, a location that early settlers perhaps chose due to its importance for the then-booming timber trade because it … [Read more...] about Actions for sustainable urban development in Belize City through the year 2050
Sustainable development action plan for Belize City
What do cemeteries, canals, and coconuts have to do with sustainable urban development? Follow this new 3-part blog series and you’ll find out. Using the example of Belize City, one of the 70+ cities in the Emerging and Sustainable Cities (ESC) program, you’ll see how one municipality is making moves towards sustainable development in areas such as neighborhood revitalization, … [Read more...] about Sustainable development action plan for Belize City
Why Coastal Cities Need a Blue Urban Agenda
Consider the nation of Kiribati, an island nation with 110,000 residents spread out over 33 atolls and reef islands in the South Pacific. Within a century, the country could be underwater or “deterritorialized”. In response, Kiribati’s former President authorized in 2014 the purchase of 20 square kilometers of land on Fiji in case of a future mass relocation of Kiribati’s … [Read more...] about Why Coastal Cities Need a Blue Urban Agenda
Caribbean Housing Is Expensive and Scarce. Here’s How to Change That
The Caribbean is caught in a housing trap. The cost of living is high: building a house in Kingston is three times more expensive than in a typical Latin American city. This has left ten million people in The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago without a decent roof over their heads. Building adequate … [Read more...] about Caribbean Housing Is Expensive and Scarce. Here’s How to Change That