Background

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is a small island country in the eastern Caribbean with an estimated population of 109,643. It is exposed to high levels of risk to hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards, which have significant negative impacts on SVG’s economic and fiscal stability, as well as the safety and wellbeing of the population. These natural hazards are exacerbated by the adverse impacts of climate change, putting increased stress on coastal investments, national infrastructure, water availability, and livelihoods, especially of the poor and vulnerable groups. Most recently, heavy rains in October and November 2016 caused about US$36.3 million (5 percent of GDP), and in 2013 a tropical depression resulted in extensive physical damage and economic losses estimated at US$108.4 million (15 percent of GDP).

In February 2017, the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) opened the Argyle International Airport (AIA) for operations, marking the end of the air traffic use of the ET Joshua Airport (ETJ) at Arnos Vale. The Government as part of its vision for national development would like to create a “modern city” on the old airport site in Arnos Vale which including Government owned properties (developed, and undeveloped) adjacent to the airport is approximately 133 acres. The Government plans to develop the “Modern City” to facilitate investment in the Tourism Sector, which is the main pillar for economic growth for SVG and accounts for 50 percent of export earnings and 19 percent of total employment. Key to this development will be the adequate consideration and management of multiple hazards including sea level rise and flooding.

About the Program

Against this backdrop, the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a comprehensive technical assistance program – the Resilient Urban Development (RUD) technical assistance program (TA) – with the main objective:

  • to enhance the urban resilience and financial planning strategies, namely for: (a) creating a ‘modern city’, a 133-acre development in Arnos Vale; and (b) redeveloping of the capital city, Kingstown.

 

The Resilient Urban Development (RUD) program aims to provide strategic guidance and technical expertise to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Sustainable Development and Information Technology (MoFED) to bolster the urban resilience and economic development strategy for both cities. This program is aligned with the National Economic and Social Development Plan (2013-25) and its vision to achieve sustainable economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction and improving the quality of life for all Vincentians. The program is financed by the European Union (EU) in the framework of the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

What is Resilient Urban Development?

As defined by the World Bank, Urban Resilience supports the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow no matter the impacts of chronic stresses and acute shocks that manifest. To effectively strengthen a city’s resilience a multi-disciplinary approach and strong coordination across government entities, both horizontally and vertically, are essential. Resilient Urban Development strives to incorporate such a comprehensive approach from the onset of developing or redeveloping an urban site.

The World Bank is actively engaged in urban resilience initiatives around the world, and particularly in the Caribbean region with ongoing investments that focus on inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities, as well as rural and community-based initiatives. This TA supports the ongoing Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (US$68.3 million; 2011-2020) by further building capacity and transferring knowledge to the Government on its transformational urban resilience agenda.

Contact

Keren Charles – Disaster Risk Management Specialist (kcharles1@worldbank.org), World Bank

The RUD program was launched at the Resilient Urban Development Technical Workshop for the Modern City and Kingstown on March 20-21, 2019 at the National Insurance Services (NIS) Building in Kingstown and co-hosted by the Government and the World Bank. The objectives were twofold:

  • Contribute to technical and financial strategies for resilient urban development in Arnos Vale and Kingstown; and
  • Receive inputs from stakeholders to guide a list of priority actions and implementation in the short-term.

As part of the launch and preparations, a questionnaire was circulated throughout the country, including to government ministries and agencies, private sector entities and civil society in order to gather detailed information on priority needs, existing legislation and policies, and opportunities for inclusive economic development. These inputs, along with the consultative workshop, served to guide program activities, including the regulatory and institutional frameworks relevant to resilient urban development in Arnos Vale and Kingstown. Outcomes from the workshop were:

  • Greater consensus on the vision for resilient urban development in Arnos Vale and Kingstown;
  • Better understanding of resilient urban development tools, including: business and financial models, transport models, and private sector engagement; and
  • Better understanding of urban challenges and identification of gaps for which technical assistance could mobilize consultancies to address.

Event Overview

During the opening ceremony, high-level remarks were first provided by Tahseen Sayed – Country Director, Caribbean Country Management Unit, World Bank, followed by the Honorable Dr. Ralph Gonsalves – Prime Minister, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Jose Legarra – Project Officer, Green Economy, Energy and Resilience Team, European Union.

Over 80 people participated in the workshop, including: national representatives from public agencies, private enterprises, academia and civil society; as well as regional and International experts such as the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, IDOM (an engineering and architecture consulting firm), National Infrastructure Development Company Limited of Trinidad and Tobago, the East Port of Spain Development Company and the University of the West Indies and the World Bank, among others. (See Participant List)

Day 1 focused on the development of the “Modern city” at Arnos Vale and Day 2 focused on the revitalization/regeneration of Kingstown. There were some common burning issues raised and well-articulated by most participants. Participants were very engaged and welcomed the idea of creating the modern city and about being included in the process and used the opportunity to voice their interest on the upcoming development projects. Some of the important topics of discussion were the need for: more green and public spaces for recreation; greater consideration for accessibility – especially on sidewalks; improved reliability and availability of public transportation options and strengthened regulatory processes; and the safety of buildings.

Key Thematic Areas

Urban Planning and Design; Business and Financing Models; Transportation Systems; Economic Development and Inclusion; Institutional Arrangements; Legal and Regulatory Frameworks; Climate and Disaster Risk Management (See Technical Agenda)

Presentations

Day 1 - Arnos Vale: Development of the “Modern City”

  • Overview of the Modern City (Cecil Harris, Senior Engineer, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, SVG)
  • Urban Planning (Fernando Granados, Urban Planner, IDOM)
  • Urban Design (Jeffrey Nesbit, Urban Planner, Harvard University Graduate School of Design)
  • Urban Design (Jose Luis Vallejos, Urban Planner, Ecosistema Urbano)
  • Transportation (Onika Morris-Alleyne, Transportation Planner, National Infrastructure Development Company Limited of Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Economic Development (Deborah Thomas-Austin, Managing Director, East Port of Spain Development Company)

Day 2 – Kingstown: Regeneration of the Capital City

  • Modern City Presentation (Cecil Harris, Senior Engineer, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, SVG)
  • Urban Planning (Fernando Granados, Urban Planner, IDOM)
  • Urban Design (Jeffrey Nesbit, Urban Planner, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design)
  • Urban Design (Jose Luis Vallejo, Urban Planner, Ecosistema Urbano)
  • Transportation (Onika Morris-Alleyne, Transportation Planner, National Infrastructure Development Company Limited of Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Statistic Data (Shervone Alexander, Senior Statistician, Ministry of Finance, SVG)
  • Financing Urban Infrastructure (Carol Guerra, Senior Policy Consultant, World Bank)
  • Economic Development (Deborah Thomas-Austin, Managing Director, East Port of Spain Development Company, Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Building Resilience – (Melody Benavidez, Urban Resilience Consultant, World Bank)
  • Urban Resilience – DRM (Keren Charles, Disaster Risk Management Specialist, World Bank)
Read More