GEORGE TOWN REVITALISATION HOSTS TOWN HALL
JULY 2019
George Town Manager and Revitalisation Initiative Coordinator, Colin Lumsden, recently held a town hall meeting to discuss upcoming plans for revitalising George Town under the multi-year Government project.
The meeting, held at Constitution Hall in George Town, gave members of the public the opportunity to hear project updates and plans for the initiative first-hand, ask questions and outline their priorities and aspirations for a revitalised George Town.
The George Town Revitalisation Initiative is a holistic approach towards regeneration, with a plan that is long-term and multi-faceted in the spirit of New Urbanism and aims to bring additional life and vibrancy back to the Cayman Islands’ capital.
The project team delivered a similar presentation and Q&A to civil servants last month and sought initial feedback via a survey from attendees. Key issues identified by the group included current single use zoning restrictions, which has led to limited residential real estate and business diversity downtown, along with limited public parking facilities and public transportation options.
To create immediate improvements, some of the short to medium term goals already in the works and presented at the town hall included:
Accessibility: City planning is underway to introduce proper sidewalks and pedestrian crossings; add more seating, mature trees for shade, and greenery in the form of pocket parks; and install more street lighting, public WiFi and directional signage in the central business district.
Beautification: Under the initiative, key areas of downtown have been identified for enhancement to encourage visitors and residents to spend more time there whilst preserving the iconic architecture that gives the capital its character. Landscape design plays an important part in the planned enhancements, with inspirations being taken from local topography, history and culture.
Traffic and Parking: Proposed plans under the initiative include re-opening some of downtown’s one-way streets to help with the flow of traffic and encourage less car trips by allowing people to walk through town more comfortably. This ‘green streets’ design concept, which allows motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to all use streets safely, is currently being looked at by Government.
Housing: Creating residential accommodation, in a variety of sizes and options, to ensure there is life beyond business hours is a priority. However, this will require private sector involvement, because most of the real estate in George Town is privately owned, and changes to existing legislation.
Members of the public are encouraged to keep up to date with George Town Revitalisation Initiative as plans unfold over the coming years by following George Town Revitalisation on Facebook and @gtrevitalisation on Instagram. Additional public meetings will be held as enhancement projects get underway, and will be shared on key Government channels.