Contents

PART ONE 1

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Background 1

1.2 Current Programme and Objectives 1

1.3 Approach and Method 2

1.4 Format of this Report 5

PART TWO 7

2 Context 8

2.1 Study Area 8

2.2 Land Use Overview - Opportunities and Pressures 9

3 Socio-Economic Background 13

3.1 Population and Households 13

3.2 Housing 24

3.3 Employment And Economic Activity 35

3.4 Summary and Conclusions 48

4 Transport 52

4.1 Introduction 52

4.2 Existing System Characteristics 53

4.3 Current Transportation Schemes and Proposals 60

4.4 Priorities for Action 65

4.5 Summary 70

5 Infrastructure 73

5.1 Introduction and Consultations 73

5.2 Existing System Characteristics and Issues 73

5.3 Current Proposals and Projects 79

5.4 Priorities for Action 85

5.5 Summary 96

PART THREE 103

6 Downtown/Uptown/Tranquility/Newtown 104

6.1 Characteristics and Issues 104

6.2 Proposals for Action 113

6.3 Implementation and Phasing 118

7 Woodbrook 123

7.1 Characteristics and Issues 123

7.2 Proposals for Action 127

7.3 Implementation And Phasing 132

8 St. Clair/ Federation Park/ Ellerslie Park 136

8.1 Characteristics and Issues 136

8.2 Proposals for Action 138

8.3 Implementation And Phasing 141

9 Savannah 145

9.1 Characteristics and Issues 145

9.2 Proposals for Action 150

9.3 Implementation and Phasing 152

10 St. James 156

10.1 Characteristics and Issues 156

10.2 Proposals for Action 159

10.3 Implementation and Phasing 159

11 Northern Hillside Communities 161

11.1 Characteristics and Issues 161

11.2 Proposals for Action 179

11.3 Implementation and Phasing 181

12 East Port of Spain 183

12.1 Characteristics and Issues 183

12.2 Proposals for Action 192

12.1 Implementation and Phasing 195

PART FOUR 200

13 The Way Forward 200

13.1 Public Consultation – Local Area Plans 200

13.2 Implementation Mechanisms 201

Part One

This document represents the Interim Report for the Greater Port of Spain area. This part of the report consists of the following:

· Background

· Current Programme and Objectives

· Approach and Method; and

· Format of the Report

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

The Halcrow Group together with a local team of consultants and specialists was appointed by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in February 1999 to provide planning and development advice at national and local scales. The initial work concentrated on preparing a National Conceptual Development Plan (NCDP) which was to be used as a framework for a number of Local Area Concept Plans, which have all been completed.

The key stages of this work incorporated:

· A Land Use Strategy, including a planning justification of the Balanced Growth approach which has been adopted to guide national development

· Sectoral Overview and Policy Guidelines, including an analysis of industrial and employment characteristics and other key sectors impacting growth potential

· The National Conceptual Development Plan Proposals, including a Local Area Concept Plan Framework, in text and illustrative plan form.

1.2 Current Programme and Objectives

The current programme represents the first tranche of Phase 2 (Local Area Planning) for physical planning in Trinidad and Tobago. It builds on and refines the earlier work carried out for the NCDP and has been undertaken in joint venture with a wide range of local experts and companies.

The main purpose of the current programme is to prepare local plans for three priority urban areas, based on their respective concept plans completed under the NCDP studies. The first of these local plans is for Port of Spain, which is the subject of this draft report.

The objectives of these plans are:

· To provide the basis for development control

· To identify priority infrastructure development projects

· To increase developer interest

· To facilitate housing land delivery for low income households

· To improve consultations and discussions between concerned agencies and the public

· To enhance and protect the local physical and human environment

This document represents the Interim Report for the Greater Port of Spain area. Following submission and review it will be subject to further public consultation, prior to refinement and completion in Draft and Final Master form. More detailed Action Area Plans are designed to follow in later tranches.

1.3 Approach and Method

The Local Area Plans are based on the Concept Plans, which were drawn up from readily available information, discussions with key stakeholders, identification of on-going projects and limited fieldwork. The Concept Plans were designed to:

· Illustrate overall spatial strategy

· Identify key planning constraints

· Illustrate principal development opportunities.

· The aim of the current study is to transform these Local Area Concept Plans into more detailed Local Area Plans.

The scope of Local Area Plan work is as follows:

· Confirm critical assumptions made in the Concept Plans, including current policies, programmes and commitments

· Prepare a robust Master Plan for the development of each area, incorporating a land use strategy and policies for key elements, which address significant environmental impacts

· Identify urban design briefs and planning guidelines for selected areas including for example, low, medium and high density housing areas, the central area, industrial areas and open space/recreation.

· Formulate priority action proposals needed to instigate development, including responsibilities as between the public and private sectors, identification of priority infrastructure projects, overall cost estimates, phasing and institutional requirements.

The method used followed a bottom-up/top-down approach to issue identification and resolution. Greater Port of Spain consists of a number of more or less discrete neighbourhoods and communities which were identified in the Concept Plan and previous studies. These neighbourhoods have been grouped together where common land use attributes exist so that issues and opportunities could be explored on a local scale.

This bottom-up approach has been merged with the top-down approach identified at Concept Plan stage to ensure that local and area-wide priorities are clearly identified. Using a local area approach will also help discussion of issues during the consultation and participation phase of this study.

Some Limitations

The time frame for this work precluded any further detailed analyses or data collection. However the nature of this exercise in relation to the process of adapting the existing national planning process (the NPDP) indicated that the focus of future work should be more flexible and action–oriented in terms of priorities for instigating development.

Nevertheless it is normally the case that physical planning actions are only one in a series of integrated actions that will be required to optimise impacts and in some areas, these are not the most critical. Where this is the case the complementary actions have been identified and some options for implementation mechanisms have been identified.

Consultation Process

A major feature has been the conduct of a range of meetings and consultations with Government Ministries, agencies and authorities, the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Following submission of this draft report, it is intended to hold a programme of public consultation, including public meetings in each local area, so that the needs and aspirations of existing communities are fully taken into account.

Outputs

An analysis of the local and area-wide opportunities, action areas and implementation mechanisms forms the basis of the strategies and proposals for Greater Port of Spain over the next 20 year period.

The principal outputs consist of:

· A Master Plan showing broad land uses, development strategies and principal highways

· A Transportation Network Plan

· An Infrastructure Plan, showing trunk networks and facilities

· A Development Phasing Strategy, for time horizons of 5, 10 and 20 years

· A Concise Report, including data and analysis, policies and proposals and identifying a ‘short list’ of areas or topics where priority actions are likely to be required.

Next Steps

As part of the next phase of work the consultation process for the Plan outlined above will commence and inform the identification and refinement of priority action proposals, including the identification of responsibilities for implementation as between public, community and private sector agencies. Broad cost estimates for public sector infrastructure projects, phasing and institutional requirements will also be identified.

1.4 Format of this Report

This Interim Report is presented in four parts:

Part One, which comprises this Introduction (Section 1), and which is preceded by the Executive Summary;

Part Two, which describes the Context of the current work and includes sections on

· Study Area and Land Use (Section 2)

· Socio-Economic Background (Section 3)

· Transport, and (Section 4)

· Infrastructure (Section 5);

Part Three, which identifies and discusses the policies and proposals for action in selected key areas of Greater Port of Spain as follows:

· Downtown/Uptown (Section 6)

· Woodbrook (Section 7)

· St Clair/ Federation Park/ Ellerslie Park (Section 8)

· Savannah (Section 9)

· St James (Section 10)

· Northern Hillside Communities (Section 11) and

· East Port of Spain (Section 12).

Part Four, which outlines proposals for the Public Consultation process which is to follow this stage of the work (Section 13).

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