The Caribbean Urban Phenomenon: Trinidad’s Development and Climate Change

In the age of urbanization, the Global South has begun to experience rapid urban development. Trinidad is a small Anglo-Caribbean nation whose previous success with fossil fuel has allowed them to become a global business leader among other Caribbean nations. This success has led to Trinidad becoming highly urbanized and developed compared to other Global South nations due to its economic and land-use potential. Since the late 1800s, Port of Spain, the capital city of Trinidad, has been formally developed through street patterns and land uses and these planning decisions are still seen throughout the City today. The global threat of Climate change has imposed sudden changes for Trinidad and the government is now seeking new ways to diversify its economy and attract new business interests. Trinidad’s planning policy documents are anchored on the concept of sustainable development, which follows the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Trinidad’s national East Port of Spain (POS) revitalization project is a series of site-specific redevelopments of private and public spaces. The project’s goal is to shift the global narrative of East POS being a crime-ridden and impoverished area to becoming a booming economic center full of opportunities. This research paper explores the effects of implementing sustainable development practices through the case study of Piccadilly Street Urban Regeneration Project (PSURP). New pressures to modernize and develop Port of Spain have created new tensions between the state and civil society, which highlights potential gentrification in the interest of sustainability. PSURP is a classic example of a marginalized community who has been historically neglected by the government and is now on the verge of being displaced for new developments catered for a specific group of people. This research problematizes Trinidad’s approach to urban development as a solution to poverty alleviation and climate change by examining national planning policy documents: National Spatial Development Strategy (2013), Vision 2030: National Development Strategy (2016), and National Environmental Policy (2018).