Managing Urban Regeneration in Jamaica: The Cluster Implementation Approach and Outcomes

Abstract

This paper examines the peculiar nature of inner city decay and the forces responsible for the dereliction of Downtown Kingston and the main business district of the capital city. Policy responses to regenerate or redevelop have been multi-faceted because of the complexity of the decay, and have included proposals for new housing schemes, sanitation upgrading, crime prevention, social interventions, poverty reduction policies and road works. The paper examines the multi-agency approach adopted since the drawing of the Vision 2020 plan for the redevelopment of Downtown Kingston in 1994 and subsequent proposals. The findings are that the collaboration experience was varied and management was structured by different configurations of financing, governance approaches and organisational arrangements, which gave regeneration a distinct character. An examination of the contributions of key agencies and actors was also carried out. These generally included key bilateral and multilateral development organisations typical of international development practice, such as the World Bank, the United States International Development Agency, the Inter-American Development Bank and the UK's Department for International Development, European Commission and the Canadian International Development Agency. The local counterparts included governmental, private sector, non-governmental and community-based organisations. These local agencies include the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation, Urban Development Corporation, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Local Government, Social Development Commission, Jamaica Social Investment Fund and Kingston Restoration Company. It was observed that partnerships for development and instrument choice have given the Jamaican approach a unique texture in the face of daunting and conflict-ridden processes, because of the diversity of interests involved in regeneration. Finally, it was recognised that there was a succession of regeneration plans for the Kingston Metropolitan Area because implementation was not followed through holistically, due to the lack of champions to finance, lead and co-ordinate the projects in the longer term.

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