President Irfaan Ali has announced plans to modernize the capital City of Georgetown to regain its place as the Garden city of the Caribbean.
The President said the plan is part of the extended Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 and will be executed in collaboration with Britain’s King Charles Foundation.
Delivering remarks at a high-level discussion on Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, the President said work has already started to bring back the city to its former glory.
“Some say Georgetown can be the next Dubai or Miami but while we can certainly learn from these cities, we should be proud to craft our own future. Guyana has always been cantered around village life and we must reconcile this heritage with the Georgetown we want to see—with cutting edge infrastructure and technology and city that is both cosmopolitan and reflective of our values,” the President noted.
In addition, the President said several key initiatives will begin soon which will require collaboration between central and local government. On the modernization of the City, he said central government will fund the work and lead its implementation, but will ensure that local government plays an active role.
“Today our work continues to expand and as part of the LCDS 2030 vision, that is the renewal of the citizen, the renewal areas and development of growth polls and new areas, the beautification of our city and country—the expansion of urban building, the drainage and irrigation aspect or our city and addressing flooding, all of that is part of the LCDS 2030 vision,” the President stated.
Over the next few months, technical work will begin to develop eight key elements for sustainable cities which will include a vision for Urban development framework for greater Georgetown, a smart code for building design, a continuation of a masterplan for Silica City among others. These the President said will guide the work to restore Georgetown.
“And today we are very pleased that we have established this strong partnership with the King’s foundation in the renewal of the city of Georgetown and we are working on various projects to enhance city of Georgetown and give it back that title as the garden city of the world,” the President said.
It is unclear whether the Georgetown City Council has been consulted about the plans. The Council has repeatedly complained about being left in the dark on major projects taking place within the City of Georgetown.
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