Urban livability takes into consideration the city in the mind versus the city on ground. It is the relationship between city users and their urban surroundings. A city should satisfy the physical and psychological needs and wants of its users while encouraging economic development, innovation, technological advancement and employment opportunities. Though critics may highlight disadvantages of urban development such as ecological footprint and increased pollution, sustainable urbanization nullifies these ideas. Therefore, cities need to be sustainable and livable. Livable cities utilize all-inclusive technologies and designs, hence creating a barrier-free environment. Their physical environments support an aesthetically-pleasing, healthy, and productive lifestyle as both a place and a space.
Our capital city Roseau is overflowing with potential to become a sustainable and livable city. Optimistically, a town of its kind can be easily revitalized because of its small scale and proximity to essential resources. This revitalization and its infrastructure shall not be divorced; nor shall the social and the economic implications be considered in isolation. While horizontal ground level variation in land use is more often considered in some large cities, the density of Roseau provides opportunity for vertical variation. If the challenge is displacement of the city’s residents, can mixed-use development accommodate intentional commercial ground floors with residential units above? This not only retains the urban inhabitancy for these residents that fear displacement, but also increases opportunity for sustainable economic activity. Implementation will only be possible through thoughtful application, and more importantly, enforcement of codes, which can result in a safe, feasible fabric of mixed-use buildings, open space and landscape that can restructure the town.
The previously highlighted suggestion provides a great set up to speak to street and building relationships. Not only does elevated residences eliminate the front-door privacy battle in the city, but it also provides for a more flexible relationship between the streets, curbs, sidewalks, and buildings. This street interface will have an influence on the pedestrians’ experience of the city as well as their perception of space – larger sidewalks make streets seem bigger. This will allow streets to not only act as dividing lines within the city, but also as communal rooms and passages. To further enhance the physical urban fabric of the city while creating aesthetic and land use divisions, different types of materials can be used for street development. Apart from their high durability, cobblestone streets project a more relaxed and slower-paced impression on the street user. Here, the opportunity to develop streets that are walkable, cyclable and conducive for wheelchair use is created. This then promotes a healthy and productive lifestyle, boosting overall morale of citizens.
In order to accommodate this, we must significantly reduce vehicular traffic within the city. The first step would be to provide parking structures strategically placed on the outskirts of the city centre. These structures should be environmentally and financially sustainable, achievable through renewable energy and parking fees respectively. In doing so, a scheduled shuttle system into the city centre from these areas will further stimulate the economy through standardized bus fares. Buses would be equipped with Point of Sale machines to facilitate non-cash transactions, to which the elderly and disabled may be exempt. These buses should be wheelchair accessible and user friendly for the visually impaired. Public transportation can be energy efficient by utilizing biofuels or any other source of renewable energy.
The Botanic Gardens and Peeble’s Park are two of the few open spaces remaining in our city. Efforts have been initiated in the form of a national reforestation project, with the goal of one million trees islandwide. As a next step, what if we seek towards intentional green spaces – ones geared at achieving social sustainability. It is often understated and overlooked how this aspect of sustainability is rooted in equal rights and equal access to public land, resulting in a healthy, livable, and aesthetically pleasing town. Even beyond the public realm, there is an opportunity for a policy to be implemented that would require developers and building owners to incorporate mandatory green spaces of a relative percentage to their building footprint. This could be in the form of courtyards, terraces, roof and/or vertical gardens, and would result in climatic comfort while mitigating effects of global warming. The aesthetics of the city would then be enhanced.
While finance and human resource restraints are acknowledged, it is of the belief Roseau is booming with potential to become a sustainable and livable city. In our quest for resilience, these steps ought to be given priority as our city is comparable to the front porch of one’s home.
Authors:
Sheldon M. Alfred holds a BSc. in Architecture & Environmental Design and is pursuing a Master in Architecture
Arnelle A. Isaac has a BSc. in Geography and Environmental & Natural Resources Management and is studying for an MSc. in Crisis and Disaster Management
You say this.
If the challenge is displacement of the city’s residents, can mixed-use development accommodate intentional commercial ground floors with residential units above?
I say this.
I hold no degree in anything. But for this mixed-use development to happen, the whole city will have to torn down and rebuilt. The current structures cannot support the vertical development you are talking about. Now when this is done, who will be able to afford the rent that would then have to be charged to make this doable. People cannot even afford it now. Guys get real please, degrees or no degrees this is not making any sense. One would say you have a pipe dream, but you do not even have a pipe!
I just love it when Labour administrations say they will do certain things and those suckers on the opposition says it will never happen then it happens those suckers don’t understand when they undermine order people it gives them greater confidence to achieve their goals than again idiots will never learn which is a good thing it gives wiser men power over idiots such as that joker so-called opposition omg leader.
Well I am not voter what I dont like in this country is regardless you dont vote for labour everyone should be treated fairly because they are Dominican not who you vote for. Far as I am concern discrimination about votes and corruption and paying out. This country is beautiful and progressing due to the government which I dont debate. But how non labourers are treated is wrong. Dominican are Dominican regardless who you vote for. God bless everyone.
You clearly live live in a fantasy world…
Get real, you all talking, with no solution. Bashing your very own land you one day will come back to God forbid you don’t die first. Must of us mal tawè ( bad use of life, work, investment and saving for a rainy day and retirement) stop looking on government to do everything in your country, communities, villages, blocks or whatever you call your area where you live. Must of us away, wherever I don’t care, are not contributing one cent to where we came from or people we left behind, all we do is follow every rules and laws in another country, whether it right or wrong we don’t have a problem with it, but look down on and bash our own country, calling it all filth and disgusting names we can come up with. Families, friends and people we grew up with played with, must of us looked up to, are still there, it is breaking my heart to read the way people talk about my country like that, I’m sad.
Yvonne, it’s not our country that we are letting down, it is this is incompetent failed questionable Labour government who has destroyed our Dominica and reduced our people to beggars and with That failed incompetent Skerrit who has created this begging Red Clinic that our suffering jobless people that this clown Skerrit created to attract and buy the loyalty from our suffering people and families. This failed incompetent Labour government has failed our people and country and has corrupted and abused our State’s money.
There is no development taking place in Dominica, and failed Skerrit and his idiotic followers and blind Boom boom flies who has Skerrit as this failed Odd Minister and his failed questionable incompetent Labour government. Skerrit has reduced our people and farmers to beggars while he and failed Labour blind loyalists are happy going. As a result our people and the economy of Dominica are poverty and in ruins all due to fake failed Skerrit and failed Labour…
Get real, you all talking, with no solution. Bashing your very own land you one day will come back to God forbid you don’t die first. Must of us mal tawè ( bad use of life, work, investment and saving for a rainy day and retirement) stop looking on government to do everything in your country, communities, villages, blocks or whatever you call your area where you live. Must of us away, wherever I don’t care, are not contributing one cent to where we came from or people we left behind, all we do is follow every rules and laws in another country, whether it right or wrong we don’t have a problem with it, but look down on and bash our own country, calling it all filth and disgusting names we can come up with. Families, friends and people we grew up with played with, must of us looked up to, are still there, it is breaking my heart to read the way people talk about my country like that, I’m sad.
This article is nothing but a prelude to the Thesis of both writers in their advancement towards their master’s degree. When the two individuals attain their degree, ask them to post their thesis on DNO and see the resemblance. Call me a pessimist If you want, the reality is….THAT WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN…..! Or how we would say it locally, “When cock grow teeth”
My wife and I were having a lunchtime snack today and she said that” black lives matters “will never change I asked why? she she can’t you see black people always on the look out to destroy each other if he /she is working hard enough to be successful in life people like Lennox Linton and his supporters are all sad losers and lots more it’s just a dream to think it will change, l said you could be right, but at the same time I hope you are wrong for the right reasons after all this years Black people are at the bottom of the piles regardless of what you think.
What City? You people have no shame? Roseau is a dump, a stinky, dirty, nasty dump, just like you people! Twenty years of a Government making promises for Roseau development and this little town is probably in the worst state that most of us have seen it in our lifetime! Remember when High Street, Bath Road toward the Gardens and the entire Botanic Gardens were lined with palm trees? Remember when Dominica’s entire coastline were lined with tamarind trees and coconut trees? Remember when every park and savanna were surrounded by Flamboyant trees? So to pretend we need to build a concrete jungle for the Nature Isle to be gorgeous and beautiful is rubbish, and talking about rubbish please don’t get me started!
@Truth be Told, why don’t you people learn to read what is written before you respond so foolishly. And it is quite clear that the 18 positive thumbs rating which you have now are those who are just as foolish as you.
This is the title of the news article, it says: “Transforming Dominica’s front porch into a livable city”. And message continues to exemplify that title right to the end. Or is it that you do not know the meaning of “transforming & livable”?
For that is what the message is saying: “the front porch (the Capital City, which is Roseau) must be transformed into a livable city–especially to attract visitors.
And today’s visitors do not expect to be welcomed by a line of tamarind and coconut trees. Those are the sceneries for the rural areas–even the inner part of the city.
How do you know that this is not part of the plan of the organizers? You all need to think and speak positively for at least once in your lifetime
This gives us this truth of how hopeless and out of touch this political clown Skerrit is.
Our city is crucial where people reduce and the public are in and out. This is how this failed incompetent Skerrit and his blind loyalists administers development in our city where he is in and out on a day-to-day basis, while our main city is in a rechet state of insanitary. What a worthless Labour government and its incompetent Odd Skerrit.
Skerrit, this is truth be to be told. Shame on you😱🤬😈🤬👹👎🤛👊🖐️👊, Disgusting
Excellent presentation and analysis! Now let’s see who “runs with it” and implements.
Of course the first stage is to have consultation/discussion and agreement with all implicated stakeholders.
HOTEP!
The authors of this piece are they implying that Roseau should move into mixed use buildings – high rise buildings. We must be mindful of the fact that we should not compare ourselves as a small country to the mega cities which one has been exposed to.
Displacement of people – this is one of the things that one has to consider seriously in Dominica we have not been part of this. This is one of the issues that has to be taken into consideration.
The preservation of architectural style of the cities should be considered. We should not allow modern architecture to cause a city or country to lose its identity. There are various styles which make for the unique look or “face” of the “front porch” we cannot allow our front porch to lose its uniqueness.
Unfortunately, Dominica is blessed with a government that’s headed by a person who’s efforts are directed in one direction only – to enrich himself and stay in power as long as possible. The country, it’s people, the infrastructure, the economy, the environment etc. are non existent on his agenda and efforts. There is plenty of talk but no action at all. Our country deserves sooooo much better!
To be frank i think Roseau should be the administrative capital of Dominica but due to its geography i would suggest they start moving some services to possi and start building possi as a commercial hub. Roseau for one is in the shadow of the highest concentration of active volcanoes, it is in itself on a volcanic feature cause by a pyroclastic flow that has been modified by Roseau river. That place is a looming disaster and it is just a matter of time. By all means keep the place beautiful but decentralized commercial city is in Dominica best interest
Possie? Possie? the possie population is not ready or maybe not capable of being anything but a big village, the location is good the people awa.
I am pleased that a student of architecture has entered the debate on the need for urban design and planning.
Interestingly, the writer – perhaps unintentionally – makes a valid point when he interchanges the words “town” and “city”. Roseau is in effect, a small town with city status. This is the crux of the problem in terms of “city” visions for the future.
Identity is a key issue. Our concern needs to be both for preserving Roseau’s identity from the past and creating its identity for the future. Unless new buildings are of better merit than what presently passes as architecture in Dominica, Roseau will become devoid of identity.
I recommend Gordon Cullen’s book “The Concise Townscape” as essential reading for those interested in this topic.
Allyou Must be Mad!!!
Allyou not seeing Roseau was wrongfully planned from its conception, when they decided to come there after what happened at Portsmouth???
Roseau as it sits is in the bed of the mouth of the prominent Roseau Valley River that spells nothing but disaster!!!
With all allyou education and degrees the fundamental truth is that you cannot take that which is impossible and make it possible,,,
For the most part Roseau should be evacuated while allyou have the chance as it will succumb to another dreadful disaster when the next big downpour comes,,,
Don’t try to work it out for yourselves- look out at the world for good examples and learn from the bad ones!
Interesting article, although Dominica doesn’t present an issue of green space but more an issue of blending the built environment along with vegetation, as could be observed with the absents of trees in the urban context whereas, the majority of land makes up the forest reserve and national parks. plus this draws the age old topic of the relationship between the old and the new, the preservation of architectural and urban heritage.
Alice in wonderland
Get real people. Stop f**king dreaming. In the next life it’s either we go to heaven or hell. Choose one.