* Please register for the Caribbean Urban Forum if you are interested in attending these sessions.

TUESDAY 15 TH JUNE 2021
Pre-Forum Webinar

Theme: Promoting Healthy Urban Environments: New entry points towards healthier urban environments and case studies from the region

Description:

Planning for healthy cities is the UN-Habitat programme dedicated to Support urban leaders, decision- makers, health and planning professionals on integrated planning and design approaches placing eco- social health and well-being at the centre of development strategies. This involves building the capacity of local authorities and stakeholders to deploy planning principles to meet local needs through feasible and health-centred design.

The overall objective of the pre-conference workshop is to have different presentations that can illustrate the various and diverse entry points towards healthier urban environments. To better understand the relationships between the different actors/sectors involved in urbanization and health, learnt from each other, and boost the implementation and localisation of tools and initiatives at the local level.

Click here to join the meeting.

   

Chair: Mr. Graham Alabaster - Head of Geneva Office, UN-Habitat 

Tue, June 15     
10:00 - 10:15   
 

Welcoming remarks: Shipra Narang Suri, UN-Habitat

Tue, June 15
10:15 - 11:00

Session 1: Case Study presentations

Presentations:

  1. Ms. Shipra Narang Suri – Chief, Urban Practices Branch, UN-Habitat
  2. Representative of Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
  3. Ms. Lucy Slack – Commonwealth local government forum (CLGF)
  4. Ms. Pamela Carbajal – Urban health and regional planner, UN-Habitat
  5.  Dr. Fiona Shenton - BOVA Network 
  6. Ms Cecilia Anderson – Global Public Space Programme, UN-Habitat
  7. Mr Michele Di Marco Téchne coordinator, World Health Organization
Tue, June 15
11:00 - 11:10
Mentimeter interaction and Q&A
Tue, June 15
11:10 - 11:55
Session II: Panel Discussion
Tue, June 15
11:55 - 12:00
Closing remarks: Mr. Graham Alabaster, Chief Geneva office, UN-Habitat

 

DAY 1 - WEDNESDAY 16 TH JUNE, 2021

 
Wed, June 16                     
10:00 - 11:30             

OPENING CEREMONY

Wed,  June 16     
11:30 - 13:00   

MEETING 1:

Programme Management Meeting (Closed)
Facilitator: Dr. Asad Mohammed

Harnessing Innovative Technologies to Support Resilient Settlements on the Coastal Zones of the Caribbean 

Wed,  June 16     
13:00 - 14:30

WORKSHOP 1

Sub-theme: The evolving nature and challenges of Caribbean urbanization
Session Moderator: Mr. Michel Frojmovic, Acacia Consulting and Research (Canada)

Title: Urbanisation beyond the shoreline: An interactive Workshop to explore spatial planning for the Blue Economy
Presenter: David Robin, Coordinator of Ocean Governance and Fisheries, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS Commission)
Panelists: Cassander Titley-O’Neal, Environmental Systems Ltd (BVI); Rory Baksh, Dillon Consulting (Canada); Allanson Cruickshank (St. Vincent & the
Grenadines); Emily Davis, Dillon Consulting (Canada)

 

Wed,  June 16     
14:30 - 16:00

Sub-theme: Policy and legislative responses to urbanization
Session Moderator: Dr. Sigrid Heirman
(University of Antwerp)

  • Urbanisation in the Commonwealth – need
    for action - Eleanor Mohammed, MCIP
    (President, Commonwealth Association of
    Planners)
  • Urbanization, Governance and the Spatial Revolt the Food Vendors in Kingston- Robert
    L. Kinlocke and Aleem I. Mahabir (University
    of the West Indies, Mona)
  •  Imposed Eligibility Criteria in Funded Housing
    and Settlement Programmes in the
    Caribbean? - Wayne Chaman Huggins
    (University of the West Indies, St Augustine)

Sub-theme: Urbanization and social issues
Session Moderator: Dr. Carol Archer (University of
Technology)

  • The role of sustainable cultural heritage in
    urban development: A case study of
    Georgetown, Guyana – Odessa Harris (MSc
    Student, University of Guyana)
  • Kampong Mariënburg Lab, anticipating on
    community-based culturally resilient
  • transformations - Marleen Goethals, Johan De Walsche,
    Dirk Laporte (Belgium)
  • An Investigation of the Living Conditions of
    an Impoverished Inner-City
    Community: A Case Study of Tiger Bay,
    Georgetown, Guyana – Ronald Sampson (MSc
    Student, University of Guyana)
  • Child Unfriendly Urbanisation - Earl Bailey
    (Jamaica)

Sub-theme: Informality, public health risk
reduction and the urban environment

Session Moderator: Ms Fayola Azore
(Central Housing & Planning Authority, Guyana)

  • Institutional Design for Sustainable
    Urbanization: The state of play in the
    Caribbean - Eris Schoburgh (Jamaica)
  • Informal Community’s Resilience to Flooding:
    A Case Study of Plastic City, Guyana
    Misenga Baird,Onika Beckles, Ramona Duncan,
    Fabion Jerrick, Danielle Johnson (MSc Students-
    University of Guyana)
  • Comparative Policy Research on Urbanization
    in India and China – Mohammed Faraz
    (University of Reading –England)
  • Analyzing the historic change of green spaces
    in Paramaribo by determining the
    spatial distribution using GIS and Remote
    Sensing - Razia Taus, Lisa Best, Louise
    Willemen (Suriname)
Wed,  June 16     
16:00 - 17:30

PANEL DISCUSSION 1:

Moderator: Dr. Charisse Griffith-Charles (University of the West Indies)
Title: Regional approach to addressing inequalities in land rights

Panelists: Caren Williams (Belize Platform of Land Actors), Allanson Cruickshank (Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Land Actors Platform), Dr. Sunil Lalloo

(Trinidad and Tobago Land Alliance), Dr. Jody Daniel (Grenada Land Actors), Euthalia Philgence (Saint Lucia Land Actors Platform)

Wed,  June 16     
17:30 - 19:00

MEETING 2:

Project Management Meeting (Closed)

Facilitator: Dr. Charisse Griffith-Charles (University of the West Indies)
Platform to strengthen the role of Local Land Actors in improving the quality of life
of people impacted by inequity in land rights in five Caribbean territories

 

DAY 2 - THURSDAY 17 TH JUNE, 2021

 
Thur, June 17                             
9:00 - 10:30             

Sub-theme: Urbanization and social issues
Session Moderator: Ms Linda Johnson-Bhola
(University of Guyana)

  • Advocating for Youth Housing: Potential urban policy interventions
    for at-risk youth in the Caribbean - Kizzann Sammy, Abigail Moriah,
    Sonide Simon (Canada & Florida)
  • The city of Cap-Haitien between
    national heritage and vulnerable
    urbanization - Chedlet JULIEN;
    Stravensky GRANVIL; Marc Eddy
    PAUL (Campus Henri Christophe de
    l’Université d’Etat d’Haïti à
    Limonade, Haiti)
  • Street Vending in cities in developing
    countries: St. Vincent and the
    Grenadines Experience - Benarva D.
    Browne (St. Vincent and the
    Grenadines)

Sub-theme: Policy and legislative responses to urbanization
Session Moderator: Dr. Marlyn Morris (Morris
Training and Consultancy Services, Canada)

  • An alternative Governance Model for
    partnership between Community-Based-
    Organisations and Government in pursing
    sustainable urbanization in the Caribbean -
    Wayne Chaman Huggins, Dr. Asad
    Mohammed, Dr. Priya Kissoon (University
    of the West Indies, St Augustine)
  •  Advancing human rights through urbanization:
    A Caribbean Perspective- Shomari Atsu Jones
    (Barbados)
  • Determining the effectiveness of adopting the
    Synoptic Planning Theory in contemporary
    planning: A case study of East Mocha Arcadia,
    East Bank Demerara - Lloyd Souvenir, Odessa
    Harris, Sheldon Howell (MSc Students-
    University of Guyana)
  • Plugging the Leak: Exploring lost
    revenue streams in Caribbean
    property ownership - Kizzann
    Sammy, Miguel Angel Sanjines
    (Canada)

Sub-theme: The transformation of rural areas
through urbanization

Session Moderator: Ms Angelika Namdar
(Anton de Kom University, Suriname)

  • Ecosystem-based spatial planning in
    complex rural landscapes - Jamille Haarloo,
    Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname
    (CELOS) (Suriname)
  • Coastal urbanization in the context of sea
    level rise. The example of the “50 pas
    géométriques” area in Martinique - Audrey
    Pastel, Pascal Saffache (Martinique)
  • Peri-urban Development and Food Crop Loss
    in Ibadan, Nigeria (1986-2019) - Saeed
    Ojolowo (Nigeria)
Thur, June 17    
10:30 - 12:00   

Sub-theme: Policy and legislative responses to urbanization

Session Speaker: Mr. Rafael Forero, UN-Habitat Representative

Urban Planning: the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals -

Understanding the CUF from the global perspective, as mandated by the New Urban Agenda and the SDGs.

Session Moderator: Mr. Rawle Edinboro (University of Guyana)

 

Thur, June 17    
12:00 - 13:00   

Moderator: Dr. Claude Gooding

POSTERS:

  • Public Participation as a tool for Sustainable Community Development:
    A Case Study of East Mocha-Arcadia, East Bank Demerara - Lloyd Souvenir,
    Odessa Harris, Sheldon Howell (MSc Students, University of Guyana)
  • Cap-Haïtien entre urbanisation et ‹‹citéisation›› -Jennie-Lande Dorival,
    Jeaddan-Sheal Joseph, Sophonie Sylvain (Haiti)
    Interpreter: Ms Nikita Archer

 

 

Moderator: Mr. Alim Hosein

FILM:

Ganga Dhaara: Sacred Spaces
Dr. Perry Polar and Dr. Sharda Patasar (Trinidad &
Tobago)

POSTER:

Climate Crisis in New York City: Improving the
Resilience of Astoria Houses- Katrina Gustafson
(USA)

Thur, June 17    
13:00 - 14:30   

Panel 2:

Session Moderator: Dr. Asad Mohammed (blueSpace Caribbean)

Innovation in the Management of Coastal Communities in the Caribbean: HIT RESET Caribbean (Open)
Panelists: Aaron Mohammed; Samantha Chadee, Joel Houlder, Dr Carol Archer, Simeone Lewis, Dr Ronald Roopnarine

Thur, June 17    
14:30 - 16:00   

Sub-theme: Resilient urbanization
Session Moderator: Dr. Faith Kasim
(University of Guyana)

  • Imagining the Future of Caribbean Urbanization After the Fracture and
    Climate Change - Hervé Sabin, Nyugen Smith, Marvin Fabien and
    Marie Vickles (Haiti, Texas, Martinique, Miami)
  • Billiton as link. The way to a sustainable future for Onverdacht,
    Suriname - Sarah Adriaenssens, Siel Leemans, Yentl Wulteputte
    (Suriname and Belgium)
  • Creative Place-making, An Urban Regeneration Tool - Israel Mapp,
    Bukola Tijani (Barbados)

Sub-theme: Urbanization in a digital era
Session Moderator: Dr. Anna Perriera
(University of Guyana)

  • A Bluegreen Actor Network for Paramaribo-
    North - Helena Neyt, Romanie Paeps, Anke
    Peleman (Belgium)
  • Historic Repeat Photography as a Tool for
    Examining Landscape Change on Barbados -
    Jyade A. Fritz, Casey D. Allen (Barbados)
  • Use of Geo-spatial Technologies in Planning
    Associated with Informal Settlements - Mark
    Leipnik (USA)
  • Urban Planning: Digital tools for a Sustainable Future in the urban area of
    Georgetown City in Guyana - Isidro Ubaldo
    Espinosa, Guillermo Velasco, Ricardo Ochoa
    (Guyana)

Sub-theme: Policy and legislative responses to
urbanization

Session Moderator: Dr. Perry Polar (blueSpace
Caribbean, Trinidada & Tobago)

  • Diverse housing policy to tackle urban sprawl
    in Paramaribo - Sigrid Heirman, Tom Coppens,
    Nadia Molenaers (Belgium)
  • Development of a Sustainability Index for
    Urban Land use Practices in Suriname - Sherina
    A. Soekhlal, Angelika S. Namdar (Anton de
    Kom - Suriname)
  • Urban Planning Policy and the Development of Divided Cities in Dependent Capitalist
    Countries- A. M. Alabi, O.J. Omirin (Nigeria)
Thur, June 17    
16:00 - 17:30   

PANEL DEBATE:

Moderator: Dr. Catarina Camarinhas (UN-ECLAC)
Sustainable urbanisation and some priorities for the sub-region

Panelists: Diego Aulestia, UNECLAC; Roi Chiti, UN-Habitat; Alvaro Monett, UNECLAC; Fiona Littlejohn, UNECLAC

Thur, June 17    
17:30 - 19:00   

Moderator: Dr Patrick Williams
SESSION
(Open):

Work of the Caribbean Planners’ Association

Speaker: Ms Carolyn Trench-Sandiford (Belize)

 

DAY 3 - FRIDAY 18 TH JUNE, 2021

 
Fri, June 18                             
9:00 - 10:30             

Sub-theme: Water management in an urban context
Session Moderator: Dr. Temitope
Oyedotun
(University of Guyana)

  • Adaptation Measures to Counteract the Effects of
    Climate Change with a focus on Water Resources
    Management and Flood Alleviation
    (AMCECC) - A. Karima Degia, Ricardo
    D. Marshall, Dr. Janice Cumberbatch
    (Barbados)
  • Thermal Hydrolysis and its relevance for
    waste reduction and energy recovery in
    Urban Municipal and Industrial
    effluents within the Caribbean - Alex J.T. Harewood, Dr. Elon Cadogan (Belize)
  • Innovative Membranes for Enhanced
    Water Management - E. Cadogan, Alex J.T. Harewood (Belize)
  • Performance Evaluation of a Central
    Wastewater Treatment Plant in Jamaica: Case Study of Soapberry
    Wastewater Treatment Plant -
    Wayneworth G. Hamilton (Jamaica)

Sub-theme: Resilient urbanization
Session Moderator: Ms Germane Stewart
(Central Housing & Planning Authority, Guyana)

  • Towards a Greener and more Liveable Paramaribo: The importance of Urban
    Green Spaces for Sustainable Cities - Lisa
    Best, Louise Willemen, Nina Schwarz, and
    Rudi van Kanten (Suriname & The
    Netherlands)
  • Is it urban growth or urban expansion or is
    it both? What is Guyana’s story? - Davon Van-Veen (University of Guyana)
  • Improved drainage for sustainable livelihood
    in a proposed model community on the East
    Bank of Demerara, Guyana – Andrew
    Metzger, Dahlia Durga, Karen Bannister,
    Mary Samaroo (MSc Student, University of
    Guyana)

PANEL DISCUSSION 3:

Moderator: Mr. Graham Alabaster (Chief, UN-

Habitat Geneva Office) 

COVID recovery and the role of public spaces to promote
health and well-being during the pandemic

Panelists: Pamela Carbajal (Global Public Space Programme, UN-Habitat); Ms. Carolina Piedrafita (
Senior Urban Specialist, Inter-America Development
Bank); Representative from Santo Domingo; Mr. Rogier
Vanden Berg (Director, World Resource Institute, USA);
Ms. Carolyn Trench-sandiford (President, Belize
Association of Planners, Belize); Dr. Gerry Eijkemans
(Unit Chief Health Promotion and Social Determinants of
Health, PAHO)

Fri, June 18                                          
10:30 - 12:00   

Sub-theme: Resilient urbanization
Session Moderator: Ms Donnel Bess- Bascom (Central Housing &; Planning Authority, Guyana)

  • The emergence of ‘Green Building’ in
    the Caribbean and its anticipated
    impact on urban real estate - Sunil
    Lalloo, Mark Farrell and Derek de
    Gannes (Trinidada & Tobago)
  • Rapid Planning Toolkit for Urban
    Expansion - Alice Preston-Jones, Ben
    Bolgar, Clive Harridge (The Prince’s
    Foundation & Commonwealth
    Association of Planners)
  • Increasing Urban Resilience through
    Infrastructural Projects: An Urban
    Infrastructure Resilience Scorecard -
    Renelle Sarjeant (Barbados)

Sub-theme: Informality, public health risk
reduction and the urban environment

Session Moderator: Ms Shanomae Rose
(University of Guyana)

  • Port-au-Prince (Haiti) between urban growth
    and vulnerabilities: case of the watershed of
    the Bois-de-chêne River - Louis-Marc Pierre
    (State University of Haiti)
  • Optimized Landfill Site Selection Using an
    Integrated Approach of GIS and Multi-
    Criteria Decision Analysis: An Evaluation of
    the Riverton Watershed - Stephney S.
    Duhaney (University of Technology, Jamaica)
  • Another side of sustainable development?
    Examining the psychosocial geographies of
    inequity and exclusion in the Urban Ghetto -
    Aleem I. Mahabir and Robert L. Kinlocke
    (University of the West Indies at Mona,
    Jamaica) Child Unfriendly Urbanisation -
    Earl Bailey (Jamaica)

Sub-theme: Urbanization in a digital era
Session moderator: Dr. Tom Coppen
(University of Antwerp)

  • Social Media Utilisation for the Reportage of
    Disasters by the National Emergency
    Management Agency in Nigeria -
    Oluwasinaayomi Faith Kasim, Ismail
    Adedapo Oyerinde (University of Guyana &
    Nigeria)
  • An examination of the digital divide and its
    implications for social and economic
    development in selected Jamaican
    communities - Romario A. Anderson, Robert
    L. Kinlocke (Jamaica)
  •  Benefits of Developing an Address Reference
    System: The United States Virgin Islands - L.
    Christopher George, Martha McCart wells
    (Virgin Islands)
Fri, June 18    
12:00 - 13:30   

PANEL DISCUSSION 4:
Moderator: Dr. Patrick Williams
(University of Guyana)
Approaches to traffic management in the city of Georgetown: Alternative Solutions


Panelists: Patrick Thompson, Ministry of
Public Works; Eon Andrews, President
Minibus Association; Colvern Venture,
Engineer, Mayor & City Council,
Georgetown; Ramesh Ashram, Traffic
Department (Guyana)

PANEL SESSION 5:
Moderator: Dr. Marlyn Morris
Smart cities and community development: the
panacea for integrated implementation and achievement of the SDGS & sustainable

livelihood in the 21 st Century and beyond


Panelists: Peter Voldeng, Tristan Blackwood,
Roland Braithwaite, Clarence Winter, Alex Esomonu
(St Lucia and Canada)

Sub-theme: Resilient urbanization
Session Moderator: Dr. Claude Gooding (US –Virgin Islands )

  • Sports and Entertainment: The Vehicle to Urban Economic Resilience - Kemar Bogle
    (National Environment and Planning Agency- Jamaica)
  •  Anticipating new typologies for mid-scale peri-urban farmstead as drivers for sustainable development. The case of
    Mariënburg, Suriname - Nathan De Feyter, Johan De Walsche, Marciano Dasai
    (Belgium/Suriname)
  •  Are 15-minute Neighbourhoods Right for The Caribbean? - Steve Kemp (United Kingdom)
Fri, June 18    
13:30 - 15:00   

WORKSHOP 2:

Moderator: Dr. Carol Archer (University of Technology, Jamaica)

Online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module on climate change and resilient cities for planners working in the Eastern Caribbean

Fri, June 18    
15:00 - 16:30   

POLICY DIALOGUE:

Moderator: Mr. Emrah Engindeniz (Regional Programme Advisor, UN Habitat)

Informal settlements and COVID-19

Panelists: Michel Frojmovic(Affiliate); Rajack, Robin Michael (IADB); Roxanne Campbell; Joan Dove

 

Fri, June 18    
16:30 - 17:30   

THE WAY FORWARD: URBANIZATION AND URBAN POLICY IN THE CARIBBEAN
Session Moderator: Dr. Asad Mohammed
(blueSpace Caribbean)

Reflections: Elkin Velásquez, Regional Representative, UN-Habitat/Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Carol Archer – UTECH; Mr. Rawle Edinboro - Chair-LOC; Ms. Angelika Namdar, Anton de Kom- Surinam; Dr. Yolanda Alleyne, Physical Planning and Natural Resources

Management

Fri, June 18    
17:30 - 18:00   

CLOSING CEREMONY