FOR generations, the development of villages in Guyana has often been measured by the kilometres of paved roads, drains dug or bridges built.
These are important markers of progress, but do not, in themselves, make for thriving communities.
The government’s proposed Village Transformation Programme and accompanying “Model Village” initiative for Melanie Damishana and Non Pariel point to a larger philosophy; one that seeks to build communities where infrastructure, security, economic opportunity and social cohesion develop together.
The programme, when implemented as envisioned, has the potential of being one of the most broad-based approaches to community development ever undertaken in recent years.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali told residents on the East Coast Demerara that the government is looking beyond the usual public works.
The introduction of CCTV surveillance, police outposts, better drainage, fire hydrants, improved public lighting, specific commercial zones, and support for small businesses shows an understanding that quality of life depends on much more than physical infrastructure.
Communities tend to thrive and become resilient when people feel safe; where businesses are permitted to operate in an organised environment; where there is less flooding, public spaces are attractive, children have parks to play in. These are the foundations of sustainability.
This integrated approach is illustrated by the proposed transformation of Melanie Damishana and Non Pariel.
The plan, which will cover approximately 470 acres of land, and benefit more than 1,700 households, will address long-standing infrastructural deficiencies that residents have lived with for years.
The drainage element alone reveals the scale of the undertaking. Engineers have found that the community has 27.7 kilometres of road, but only 7,000 metres of concrete drains, and about 55 kilometres of earthen drains, all heavily silted and overgrown.
Thankfully, it is hoped that improved flood resilience will be achieved through the proper construction of more than 43 kilometres of reinforced concrete drains, better alley drainage, new culverts and bridges, and waterway strengthening.
Equally important is the attention being paid to the public sphere. New sidewalks, road rehabilitation, additional streetlights, playgrounds, ‘green spaces’, and hundreds of shade trees will help create communities that are functional and welcoming.
Such investments tend to receive less attention than large engineering projects, but they shape the everyday experience of residents in their own neighbourhoods in profound ways.
One of the more important aspects of the programme is its emphasis on planning.
Traditionally, many villages across Guyana have tended to develop organically over the decades without the benefit of a comprehensive zoning scheme, a practice that often gives rise to disparity between residential and commercial uses.
Thus, one sometimes finds residential life in hot contention with the neighbourhood mechanic shops, roadside vending, entertainment venues, and stockpiles of construction materials and informal parking resulting in congestion, safety hazards and environmental worries.
The President’s proposal to reserve space for certain commercial and recreational use acknowledges a problem that has long plagued many communities.
Good planning does not strangle economic activity; it creates an orderly framework within which business and residents can co-exist.
But at the end of the day, the success of this effort will depend less on the quality of its plans than on the quality of its execution.
Such large-scale projects are always prone to challenges. It will require sensitivity, transparency, and consistent enforcement in the removal of encumbrances from public reserves.
Residents and business owners need to be treated fairly, given adequate notice, and involved throughout the process. Development should evoke public confidence, not resentment.
The discipline should also continue with the phased implementation mapped out by the government planners.
There is the potential for the Village Transformation Programme to be more than just another public works project, with the government’s commitment to deliver on both. It could re-define the way Guyana plans, develops, and sustains its communities for generations to come.
