Zoning code for Port of Spain

A draft form-based zoning code for Port of Spain has been approved and sectoral consultations have begun involving the TT Society of Planners and the TT Institute of Architects.

This was announced yesterday by Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, who said one of the main objectives was to utilise up-to-date planning theory and current international best-practice approaches.

These principles would translate into physical development standards turning PoS around and creating a safe, healthy, inclusive and sustainable physical, socio-economic and cultural environment.

Collaboration and input from key planning and architectural bodies would help to move the zoning codes from the current draft state to final regularisation.

A pilot was also planned for 2018, with an area in PoS being selected to further study what needed to be done and so that unforeseen challenges could be ironed out before extending the coding process to the rest of the city.

Form-based codes were “land use systems that regulated the form and intensity of development seeking building form primarily and building use secondarily to create a desired urban form prioritising walking facilities and mixed use development.”

The PoS Form Based Code could help to reverse some of the problems related to urban sprawl, spearheaded by the Development Planning Unit of the Town and Country Planning Division (TCPD).

It represented the linkage between the vision, policies, goals and objectives of the Government and the urban development structure needed to achieve these goals.

This initiative formed a critical part of Government’s national development objectives as articulated in Vision 2030.