Former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia Enrique Peñalosa is urging the Jamaican government to give greater consideration to utilising a people-centred approach when urbanising cities going forward. Peñalosa, during his keynote address at the 2024 staging of The Honourable Maurice Facey Lecture, hosted by The C.B.
Facey Foundation on Tuesday at the S Hotel Kingston, asserted that the development of cities must have more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, like sidewalks that were at least five-feet wide with kerb ramps for the accessibility of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, strollers, or for those who have mobility restrictions and find it difficult to step up and down high kerbs. Addresing the theme ‘A City for People: Reimagining Jamaica’s Transportation System’, he further shared that “a good city, above anything else, is one where it is safe and pleasant for walking, especially for those most vulnerable citizens, for the handicapped, for the elderly, [and] for children”. Well-designed sidewalks that were appropriately wide, furnished with suitable lighting, and lined with trees would revitalise deteriorated areas, he said, with reference to sections of downtown Kingston.
“There should never be parking bays where there should be a sidewalk. This is not alright,” he said, adding that it destroys the value of urban areas. He also pointed to the importance of bike lanes to ensure the safety of cyclists.
To create bicycle trails, for example, along Kingston’s wa.