INTERNATIONAL urban development expert Greg Clark is urging the Government to focus on one urban development project at a time.

Speaking at the recent Maurice Facey lecture series which focused on ‘The Business of Cities’ Clark said, “I think you need to pick one project and do it brilliantly. I think if you continue to do simple things really well, there will be a big improvement.”

He gave the recommendation while examining the private sector’s key roles in urban revitalisation and the post-pandemic future of cities.

“If we want cities to succeed in this century of cities then business has to be a responsible and proactive partner in that process,” he said.

In addition to taking the strategic approach of not taking on too many projects at a time, he commented “There does need to be a shared vision about the future of the city, and in the conversations that I’ve had with people I haven’t heard any difference of opinion. However, I have noticed a habit of people being contrary sometimes in how they behave in the discussions.”

He pointed out that the plan to consolidate all government offices into one area is fascinating but stated that it’s more likely to be a long-term project. He said there are some low-hanging fruits which are more likely to give near-term rewards.

“One piece of low-hanging fruit is your soft power; so if you think about the DNA of Kingston and Jamaica you know who your national heroes are, you know that the cultural resonance is around the world. I don’t see that huge asset being properly deployed on your behalf yet. It’s almost like you’ve got this global soft power slightly accidentally. I think it should become intentional around the story, the brand, the proposition,and the incredible,creative dynamism of the place,” he argued.

“The other thing that would be low-hanging fruit is obviously now to pursue the waterfront story because of the aspirational investment that’s being made, not just at the ROK [Hotel Kingston] but in some of the other places around,” Clark continued.

The urban development expert pointed out that, “There’s a dramatic gap between the potential of the place which is exponential and what’s being achieved. I don’t know what the reasons are,” he said.

However Clark said, based on observation, there might be too much emphasis on past initiatives which were unsuccessful.

“I think that there may be a tendency to look at what’s gone wrong in the past and to engage in an orgy of lamentation, when actually all you need to do is just look forward,” he suggested.

Aside from that, he proffered that greater emphasis be placed on digitisation when conceptualising cities, noting that technology is the way of the future.

“In this century of the city the rapid acceleration of enabling technologies is producing completely new paradigms in terms of how we create businesses, jobs and enterprises. The future of trade is locked in to these technological advantages, and we talk now about being in industry 4.0, the new or 4th industrial revolution — a digital revolution.”

“This digital revolution is not just a revolution in the economy, it’s also a revolution in the way we think about and manage cities,” Clark explained.

With that said, he highlighted that every city is totally unique, with a unique history, society and geography. To that end, he’s urging the Government to play to the strengths of the city.

A crucial part of that, he says, is creating public spaces which will persuade people from all walks of life to congregate and develop ownership of the space.

“Public space is very important because you have to create spaces where the whole community can enjoy something,” he said.

A part from that, he opined that the urban transportation system will need to be overhauled in a bid to provide more rewarding experiences when moving about the city.

“I think that there is going to need to be a transition away from lots of small vehicles with internal combustion engines — not just because that’s an inefficient transport system but because it also militates against the quality of the space. I think that this is a big challenge,” he warned.

Clark is a leading urbanist who has worked in over 300 cities, providing thought leadership on future urbanisation trends. His areas of expertise include city development, mobility, technology, digitisation and innovation, urban governance, city strategic planning, real estate and place leadership.

Clark has chaired over 20 advisory boards for individual cities, reformulating their future investment strategies and long-term plans. He has also tracked the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on 100 cities since 2020.