A Jamaica-born development planning expert based in the United States says conceptualising and planning are crucial for urban development.

Eleanor Sharpe, director of the Philadelphia Department of Planning and Development, on Tuesday, October 31, shared insightful nuggets from her experience for effective planning that she believes can assist in the transformation of downtown Kingston.

Sharpe, who was the keynote speaker at the third staging of the Maurice Facey Lecture Series held at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston, shared insights into how critical it is to have a vision and gave practical example from her effort to transform parts of the city of Philadelphia through vision and planning.

The development expert explained that to achieve a desired future, one must first envision and plan for it rather than allow nature to run its course.

“I believe that nothing happens without being intentional, nothing happens by intention stance, you have to be direct to drive it. Stakeholder engagement is paramount, collaboration is a must, and we all must work together. You also have to be flexible and nimble because things are going to come up that you cannot foresee and you have to pivot,” Sharpe advised.

“Preservation of community identity and heritage, we learned is paramount, people want to be respected, people love their neighbourhood, they just want it nicer, greener, and all that, we are very respectful of all that. Last but not least, an understanding of the regulatory and political landscape is very important to make these things happen,” she outlined.

This year’s Maurice Facey Lecture Series was guided by the theme ‘Value of a Vision – The Transformative Power of an Actionable Plan’.

“We gather once again for the third installment of the annual Maurice Facey Lecture Series, a platform through which we continue to advocate for the future of our city through positive action for its revitalisation, in particular, the much-neglected downtown. Our gathering is not merely a lecture, it is a conduit for knowledge and insight on a stage where we share proven strategies for the renewal of our nation’s urban landscape to this end we remain committed to the purpose that beckons us to take charge of our destiny by crafting vision and a well-structured plan that is poised to breathe new life into our cherished city and ultimately our nation,” said Stephen Facey, chairman and chief executive officer of PanJam Investment Limited (PanJam).

The annual lecture series brings together seasoned thinkers from around the world to share their experiences and participate in discussions surrounding urban development.