Holness directs UDC to develop a public park in every Jamaican parish

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has set a nationwide goal of expanding access to quality public spaces, instructing the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to deliver a park in each of Jamaica's parishes.

Addressing the UDC Board Retreat on April 30, the prime minister argued that the gains from national development should show up in everyday life, particularly through recreational areas that are accessible and thoughtfully designed.

“The UDC must establish a park in every parish, and this is a mandate it is together carrying out with the NHT [National Housing Trust],” he said.

The push is part of a wider drive to give Jamaicans across the island safe, attractive and well-run environments for leisure, wellness and community life.

Holness pointed to Harmony Beach Park as an example of how such facilities can reshape neighbourhoods and lift residents' quality of living. He also asked the UDC to scout and put forward parcels of land suitable for the new parks, stressing that state-owned assets must be used efficiently.

“The UDC must now come back to me with lands available for possible parks in each parish,” he said, while pressing for tight timelines and disciplined project delivery.

The prime minister also called for the agency's land bank to be channelled into other national priorities, chief among them housing. “The UDC must utilise this land bank for housing. There is a significant housing gap, and we must mobilise across all relevant entities to address this gap,” he stated.