UDC advances Kingston Harbour Walk linking downtown to Port Royal

Plans are advancing for a sweeping remake of the capital’s shoreline: a 25-kilometre linear park along Kingston Harbour running from downtown Kingston out to Port Royal. Known as the Kingston Harbour Walk, the scheme is led by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and aims to give residents and visitors a lively public corridor for walking, jogging, resting, and closer contact with one of the world’s largest natural harbours.

The route will extend an existing downtown boardwalk that now runs from the vicinity of the Marine Police Station to Rae Town. Officials say the waterfront path will grow in stages, first linking onward to Harbour View in St Andrew before continuing to Port Royal.

At a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, Loy Malcolm, the UDC’s Deputy General Manager for Planning, Development and Project Management, called the undertaking among Jamaica’s most consequential urban development efforts. She indicated that the corporation is close to executing design contracts for the opening two phases and stressed that public consultation will be central as the work unfolds.

“That process will also involve a lot of consultation because we want, when we do development, the public of Jamaica must feel that they have been a part of it every step of the way,” she said.

The shoreline scheme is also expected to bolster Kingston’s climate resilience by acting as a coastal buffer that shields vital harbour-front infrastructure. Malcolm added that the Kingston Harbour Walk should open fresh recreational and cultural ways for Jamaicans and visitors to connect with the water’s edge.

“We will integrate experiences along the walk. It’s no longer driving along and looking at the water. You are going to be able to interact. I think it’s very important for Jamaicans to interact with the water,” she said.

The UDC has not released a completion schedule or an estimated price tag for the project.