Yarborough Revitalization Initiative

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The final report of the first international CPAT offers a revitalization strategy for the waterfront neighborhood of Yarborough on the south side of Belize City, Belize. The Belize City Council, through the funding support of the Inter-American Development Bank's Emerging and Sustainable Cities program, sought help from the CPAT program to supplement work already completed as a part of their 2012 master plan that included a focus on the waterfront areas that are critical to the city's overall land-use, sustainability, and economic development planning.

This report outlines four planning priorities the team developed through the stakeholder and public consultations during their work in Belize City.

The four planning priorities are:

1. linking assets and a reorientation of the community to the water;
2. supporting community-led initiatives and activities;
3. implementing green infrastructure and resilience strategies; and
4. ongoing project development and management using metrics and "strategic doing."

With these planning priorities in mind, and based on site analysis and input from the community, the team also developed some site-specific urban planning and design recommendations, as well as recommendations for how to accomplish the multiple projects and initiatives that are outlined in a strategy and implementation matrix.

Implementation strategies range from the near term to the long term and from low-cost projects to those that require significant capital investments. Rather than the planning effort resulting in just another report with unrealistic or misaligned priorities, the interest is to provide a framework for incremental progress and capacity building through real projects. Through the work of developing a larger vision and grounding it with projects that can be done by people in the community, there is an opportunity for greater alignment with the larger land-use planning and economic development and branding for the neighborhood and city. It is also a strategy for developing leadership and stewardship in multiple communities in Belize City.

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Meet the Team

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Team Leader

Justin Garrett Moore, AICP

Justin Garrett Moore is an urban designer and the Executive Director of the New York City Public Design Commission. At the Public Design Commission his work is focused on prioritizing the quality and excellence of the public realm, and fostering accessibility, diversity and inclusion in the City's public buildings, spaces, and art. He received degrees in both architecture and urban design from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation where he is now an Adjunct Associate Professor of Architecture in the urban design and urban planning programs. He is the co-founder of Urban Patch, a social enterprise based in Indianapolis that focuses on community revitalization and design in American inner cities. He also serves as a board member for ioby.org, Mary Miss — City as Living Laboratory, and Made in Brownsville.

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Team Member

Antoine Bryant, Assoc. AIA

Antoine Bryant is principal of the Bryant Design Group, LLC, a commissioner on the City of Houston Planning Commission, and member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the American Institute of Architects. Bryant is a highly skilled and accomplished designer and community developer who's led and directed the physical and social development of communities across the country. Much of his career has focused on engagement with underserved communities. He's managed the construction and rehabilitation of projects ranging in costs from $20,000 to over $6 million, and managed affordable housing and multi-family properties throughout the country.

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Team Member

Veronica O. Davis, PE

Veronica Davis is a transportation nerd who uses her knowledge to spark progressive social change in the community. Currently, she is a co-owner and Principal Planning Manager at Nspiregreen LLC. In July 2012, the White House recognized her as a Champion of Change and Transportation Innovator for her professional accomplishments and community advocacy in the District of Columbia. Veronica is one of the co-founders of Black Women Bike (BWB), an organization and movement that encourages African American women to use biking for health and wellness as well as an alternative form of transportation for commuting. She holds a dual Masters Degrees (Engineering Management and Regional Planning) from Cornell University and a B.S in civil engineering from the University of Maryland.

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Team Member

Adam Perkins, AICP

Adam Perkins is the Urban Planning Manager for the Downtown Denver Partnership where his focus is on place-based economic development through improving the public realm. He manages all planning efforts for the Downtown Business Improvement District involving the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall, the public realm and outdoor spaces, transportation corridors, core neighborhoods, and the downtown area. He coordinates the Partnership's and BID's efforts in developing policy guidance and recommendations to improve the downtown environment. He also leads the development review process of streetscape and public realm improvements within downtown Denver ensuring consistent and high quality design of the downtown built environment. He is also the founder of Local Innovations a community development firm that provides services to struggling communities in Colorado to help them overcome imminent challenges.

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Team Member

Shannon Van Zandt, PhD, AICP

Dr. Shannon Van Zandt is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning at Texas A&M University, where she directs the professional program in urban planning, directs the Center for Housing & Urban Development, and is a Fellow in the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center. Starting in 2008, Dr. Van Zandt led a multi-year study of community recovery in Galveston, Texas after Hurricane Ike, funded by the National Science Foundation. She has expertise in coastal resilience, social vulnerability to disasters, and low-income housing. She is co-author of the 2014 book, Planning for Community Resilience: A Handbook for Reducing Vulnerability to Disasters, from Island Press.

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