Plantation Geography to Global City: Density in Barbados

There is little disagreement that climate change is linked to population increase and human activity. Central to the process of climate change is a mismatch between carbon emission, primarily caused by combustion of fossil fuels, and loss of plant life that can absorb and store carbon. Because tropical climates contain a high concentration of vegetation that can process carbon, loss of tropical forest is pivotal when considering strategies to stem climate change. Tropical forests are also being deforested at a greater rate that forests in non-tropical climates. This presents a political dilemma as forests in developed economies were largely deforested centuries ago, and are not likely to be replenished in the near future. Tropical forests are disproportionately located in developing countries where they are being razed for agriculture, roads, and buildings. Suggesting that tropical economies should not convert forest land into productive agricultural land is difficult since development of agricultural land has played a significant role in the growth of most advanced economies. However, when developing economies have limited potential to maintain competitive agricultural sectors, arguments can be made for developing dense urban economies that focus on value-added activities such as trade and manufacturing. Cities offer greater potential for optimization of human capital than non-urban areas, greater mobility, and greater opportunity to reap the benefits of a global economy. There are also ecological reasons for encouraging urbanism. In Green Metropolis, David Owens argues that dense cities are greener that non-urban settlements because they are land-efficient, encourage non-vehicular mobility, and make material accumulation difficult. A country that would benefit from increased density Barbados which is located at the southeastern edge of the Caribbean Sea. Barbados has a small land area with a functioning sugarcane sector that faces stiff competition from Brazil where large scale harvesting is more profitable. Sugarcane production is complemented with tourism, off-shore financial services, and small-scale manufacturing. Barbados can continue to rely on sugarcane and tourism as the primary drivers of the economy although they offer little potential for growth. In light of these factors should Barbados continue to support low-intensity development? Is encouraging urbanization as an economic and ecological strategy feasible in this former tropical colony?There are factors in the favor of densification in Barbados. Its largest city Bridgetown, has a port capable of handling large vessels, and historical buildings that extend to its colonial past. Barbados also has a well educated population and low crime rate. This paper explores how Barbados, which has high levels of automobile use, can invest in its capital city, discourage sprawl, and minimize road development. It investigates reasons for increasing public transportation options, encouraging development density, and how historic buildings in Bridgetown can be included in a larger vision. Consideration will also be given to the notion of returning land that was deforested by the British for plantations to its natural state. The paper will provide examples of local building typology, typographical features, and land-use patterns.

Volume Editors
Anthony Abbate, Francis Lyn & Rosemary Kennedy

ISBN
978-0-935502-90-9