- The institutional environment for planning in Trinidad and Tobago
- Currently, in line with the provisions of Part II, sections 5 to 7 of the Town and County Act of Trinidad and Tobago, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has adopted the recommendations of the National Spatial Development Strategy (NSDS) as official government policy. The NSDS identifies the spatial extent of social, cultural, and economic development, as well as the related built infrastructure, for Tobago.
- While many areas identified in the NSDS generally align with the development ideals of Tobagonians, several key areas for development have been overlooked.
- Additionally, the NSDS does not consider the ambition of the current executive of the THA to establish a third Development Planning Region, which would support the development of Scarborough as Tobago’s premier capital city,
- The NSDS also does not support the establishment of the towns of Canaan, Bon Accord, and Roxborough or suburban areas in several communities across Tobago.
- The National Spatial Development Strategy divides Tobago into two Integrated Planning Regions, IPRs: The Northeast Tobago Integrated Planning Region (NTIPR) and the Southwest Tobago Integrated Planning Region (STIPR).
- To implement the considerations of the Strategic Development Planning Pathway, Tobago will be divided into three (3) Development Planning Regions, DPR. The third region will be the Greater Scarborough Integrated Planning Region (see decision step 2 of the integrated planning logic).
- Establishing the GSIPR will require reconfiguring the NTIPR and the STIPR. The three development planning regions provide the spatial basis for identifying public problems and implementing policy and other solutions to address those problems.
