Today I was in Suburbia or for a better expression looking out at the Red Hills of Kingston. I remember going to school in Suburbia. It was a quiet neighbourhood that didn't like too much noise and any events that occurred at the school could be shut down by the relevant authorities if they made just one phone call. What's so interesting about this suburb in Kingston is that in my school days, I could count the number of houses on the hill. That was then...and now there is an urban explosion of palatial mansions on the hill. It is the Jamaican Dream to own a house on the hill but then what pressure does it put on the natural resources? We basically carve out our hillsides to secure housing and it makes me wonder if the hills can manage the stress it's place under in terms of land use and amenities. I really hope we are not building to the collapse of the hills which experiences vast land slippage during the rainy season. Arguably, from the top down looking at the City of Kingston from the hills, it is one of the most green urban areas. The air quality may not be that great but most properties have a tree or two to help reduce air pollution. For future development, the relevant authorities must exercise some development control. Sure, we can build big houses on the hills, we just need to ensure that there are parameters for zoning in order to curb the population.
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