WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Council of Ministers has approved the start-up phase of the Innercity Willemstad Vision Framework, moving the government closer to establishing a permanent management and development structure for the historic city center.
According to the August edition of the Innercity Willemstad newsletter, the Council of Ministers approved the concept document “Roadmap for the Development of the Implementation Plan – Start-up Phase of the Innercity Willemstad Vision Framework” on July 29. The decision formally clears the way for development of the implementation plan.
One of the most significant components is the planned structural establishment and operationalization of City Management Willemstad. The framework also calls for a Research & Innovation component and the allocation of funding to strengthen government organizations involved in the redevelopment of the city center.
Other elements include the further development of policy themes for the start-up phase, an evaluation of Article 4 of the EOP spatial development plan and the establishment of a monitoring system based on the Development Compass.
The approval comes as several major public and private projects are changing the face of Willemstad, including infrastructure improvements, restoration projects, new hotels and other investments across Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo.
At the same time, the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning (VVRP) has begun a comprehensive inventory of buildings throughout Willemstad’s city center. The government wants to establish a clearer picture of the physical and structural condition of the building stock.
The results are expected to help authorities determine which buildings and areas should receive priority for maintenance and rehabilitation. They will also be used for future planning and policy development aimed at preserving and improving Willemstad’s built environment.
The initiative is particularly important because Willemstad's historic center includes buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage area, where preservation must increasingly be balanced with economic development, tourism, housing and modern infrastructure needs.
The Innercity Willemstad program is intended to bring these different areas of development under a more coordinated long-term approach rather than treating projects in Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo separately.
The government’s next challenge will be turning the approved framework into an operational system, including defining responsibilities, securing budgets and establishing the planned City Management Willemstad structure.