1. 1
Coral Bay SDAT
St. John USVI

2. 2
SDAT Process

3. 3

4. 4

5. 5

6. 6

7. 7
Program
•Context, Findings & Principles
•Low Impact Development
•Marine Health
•Public Realm Plan
•Experiential Tourism
•Community Development
•Action Steps

8. 8
Context

9. 9

10. 10

11. 11

12. 12

13. 13
Findings

14. 14
Significant natural resources

15. 15
Strong institutions

16. 16
Culture of volunteerism

17. 17
Lack of local control

18. 18
No planning capacity

19. 19
No public realm

20. 20
Inadequate transit

21. 21
Environmental resources
under threat

22. 22
Fragmented social capital

23. 23
Need for economic opportunities

24. 24
Infrastructure challenges

25. 25
Doing nothing is not an option

26. 26
Principles

27. 27
Let nature lead

28. 28
Leverage assets

29. 29
Cultivate civic capacity

30. 30
Activate networks

31. 31
Plan for the future

32. 32
Low Impact Development

33. 33
Systems Approach
(image: Encyclopedia Brittanica)

34. 34
GI systems
we can map or envision an urban green infrastructure network
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC
High Point Redevelopment, Seattle,
SvR/Mithun

35. 35
layered and interconnected
made up of interdependent systems
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC
High Point Redevelopment, Seattle,
SvR/Mithun

36. 36
GI as DNA
GI system functions are the DNA of a place
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

37. 37
social system
social functions such as interaction, recreation, and economic stimulus
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

38. 38
circulatory system
circulatory functions such as pedestrian and bicycle mobility
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

39. 39
metabolic system
metabolic functions such as energy, material, & food production
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

40. 40
biologic system
biologic functions such as photosynthesis and habitat connectivity
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

41. 41
hydrologic system
hydrologic functions such as flow control and water quality
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

42. 42
geologic system
geologic functions such as erosion control and soil formation
SOCIAL CIRCULATORY METABOLIC BIOLOGIC HYDROLOGIC GEOLOGIC

43. 43

44. 44

45. 45

46. 46

47. 47
Best Management Practices (BMP)
GREEN infrastructure

48. 48
Green Roofs

49. 49
Cisterns

50. 50
Porous/Permeable Pavement
• Pervious Concrete
• Porous Asphalt
• Permeable Interlocking Pavers
• Open-celled (rigid/flexible) Pavers

51. 51
Bioregion

52. 52
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

53. 53Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

54. 54
develop like
take this… this and … perform like this
Finally green infrastructure can…

55. 55
Marine Health

56. 56
Environmental Gems and Coral Bay’s
Future

57. 57
Existing Protection and Threats

58. 58
Threats Impacting the Health of Coral Bay

59. 59
Evidence-based Decision Making and
Increased Communication
•Increase credible
scientific evidence and fill
in existing data gaps
• Increase communication
both locally and
professionally.

60. 60
Example of a Comprehensive
Study
These maps illustrate that while
coral bay itself is seagrass
dominated it is also connects to
valuable reef areas which the
bay support.

61. 61
Research Results to Establish
Local Environmental Thresholds
• Determine mooring
capacities or needs
• Determine level of boat
use appropriate for the
harbor and surrounding
areas
• Identify resources that are
stressed and should be
more specific areas of care

62. 62
Continuing On
• Continue or increase competitive
university support
• Continue to partner with existing
local and organizations (there is
a need on their end too)
• Continue to update existing
management plans
• Continue performing smaller
scale action efforts
• Model existing framework and/or
apply models used by others

63. 63
Public Realm Plan

64. 64
A PLAN/SCENARIO for CORAL
BAY

65. 65
Mangrove Walk
• Assets
- Open Space/Recreation
Small Boat Launch
Walking /Paths
Trails
Cultural Heritage Site

66. 66
• Community Services
Recreation/Community Center
Health Clinic
Postal Services

67. 67
• Economic Opportunities
Trash and Recycling
Agricultural Corridor

68. 68
• Commercial/Tourism Corridor
Cultural Center
Shopping/Market
Water Access

69. 69
• Pedestrian and vehicular Circulation
Coral Bay Circulator/Shuttle
Permeable Pedestrian Sidewalks

70. 70
Experiential Tourism

71. 71
The building blocks of
experiential tourism

72. 72
Your Heritage

73. 73
Your Environment

74. 74
Your History

75. 75
Flow INTO an Experiential Plan
for Visiting Coral Bay

76. 76
All to be Mapped and
Planned

77. 77
Based on Market Research
• Who wants to come to Coral Bay?
• Why?

78. 78
"In the post-
meltdown era,
there's been a
resetting of
priorities"

79. 79
It Has Been A Tough
Road

80. 80
Time is precious

81. 81
And that’s
why
“experientia
l travel” is
booming…

82. 82
Reconnection
to
themselves,
nature,
people &
culture of the
world is key

83. 83
What they remember and cherish
the most are the memories of the
local people…

84. 84
That’s why Coral Bay is the
perfect destination for
reconnection…

85. 85
Close Knit

86. 86
Genuine

87. 87
Relaxed

88. 88
Natural

89. 89
Accessible

90. 90
Beautiful

91. 91
Environmental Assets
• Marine Assets
– Close Access to
Marine Park
– Small Boat
Opportunities
– Permits
– Connect to walking,
biking, eating corridor

92. 92
Environmental Assets

93. 93
Forest & Farm Corridor
• Ecoresort
• Farm Stand
• Walks near forest
and mangrove

94. 94
Cultural Center
• Community Center in
heart of civic space
• Cultural Center near
Moravian Church with
exhibits, crafts,
demonstrations, and
or live performances

95. 95
Cultural Heritage Corridor

96. 96
Historic Assets
• Walking Access to
Frederik Fort
• Connection to
Johnny Horn Trail

97. 97
Small business development
• Plan First
• Create Consensus
• Build Local Capacity to
do Business
• Generate sources for
capital
• Create Organization to
Make it Happen
• Take it to the Top!

98. 98
Community Development

99. 99
Building Community Capacity
for Sustained Economic
Development
The Coral Bay Community
Development Corporation

100. 100
Building a diverse, inclusive,
sustainable community that…
• Provides a livelihood for the majority of its
residents and
• Builds on its natural assets for enjoyment
by residents and others and, lastly
• Possesses the institutional capacity to plan
and influence land use, economic
development and infrastructure decisions

101. 101
To accomplish this…
• Coral Bay should develop a community-
based development corporation that:
– promotes area--wide improvement and
collective decision making
– encourages sustainable development that
empowers the residents of Coral Bay residents
and their families

102. 102
Many variations of the model
the world over…
• Places a premium on community self
determination and voice
• Promotes collaboration among different
sectors of the community
• Participation in the larger economic
development process, while retaining a
clear focus on building community and
individual assets

103. 103
Getting to agreement on
building community capacity
• Find your own path to capacity development
• You will need structured time to think through
this investment of time, talent and energy
• Consider a dedicated task force whose goal is
to plan for implementation of the development
corporation
• Find “doable” projects that accomplish a goal,
while creating a path to community
organizational capacity

104. 104
Milestone Points
• Establishing a non-profit corporation
• Creating a mission and a set of goals
• Building a board of directors with a wide range of
expertise
– Private sector
– Public sector
– Residents/youth/faith community

105. 105
Raising operating and project
support
• U.S. government familiar with this type of
development, many agencies offer support for
community based development organizations
and projects
• U.S. based community development
intermediaries that can offer technical
assistance:
– Local Initiative Support Corporation
– Enterprise Partners
• Local and U.S. based philanthropy

106. 106
Functions
• Core functions of the organization should be
– establish a data platform that the community can
consistently use as a resource for evidence-based
decision making in socio economic development
planning;
– serve as a trusted authority on community needs and
plans
– evolving into an institution with the capacity to develop
and implement projects of scale and relevance
– develop leadership capacity in the target community
through specialized adult and youth programming.

107. 107
Possible initial
programming strategies:
•Develop planning capacity that creates a strong policy voice in relationships
with territory government
•Leading a study of the local economy complete with recommendations for:
– The development of supply chain linkages for local product and services
– Craft production
– Preparation of local youth for the local and regional workforce
– Inventory of environmental assets
•Promoting the preservation of local land assets for long-standing Coral Bay
families through (1) mediation (2) low-interest revolving loan facility (3) land trust
(possible sources of loan capital, banks, federal government)

108. 108
Skill needs and personnel for Coral
Bay Community Development
Corporation
• Executive director with experience in
tourism economic development
• Senior land-use planner
• Community organizer

109. 109
Early Actions

110. 110
1. Relocate the waste and recycling

111. 111
2. Start the nature trail

112. 112
3. Conduct cultural
heritage inventory

113. 113
4. Convene CDC
task force with broad
representation

114. 114
5. Work with Congressional
delegate on municipal
rights under Organic Act

115. 115
6. Explore funding
opportunities from HUD, EDA, DOI, VI
community
Foundation, Rockefeller

116. 116
7. Work with park to
re-open management
plan

117. 117
8. Partner with UVI on
BMPs and research
opportunities

118. 118
9. Investigate creating a citizen assembly

119. 119
Thank you for your hospitality!
www.aia.org/liv_sda