Building Back Stronger

Jamaica’s Overlooked Position in a Rapidly Advancing World

JamaicaJamaica, with its vibrant culture and stunning landscapes, has a unique position in the global real estate market. The i... has been tested before, and it is being tested again. HurricanesHurricanes, powerful tropical storms characterized by strong winds and heavy rains, significantly impact both Jamaica an..., seismic tremors, floodingFlooding is a significant concern in Jamaica's real estate market, particularly in areas prone to heavy rainfall and hur..., and infrastructure strain are no longer rare disruptions; they are part of the environment we live in. These forces are not new, and neither is our response to them. Jamaica has always rebuilt. What is different now is the moment we find ourselves in. This is not a story of decline or despair; it is a moment of decision.

In the aftermath of recent storms, and with the establishment of the National Recovery Authority (NARA), Jamaica stands at a crossroads. The question is no longer whether we rebuild, but how. Do we restore what failed, or do we re-imagine what could endure? Do we return to familiar systems that leave us exposed, or do we deliberately designDesign is the art and science of creating plans and specifications for the construction of objects, structures, and syst... for the realities we already know exist?

Building back stronger cannot be reduced to a slogan. It must be understood as a design philosophy — one where resilience becomes intentional, engineered, and embedded into the fabric of our homes, communities, and national systems. To understand where we must go, we first need to remember what we already knew.

Resilience Must Become Design

To build back stronger is to accept a simple truth:
resilience is not an add-on; it is a design principle.

It must be embedded in how we plan our towns, design our buildings, power our communities, move our traffic, manage our data, and protect our peopleThe people of Jamaica embody a spirit that is at once richly diverse and unbreakably unified, as captured by the nationa....

This is not a rejection of progress.
It is an evolution of it—rooted in Jamaica’s past, informed by global innovation, and unapologetically focused on the future.

I think often about the old homes of Jamaica.
Homes like the one my father grew up in, in MaroonA Maroon is a member of a group of descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped from plantations in the Americas and est... Town.

It was modest. Timber-built. Raised on stilts.
It lasted well over a century.

Not because it was high-tech—but because it understood the landIn real estate, land is a foundational element that significantly impacts the value and potential of a property. It enco....

Long before modern building codes, the first peoples of this island—often referred to as the Taino—knew how to build with the environment, not against it. They understood wind paths. Rainfall. Seismic movement. Ventilation. Elevation.

They built for where they lived.

That wisdom matters now more than ever.

One Size Does Not Fit Jamaica

We must say this plainly:
Jamaica cannot be built using borrowed assumptionsAssumptions are underlying conditions or factors that are accepted as true or certain without concrete proof, which infl....

Yes, international building codes are useful. They offer structure and benchmarks.
But Jamaica is not the UK. It is not Canada. It is not continental Europe.

We sit on a fault line.
We live in the hurricane belt.
Our soils vary dramatically within short distances.
Our coastal exposure is extreme.

A blanket approach does not work here.

Building back stronger means re-examining our systems and rewriting them for Jamaica, not simply inheriting them.

It means gathering lived knowledge—not just consultants, but builders, engineers, planners, tradespeople, and communities—around the same table. Not for talking shops, but for outcomes.

We need:

Steering groups with real authority
Technical committees that document lessons learnedLessons learned are insights and knowledge gained from the successes and challenges encountered during a project or proc...
A national knowledge bank of what has worked, what failed, and why

Because experience that is not captured is experience that gets lost.

As I’ve said before:

“If we don’t write our knowledge down, we condemn the next generation to repeat our mistakes—at a higher cost.”
— Dean JonesDean Jones is a chartered builder, project manager, licensed real estate professional and the founder of Jamaica Homes, ..., Jamaica HomesJamaica Homes is a premier real estate company offering a comprehensive platform for buying, selling, and renting proper...

Build Once. Build Well. Build to Last.

In my professional life, across complex programmes and high-risk environments, one principle has always held true:

You do not get resilience by cutting corners.
You get it by designing for the worst day—not the best one.

That same thinking must now guide Jamaica’s built environment.

Our architectureArchitecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and spaces that reflect cultural, functional... must anticipate tomorrow.
Homes must understand the weather.
Structures must know the land they stand on.

This is not about building heavier for the sake of it.
It is about building smarter.

Foundations First: Where Strength Really Begins

Too often, resilience is discussed at roof level.
In truth, it begins underground.

Large parts of Jamaica—particularly along the coast—sit on sandy or unstable soils. Add erosion, rising sea levels, and more intense rainfall, and the risks multiply.

Building back stronger means normalising:

Deeper foundations
Wider use of piling in coastal and flood-prone areas
Enforced geotechnical surveys that inform design—not just paperwork

If the ground shifts, the building follows.
This is engineering reality, not pessimism.

Seismic Design: Learning from the World

Globally, seismic engineering has moved far beyond basic reinforcement.

Some countries now use base-isolation systems—specialised materials and structural “cushions” that allow buildings to move independently of ground motion. During earthquakesEarthquakes, natural events caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust, can have significant impacts on..., these buildings sway gently, absorb energy, and remain structurally intact.

The technologyTechnology, in its original definition, refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, often ... exists.
The expertise exists.
In many cases, the partnerships already exist.

So the real question is not can Jamaica adopt these systems—but why haven’t we yet?

PortlandPortland is a parish located on Jamaica's northeastern coast, renowned for its lush rainforests, stunning waterfalls, an... cement has served us well.
But innovation does not stand still—and neither should we.

As I often say:

“Resilience is not tradition versus innovation.
It is tradition informing innovation.”
— Dean Jones, Jamaica Homes

Coastal Construction: Higher Standards Where Risk Is Higher

RiskA risk is the possibility of an adverse outcome or loss arising from uncertainty or potential hazards. It represents the... is not evenly distributed, and our standards should reflect that.

Buildings near the coastline face:

Higher wind loads
Storm surge
Salt corrosion
Wave impact

It is entirely reasonable—responsible, even—to require:

Increased steel reinforcement
Higher-grade materials
More robust detailing
Roof systems that prioritise continuity and load paths

Government buildings in these zones should lead by example.
They are not just structures; they are lifelines during emergencies.

Smart Infrastructure: Designing for 2030 and Beyond

There is no sense building new developments today that are already outdated tomorrow.

If we are pouring concrete, we should be embedding intelligence.

Imagine Jamaica’s future streets:

Intelligent traffic control systems that adapt to congestion and emergencies
Smart streetlights powered by solar energy
Light posts that include internet access, CCTV, environmental sensors, and emergency alerts
Infrastructure that talks to itself—and to the people it serves

This technology already exists.
I have seen it.
Other countries are deploying it at scaleScale is a fundamental concept in cartography that translates the vastness of the real world into manageable proportions....

Why shouldn’t Jamaica?

Smart infrastructure is not about surveillance or extravagance.
It is about efficiency, safety, and resilience.

Power Redundancy: The Difference Between Inconvenience and Crisis

A resilient country does not go dark when one system fails.

Redundancy must be standard—not exceptional.

That means:

Distributed solar generation
Battery storage at communityIn Jamaica, "community" refers to more than just a geographic area; it embodies a collective identity rooted in shared e... and institutional level
Microgrids that can operate independently during outages
Critical facilities that never lose power

Solar power should no longer be treated as an alternative.
It should be a baselineIn real estate development, a baseline represents the initial set of conditions and parameters established at the start ....

When power fails, everything fails—banking, healthcare, communications, securityIn Jamaican real estate, security refers to assets pledged to back a loan or financial obligation. Typically, the proper....
Redundancy is not luxury spending. It is survival planningPlanning in Jamaica involves managing land, resources, and infrastructure to support economic growth, social development....

Intelligent Buildings, Not Just Strong Ones

The future JamaicanThe term "Jamaican" encompasses the citizens of Jamaica and their descendants in the Jamaican diaspora, representing a d... home willIn Jamaica, a will is a legal document created by an individual to specify how their assets, including their belongings ... not be defined solely by size or finish.

It will be valued for what it knows.

Does it:

Monitor structural stress?
Regulate temperature naturally?
Optimise energy use?
Communicate with emergency systems?

Homes that can “sense” their environment are no longer science fiction.
They are already shaping propertyProperty encompasses a wide range of tangible assets that individuals or entities can own, utilize, or invest in, includ... markets globally.

And this matters because real estateReal estate refers to property consisting of land and the structures on it, such as buildings and homes. It also include... value is shifting.

Tomorrow’s buyers will ask:

Will this home withstand hurricanes?
Is it earthquake-resilient?
Can it function during power outages?
Was it designed with climate changeClimate change is the ongoing transformation of Earth's climate system, driven primarily by human activities over the pa... in mind?

Resilience will command a premium—because it protects life and legacyLegacy, in the context of Jamaica, real estate, and the broader world, represents the enduring impact of past actions, a....

The Hidden Cost of Import Barriers

Innovation does not fail in Jamaica because of a lack of ideas.
It often fails because of cost barriers.

When advanced materials or systems double in price before reaching our shores, progress stalls—especially for those already struggling.

Building back stronger requires alignment:

Between government policyIn Jamaica, a policy represents a guiding principle or course of action adopted by governmental bodies, organizations, o... and import regulation
Between innovation goals and tax structures
Between resilience planning and affordability

If resilience is only accessible to the wealthy, it is not resilience at all.

Communities Matter as Much as Concrete

We must also confront quieter issues that erode communities over time.

Across Jamaica, unfinished homes sit in limbo—sometimes for years.
Life happens. A death. A dispute. Financial strain.

But these structures become:

Safety hazards
Targets for vandalism
Sources of community decline

There are no simple answers—but there must be conversation, policy, and compassion.

Building back stronger is not just about new constructionNew construction in Jamaica and worldwide refers to the process of erecting a building or structure from the ground up, ....
It is about protecting the social fabric that holds communities together.

A Digitally Resilient Jamaica

Resilience also lives in systems we cannot see.

Land records. Banking platforms. Government databases.

A modern Jamaica needs:

Fully digital land registries
Secure, transparent ownership records
Systems that prevent fraud and speed up developmentIn Jamaica, the term "development" can refer to various contexts, each with its unique focus and implications. Real esta...
Technology that empowers citizens, not frustrates them

Likewise, financial institutions must be required to maintain operational continuity.
Cash access cannot vanish because the power flickers.