By Leonard GildarieOne of my dreams is for my home to be located on a street lined with trees; with hedges instead of fences and no cows and dogs running wild. The streets are all paved and the drains covered. In the dream, almost every home is illuminated by a streetlight and I can go jogging at 10 o’clock in the evening without fear of the dogs attacking or of being robbed or equally as unsettling, stepping into a pile of something smelly.? The garbage truck would also come in the nights and there is a park nearby for picnics and even cricket.Moving into my neighbourhood three years ago,Cheap NFL Jerseys, I yearned for more homes to be built quickly. The middle income section of La Parfaite Harmonie took awhile to be populated. The street in which I now live is almost filled, with just a few empty lots. I wish there were a few more. The roads have potholes as builders continueWe can have our new housing schemes looking like this.to, despite repeated warnings, mix cement and leave their sand and stone for long periods on the shoulders. Vehicles are forced to drive at the side and this has worsened the situation.But I rather suspect that situation is not unique to Guyana. A number of other countries have been forced to seriously look at land planning in a holistic manner to ensure that it is in keeping with long term development.I do know that the Housing Ministry was even looking into links with Canada to see how the Ministry there was doing things. I have been told that some of the planning includes placing side streets behind the homes that allow garbage trucks to do their thing. This particular side street would also have the power poles and utility lines installed. This makes a lot of sense.Imagine instead of having power poles (which are in short supply currently) in front of every two homes, GPL can plant one that will serve maybe up to six or eight homes at a time. The main roads will be protected, because trucks and heavy vehicles will have to use the aforementioned side streets. An idea like this will save millions for GPL and reduce maintenance costs for the roads.After last week’s article on the critical need to manage the worksite and keeping the contractor in check, I received a note from a contractor in Trinidad. There seems to be a huge problem in the region between contractors and homeowners. I have been invited to share some knowledge. As a new homeowner, my knowledge is limited to what I have experienced and observed on the local scene.Another reader pointed out that contracting by nature around the world is a contentious affair where profit margins vary and contractors would do whatever it takes to get the job and then increase that profit margin by various methods. There is even a text book for them on how to spot and claim change orders. That is why contractors, the reader said,China NBA Jerseys, have to be monitored closely by the inspectors, architects, owners and engineers. There is even a special field of study, called Construction Management that has been developed.Today, I want to examine how we as new homeowners, instead of waiting on government, can play a role in making the neighbourhood a better place.I visited Eccles Housing Scheme and Republic Park and fell in love with the trees on the roadsides. There was a quiet, peaceful feel and if ever there was a Florida feel for me in Guyana, it was in those areas. It is no wonder that property prices there are so high.So how do we do an Eccles in our new housing area? We have to first acknowledge that because of demand, it will take some time before NDCs do their jobs as they should. The situations with the NDCs are quite frankly a mess. When the local government elections are held next year, as is being touted, we should vote for persons who are serious about development…and perhaps more importantly,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, competent.We will have to demand that the planning department of the NDCs be ramped up to a point where enforcement and capacity to handle the work are taken to the next level; where customer service is the watchword.Using models in more established countries like the UK, US and Canada, we may have to consider forming neighbourhood groups and development councils or whatever you want to call them. The groups have to determine what is best for their neighbourhoods, addressing issues of cleanliness, security and even zoning. Yes…zoning. We should object to certain businesses being opened that may affect the whole scheme of things. Things like car washes, concrete block-making facilities and even animal farms must be big no-nos.Of course, the system will never work if mechanisms are not in place for collaboration with institutions like the police, NDC, the Ministry of Housing,Chea