TCI News
From Removal to Redevelopment: ISU Announces 27 Concepts
Turks and Caicos, December 12, 2025 – For the Turks and Caicos Islands, the shift from removal to redevelopment marks a profound national pivot — one that redefines how the country confronts a problem that has quietly reshaped its landscape for more than a decade.
At a media briefing held Tuesday, December 11, the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) confirmed that it has now reviewed 35 informal settlement sites for full redevelopment and is advancing 27 conceptual redevelopment designs, signalling a move beyond enforcement toward long-term planning and land re-imagination.
The announcement comes after nearly three years of intensive work under the leadership of Carlos Simons KC, a former justice of the Supreme Court and one of the country’s most respected legal minds. For Simons, who is himself a Turks and Caicos Islander, the mandate has never been cosmetic. Informal settlements, he has repeatedly stressed, are not simply unsightly — they pose public safety risks, strain infrastructure, undermine land ownership regimes, and create environments vulnerable to criminal activity.
Turks and Caicos remains the only British Overseas Territory grappling with informal settlements at this scale.
From Clearance to Control of Land
Since its inception, the ISU has focused first on reclaiming land that had fallen outside the bounds of planning and regulation. According to data presented, more than 800 informal structures have been addressed across Crown land, private land, and other properties, with the bulk of activity concentrated in Providenciales, and additional operations carried out in Grand Turk and North Caicos.
Providenciales accounts for the largest share of reclaimed acreage and enforcement actions, reflecting both population density and the concentration of informal developments. In Grand Turk, ISU interventions have been more targeted, often tied to flood-prone or environmentally sensitive areas. North Caicos, while hosting fewer informal settlements, has now been formally incorporated into the Unit’s monitoring and redevelopment framework.
To date, the ISU reports approximately 35 acres of land reclaimed, creating, for the first time, a realistic platform for planned redevelopment rather than ad-hoc clearance.
Redevelopment, Not Replacement
What distinguishes this phase of the ISU’s work is not simply the scale of removal, but the clarity of what comes next.
Officials confirmed that 27 redevelopment concepts are now in progress, supported by land already under government control. These are
housing-led but not housing-only designs, incorporating infrastructure layouts, access routes, drainage, and green space — a deliberate break from the sprawl and density that defined informal settlements.
One example shared, illustrated the potential of vertical, modular development: a 2.5-acre site, previously crowded with informal structures, re-imagined to accommodate 105 formal housing units, alongside communal space and planned utilities. The intent, ISU officials said, is to replace disorder with density done right — preserving land while increasing livability.
The Survey Behind the Strategy
Central to the ISU’s evolving approach is a comprehensive Social Needs Assessment Survey, designed not merely to count structures, but to understand the people who lived within them.
The survey spanned multiple islands and dozens of informal settlement sites, collecting data on household size, age distribution, employment status, length of residence, access to utilities, sanitation conditions, flood exposure, and vulnerability factors. It captured information across genders and age groups, with particular attention to working-age adults, children, and households headed by single earners.
Officials described the survey as essential to avoiding a blunt enforcement model. Instead, the data is being used to inform redevelopment planning, guide social interventions, and identify patterns — including how long informal settlements persist, how residents integrate into the labour force, and where the greatest risks to health and safety lie.
The findings reinforced what authorities had long suspected: informal settlements are not transient. Many households had occupied land for years, often without basic services, and in conditions that posed escalating risks during heavy rains or storms. The survey now forms a baseline against which future redevelopment and resettlement outcomes will be measured.
Targeting the Next Generation
Recognising that enforcement alone cannot dismantle a culture of informal construction, the ISU launched youth-focused initiatives over the past year, aimed squarely at prevention.
Through school engagement, creative challenges, and public education campaigns, the Unit has begun addressing the mindset that normalises shanty-style building. Officials described the youth programmes as an investment in long-term cultural change, encouraging young people to see planning, legality, and design as non-negotiable elements of national development.
The initiatives also seek to foster pride in place — reframing orderly development not as exclusionary, but as essential to safety, dignity, and opportunity.
A National Turning Point
The ISU’s presentation makes clear that Turks and Caicos has entered a new phase in confronting informal settlements — one grounded in data, planning, and land control, rather than reaction.
Whether the country can sustain the political will, funding discipline, and cross-agency coordination required to move concepts into construction remains to be seen. But for the first time, the national conversation has shifted.
This is no longer only about what must be removed.
It is about what can — and should — be built in its place.
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Experience Turks and Caicos and Aquila Host Product Development Workshops to Strengthen Sister Islands Tourism
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – Experience Turks and Caicos, in collaboration with the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence, successfully hosted a Product Development Workshop for tourism stakeholders from North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and South Caicos on Wednesday, January 14 and Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The workshop was designed to support tour operators, entrepreneurs, and tourism-related businesses as they adapt to the evolving demands of the global tourism industry. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises and structured sessions aimed at reimagining existing tourism products and developing new, innovative, and sustainable experiences that are market-ready and aligned with current visitor expectations.
Throughout the workshop, attendees were equipped with practical tools and strategies to develop high-impact tourism offerings, strengthen
product packaging and pricing, assess market readiness, and enhance value creation. Emphasis was also placed on collaboration, partnership development, and the promotion of sustainable practices to ensure that the Turks and Caicos Islands remain a fresh, competitive, and appealing destination. More than 20 participants representing tourism businesses across the islands took part in the training sessions.
“Experience Turks and Caicos has a responsibility to ensure that all communities across the Turks and Caicos Islands benefit from tourism. These workshops are designed to equip local businesses with the essential tools and knowledge needed to maximise the opportunities within the industry, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth,” said Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant.
Speaking on the importance of the initiative, Candesha Mills the Product Development Manager at Experience Turks and Caicos said: “We are actively working on destination development by supporting our stakeholders as they reimagine their products and experiences. Workshops like this are critical to helping businesses identify opportunities for collaboration, create bundled offerings, and develop cohesive tourism experiences that align with emerging trends and evolving visitor expectations.”
The workshops were facilitated by Ms. Ambra Attus, who guided participants through strategies for designing distinctive and engaging tourism experiences that resonate with today’s travellers.
She said: “Product development is where destinations truly define their identity, and these trainings are designed to help operators in North, Middle and South Caicos create experiences that are not only market-ready, but meaningful, high-quality, and rooted in what makes these islands truly special. These sessions reflect a forward-thinking commitment by Experience Turks and Caicos to invest in their people and in the long-term quality of the destination’s tourism product. Aquila is proud to be your training partner.”
The workshop also featured the Invest TCI MSME Team, who were on site with an information station available throughout both sessions. Stakeholders had the opportunity to engage directly with the team, gain insights into the MSME Programme, and learn more about the range of support services, incentives, and resources available to assist business growth and development.
Experience Turks and Caicos commended participants for their commitment to investing in their businesses and contributing to the continued enhancement of the destination’s tourism product. The organisation expressed appreciation for the active participation and innovative ideas shared during the session, which are expected to contribute meaningfully to the sustainable growth of tourism in North and Middle Caicos and South Caicos.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 5 February 2026: The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with
partner agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Silverado Wells in Five Cays. The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by Immigration and Border Services, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified an illegal concrete structure on the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, a Section 22 Notice of Illegal Occupation was posted on the structure. Following the failure of the responsible party or parties to comply within the prescribed timeframe, enforcement action was authorised.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
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