Access to the past

(CNS): A new website is will allow people to compare Cayman’s past with its present. Created as a resource to inform educate and entertain people will be able to see how a given area once looked and whether things have improved for the better or worse. Changing Cayman is a collaboration between Planning and the National Archive.

The website contains scenes of Grand Cayman from the past, and allows website visitors to compare a historic scene with its contemporary counterpart. Developed by the Department of Planning’s Policy Development & Research team, this tool was intended not just to entertain, but also to inform and educate the department said.

“As we move forward towards a sustainable future for the Cayman Islands, it’s critical that we not forget our past,” said Director of Planning Kenneth Ebanks. “These images are also critically important as a resource tool for risk management, and adaptation strategies for climate change”.

Planning Officer Darren Enns, who has been coordinating the project, observed that the past 30 years has seen an incredible amount of change on Grand Cayman, which can often feel overwhelming. “What we wanted to do with the Changing Cayman website was to allow residents to look into Cayman’s past, and help them quantify what has changed, for the better and worse,” he added.

The Planning Department is now in the preliminary stages of reviewing The Development Plan, Grand Cayman’s long range land use policy. It is hoped that tools such as Changing Cayman will empower the public to become involved in this important process.

The website contains historical images from the public and the Archive which are also available for purchase as prints by contacting the office at 949-9809. For more information, or to submit your own photographs, please contact Mr. Darren Enns at the Planning Department at darren.enns@gov.ky or 769-1508. The Changing Cayman website can be accessed from the Planning Department homepage at www.planning.gov.ky