President Irfaan Ali has announced plans to temporarily close selected avenues in Georgetown and other urban centres to create dedicated spaces for families to exercise, interact and reconnect outside of digital environments, the Department of Public Information (DPI) stated today.
The initiative, which is expected to begin in the coming months after ongoing enhancement works are completed, forms part of a wider effort to promote healthier lifestyles and strengthen family engagement, DPI said.
Trees have been removed from some avenues and this has sparked consternation about the thinking behind it.
Speaking today during a public discussion at the celebration of 50 years of Brahma Kumaris service in Guyana, Ali linked the proposal to growing concerns over children’s exposure to social media and changing patterns of social interaction.
President Irfaan Ali addressing the gathering at State House
The president argued that digital platforms are increasingly shaping how young people think, behave and spend their free time.
President Ali said children who spend extensive time on devices develop different interests and expectations compared with those exposed to outdoor play, sports and direct experiences, DPI reported.
As part of a policy response, he revealed plans to repurpose public spaces to encourage stronger family bonds and healthier routines.
“That is why, after we complete the building of all of these avenues across Georgetown, I intend to shut down some of these avenues between 5:00 to 6:30 every morning so families can come out and walk around the avenue, have exercise, ride and spend time together,” he announced, DPI reported.
The president added that the concept would extend beyond weekdays.
“I intend to also shut down some important avenues across the city and around different urban centres every Sunday morning from 5:00 to 11:00 for families to come out, for local food to be there, for local experiences to be there, for culture to be there”, he stated.
According to President Ali, the government expects to move ahead with the initiative within the next two to three months as improvements to public spaces continue.
He said the vision is to redefine public spaces as places that promote social connection and national identity.
“We want the streets to be reoriented as streets of family, streets of purpose, streets of consciousness, streets of national life, streets of beauty, streets of experience, streets of cuisine, streets of culture,” the president added.
The Presidentali avenues that, alongside future consultations on measures to limit children’s exposure to harmful online content, the government also has a responsibility to redesign physical environments that encourage stronger social and family interaction.
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