Tivoli Gardens- Historical Video

This film was made for Prof. Patricia Anderson's lecture on public housing in Jamaica, circa 2005. The development of Tivoli Gardens was a social experiment embarked upon by Edward Seaga to address the chronic housing and crime problems in Western Kingston, Jamaica. Seaga's vision was to transform the slums of "Dungle", the city dump into a thriving housing community and in the process transforming the lives of the people he represented in the Jamaica parliament. The housing project was the first to be attempted in independent Jamaica. In the aftermath of Jamaica's failed banana crop in the 1930s, hordes of peasants migrated to the capital Kingston looking for work. They had nowhere to live and therefore established shanty towns in the city dump in western Kingston. Seaga inherited the sprawling slum constituency from Alexander Bustamante, Jamaica's first Prime Minister. He applied his training as a sociologist to create a community that would be transformational. This film is a montage of historical footage that shows the metamorphosis from Dungle to Tivoli.

[@janinafisher101]

Definitely historical! Eddie Seaga was pretty young in this video. Interesting to see the evolution of Tivoli.

[@TheRealJamaica]

Yes Janina, everything seemed to be young and hopeful about Jamaica in the 1960s. Look out for the full length documentary soon.

[@janinafisher101]

@@TheRealJamaica Yes it did. I think that's what drew my dad back to Jamaica in early '63 from Canada. I was a likkle pickney. The lure and excitement of independence.... It is interesting, thinking back, that just the year after independence Carol Joan Crawford became Miss World! All things were possible. I look forward to the full-length documentary!

[@TheRealJamaica]

@@janinafisher101 Independent Jamaica did not turn out as expected but the struggle continues.

[@janinafisher101]

@@TheRealJamaicaVery well put. Going for my 50 year high school reunion in October. Been over 20 years...long overdue, but I try to stay connected.

[@cliffordelliston3444]

Over 50 years ago completely different Jamaica seaga and his community tivoli gardens which was
Crime free then.

[@TheRealJamaica]

Let’s roll back the years, could do with less crime, thanks for the comment 🙏

[@joli8166]

You do understand seaga also created the crime there ?

[@biggj21]

Irie

[@DeanBrown]

Where did this go?

[@TheRealJamaica]

Did not understand the comment at first but got it now. That’s a good question.