Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Saint-Barthélemy is changing before our eyes. Behind the postcard image, the island is undergoing a profound transformation: roads, the port, mobility, urban planning regulations, protection of natural spaces, handling of tourists and maritime traffic… All of this constitutes a vast project, rarely clear to the general public. Yet, these upcoming urban development projects will shape the face of Saint-Barthélemy for the coming decades.
This is the territory’s area in square kilometers, tiny and under extreme pressure.
An increasingly structured urban planning framework
Saint-Barthélemy does not proceed haphazardly. Since becoming an Overseas Collectivity, urban planning has been governed by a precise legal and cartographic framework, which conditions all present and future projects.
The cornerstone is called the Urban Planning Map. First adopted in the late 2000s, revised in 2017 and then again by Territorial Council resolution No. 2020‑74 CT, it came into force on January 1, 2021. It is regularly adjusted, in principle every two to three years, through updates that integrate both development needs and environmental protections.
This map is part of a comprehensive regulatory package including a presentation report, written regulations and graphic documents, supplemented by public utility easements. This package constitutes the Urban Planning, Housing and Construction Code of Saint-Barthélemy, which now replaces the French national urban planning regulations on the island.
Behind these texts lies a logic: to concentrate urbanization in already structured sectors, very strictly regulate the height and footprint of buildings, keep large portions of the territory as unbuildable natural zones, while maintaining an adaptive capacity to house residents, especially young people.
An island divided into zones, between town, villages, and nature
To understand the upcoming projects, one must first look at how the territory is divided. Saint-Barthélemy is divided into major zone families, which determine what can be built—or not.
Urban zones: Gustavia, villages, and residential sectors
The “urban zones” group together already built-up areas or those designated for densification. Several categories are distinguished, with differentiated rules.
Gustavia falls under the UG zone. The direction is clear: to strengthen its role as a tourist and cultural center, embracing a denser urban form. Buildability rules here are much more generous than elsewhere, as the maximum allowable floor area can reach 100% of the buildable land area. This is where the main urban front is playing out: shops, services, housing, public facilities, and, of course, the port.
Villages like Saint‑Jean (residential part), Lorient, Flamands, Colombier, Corossol, Anse des Cayes or Anse des Lézards are classified as UV zone. These are sectors denser than the peripheries, but where the aim is to preserve a village scale. The floor area is limited to 35% of the buildable area, with a bonus of 50 m². This margin allows for extensions or small-scale projects while avoiding excess.
In the residential sectors of the UR zone, characterized by lower density and a fabric of villas, land use regulations are restrictive to limit urban sprawl. They allow a building footprint of 20% for the first 1,000 m² of land, then 10% for the area beyond, with a fixed bonus of 50 m². This regulation aims to allow occasional extensions while controlling development.
Finally, the URa zone constitutes an intermediate category, designed for family housing, particularly for young Saint-Barths. Constructions here are highly regulated, with a maximum building footprint of 120 m² above ground level. This zone is emblematic of a major challenge: offering minimal responses to the housing crisis for residents, without sacrificing the overall landscape balance.
Collective facilities and activity zones: anticipating needs
To prepare for future projects, the urban planning map also provides for zones dedicated to public facilities and economic activities.
The UEa zone corresponds to the Saint‑Jean playing field. This sector already groups sports facilities and a collective housing center, and land is reserved there to eventually accommodate a school complex. The project, still in the scenario stage, could lead to the transfer of schools and the middle school from Gustavia to the Saint‑Jean plain, which would have a massive impact on traffic flows and the island’s urban structure.
The project in the UEb zone at Lurin plans for the renovation of the equestrian park and stables, the creation of an animal park, relaxation areas with wooden cabins, playgrounds and potentially a greenhouse. Public amenities (parking, reception, restrooms) are also planned. The goal is to develop educational and leisure facilities integrated into the natural environment.
On the activity side, the UAa, UAb and UAm zones distribute economic functions. UAa groups the Public and Salines areas, reserved for activities incompatible with housing (notably port-related at Public, and related to construction/public works at Petite Saline). UAb covers sectors in Saint‑Jean and the “Carrefour de l’œuf”, dedicated to tertiary activities (commerce, offices, crafts) and activities related to the airport. UAm is a mixed zone in Public, where housing and compatible activities coexist.
This grid conditions future projects: expansion of port and logistics zones at Public, establishment of new shops or services around the airport, creation of public facilities at Saint‑Jean and Lurin, controlled development of mixed sectors in the Public activity zone.
Natural zones under high protection
In contrast, a large part of the island is classified as natural zones, where any urban development project is either strictly prohibited or tolerated in an extremely limited manner.
The remarkable coastal areas (NL) are the most emblematic coastal zones, divided into two subsectors. The NLa subsector allows for some light public interest developments, while the NLb subsector is a sanctuary and prohibits any new installation. Their objective is to protect the most fragile portions of the coastline, both for their biodiversity and their landscape value.
The NE zones, dedicated to ecologically remarkable areas, cover habitats of high ecological value and natural corridors (wildlife and flora corridors). Here too, constructibility is almost non-existent, except for some interventions necessary for ecological management.
The N zones group together other natural, non-buildable areas, designed to curb urbanization, stabilize the population, and limit land artificialization. A nuance exists, however: some flexibility is provided for housing for young people, a sign of the tension between preservation imperatives and social needs.
Finally, the NR zone is a very special case: that of the former Rockefeller villa and the tipi structure at Gouverneur. These buildings, designed by architect Nelson W. Aldrich, were severely damaged by hurricanes Luis and Irma. The urban planning map grants them a protective status, imposing their restoration rather than demolition, after consultation with the Territorial Environment Agency. Here, urban development merges with the safeguarding of historical heritage.
Building regulations: curbing excess, preserving the landscape
Future urban development projects are tightly constrained by a series of very restrictive rules, which explain both the singular character of Saint-Barthélemy’s architecture and the difficulty of carrying out large-scale operations.
The general spirit is clear: to integrate constructions into their context, protect the natural environment, limit building sizes, and respect traditional style.
Most villas are limited to one story. The building footprint is generally capped at 150 m² in residential zones and 200 m² in urban zones. Roofs must be at least 70% hipped, with a pitch ideally between 30° and 50°, and regulated colors (red or green). These prescriptions, which may seem anecdotal, nonetheless shape the very image of the island and strongly constrain any urbanization project.
Beyond the building itself, particular attention is paid to non-impervious surfaces. Between 40 and 60% of a plot must remain unbuilt, in natural vegetation or garden. And 30 to 50% of the plot must remain permeable for managing stormwater. Discharging rainwater into the public sewer system is explicitly prohibited, which pushes for local solutions (storage, infiltration).
On beaches and coastal areas indicated in pink, only lightweight or low-rise constructions are allowed. A subsector of Rue de la Colline in Gustavia only permits terraces (max. 1.50 m) and pools. Buildings must respect setbacks: 4 m from territorial roads and 2.50 m from private paths.
Finally, specific rules limit commercial or office space in residential zones, regulate warehouse size, cap pools at 100 m² per land unit (except hotels and sports facilities), and require buildings to be pre-equipped for telecommunications.
These constraints form the framework upon which future projects are inscribed. They also explain why major developments are concentrated in a few key sectors where densification possibilities remain open.
Saint‑Jean, a future structuring hub for urban development
Among these sectors, the Saint‑Jean plain holds a central place in future development scenarios. It combines several assets: relatively favorable terrain, significant existing presence of shops and sports facilities, strategic geographical location between the airport, Gustavia and the chain of villages towards Lorient and Marigot. It is, in fact, one of the island’s centers of gravity.
Studies conducted by the Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Council of Saint-Barthélemy and the consulting firm Safege / SUEZ Consulting as part of the “Mobility Plan 2025” clearly identify the Saint‑Jean plain as a pivot for future urban development.
A structuring project envisages moving the schools and middle school from Gustavia to Saint-Jean. This transfer aims to create a large educational hub on a more suitable site and reduce congestion in Gustavia by limiting daily school-related trips.
This potential relocation fits into a broader vision of a “bipolar Gustavia – Saint‑Jean plain”. The idea is to structure the island around two complementary hubs: Gustavia for the administrative, port and commercial heart; Saint‑Jean as a hub for services, facilities, and channeling traffic flows.
To ensure the proper functioning of the transportation scheme, several infrastructure projects are under consideration.
Creation of a large park-and-ride lot to facilitate intermodality and parking on the periphery.
Implementation of a high-frequency shuttle to connect the plain and Gustavia.
Study for a cable car crossing the hill, offering a direct and panoramic link between the two hubs.
A parking lot of 250 to 580 spaces is thus mentioned for Saint‑Jean, requiring approximately 7,000 m² of land area. Cost estimates for a 250-space parking lot range from €1.6 to 2.7 million excluding land, depending on whether it is limited to a simple surface lot or includes photovoltaic shade structures. These figures give the order of magnitude for the financial scale of upcoming developments in this sector.
Mobility: towards a gradual shift away from “car-centric” culture
It is impossible to talk about urban development in Saint-Barthélemy without addressing the issue of transportation. The island is currently almost entirely dependent on private cars and motorized two-wheelers, with obvious consequences on traffic, noise, local pollution and quality of life.
Data collected for the Mobility Plan 2025 paints an unambiguous picture. At the end of 2015, there were about 14,000 registered vehicles for a census population of 10,000 inhabitants. Between 2010 and 2015, the vehicle fleet jumped by 29%, with spectacular increases for motorized two-wheelers (+111%) and quads (+84%). Private cars accounted for some 7,000 units, not including the 27 rental companies cumulating about 2,300 vehicles.
This massive motorization translates physically onto a few saturated axes, particularly the Gustavia – Saint‑Jean – Lorient – Marigot corridor. The Col de la Tourmente alone concentrates 60% of traffic flows, with nearly 25,000 vehicles per day recorded there. Gustavia records about 19,000. In total, the number of daily trips on a weekday in high season is estimated at 50,000, with an overwhelming dominance of individual motorized modes.
In this context, urban development projects cannot be conceived without a mobility policy that aims to “decouple” urban growth and car traffic. This is the very purpose of the Mobility Plan 2025, which sets a paradoxical objective: to increase overall mobility while reducing traffic by 13%, despite an anticipated 7% increase in trips excluding heavy goods vehicles.
To achieve this, several projects are being considered, combining urban planning and transport.
Reorganizing parking and circulation in Gustavia
Gustavia is described as congested, overrun by vehicles, with major circulation and parking difficulties. There are about 1,000 public parking spaces, heavily used. The plan proposes to reduce on-street parking by 40%, transferring 150 spaces to a future parking lot on Rue de la Paix and 250 others to Saint‑Jean, connected by shuttles.
To discourage long-term parking, specific pricing and time limits will be implemented, with dedicated regimes for residents. ‘Shared zones’ will be created in central streets, where priority is given to pedestrians and speed is limited to 20 km/h. These measures aim to improve the living environment, free up space for terraces, and reduce through traffic.
This reorganization would be accompanied by a rationalization of deliveries (schedules, access) and, in the long term, a network of free internal shuttles within Gustavia, complementing the links with Saint‑Jean.
Developing a real public transportation system
Today, the public transportation offer in Saint-Barthélemy is almost non-existent, apart from school transportation. Taxis—numbering 38—remain the closest thing, but they suffer from several handicaps: lack of a central reservation system, limited coordination with hotels, strong seasonality of demand.
The Mobility Plan 2025 proposes to make them a pillar of the future system, integrating them into a “Taxibus” service. The principle: taxis would operate on predefined routes and schedules, first centered on Gustavia, then around a future hub at Saint‑Jean. Reservation and payment would be via a mobile app, with digital tickets, and differentiated fares between residents (e.g., €2 per trip) and visitors (€5).
Number of passengers who could be transported annually by the described shared mobility system.
This scenario, however, faces very real difficulties, as shown by the recent failure of a first unified taxi booking application in 2024. Due to lack of buy-in from drivers and hotels, and insufficient information and training campaigns, the system was not adopted by stakeholders. The Collectivity will therefore have to correct course if it wants to successfully implement a Taxibus system.
A Saint‑Jean – Gustavia shuttle, or even a cable car
The most visible link in the mobility projects is undoubtedly the structuring link between Saint‑Jean and Gustavia. Two scenarios are on the table: a frequent road shuttle using minibuses, or a cable car.
The envisioned road shuttle would connect a large park-and-ride lot at Saint‑Jean to the Collectivity building in Gustavia, on a 3 km journey taking 12 minutes. With six 20-seat vehicles (ideally electric), a frequency of 6 minutes during peak hours and a capacity of 200 passengers per hour per direction, the system would reduce traffic entering and exiting Gustavia from the north by 8% on a typical day and by 30% at peak hour, provided that 250 parking spaces are created at Saint‑Jean.
The projected annual operating deficit for the public transport network with electric vehicles in Saint-Barthélemy.
The cable car option pushes the logic of transformation further. It would consist of a line about 600 meters long, crossing an elevation difference of 100 meters, with eight 10-place cabins circulating every 40 seconds. The travel time would be 3 minutes, with a capacity of 750 passengers per hour per direction. The infrastructure would rely on two stations and eight pylons, with technical specifications to withstand hurricanes, and would require two full-time technicians for operation.
Estimates foresee a need for 580 parking spaces at Saint‑Jean, an investment cost of about €14.5 million (excluding land) including the cable car and a 600-space parking lot, and operating and maintenance costs of €500,000 per year. Potential revenues, around €2.4 million per year, would place the project in a surplus situation, with an estimated surplus of €140,000. In terms of traffic, the cable car would reduce northbound flows by 20% on weekdays and up to 60% at peak hour.
The most sensitive issue, however, lies in the fields of urban planning and the environment. The proposed route crosses an area classified as NLce, dedicated to ecological continuity. Any decision to proceed will therefore require a thorough impact analysis, possibly even an adaptation of zoning or the integration of heavy compensatory measures. This is typically the kind of project where trade-offs between urban development, mobility and environmental protection will be most delicate.
A Port of Gustavia in full transformation
Alongside land-based projects, the economic heart of Saint-Barthélemy—its port—is also undergoing major transformations. The Port of Gustavia, which concentrates both passenger traffic (inter-island transport, cruises), nautical activities (pleasure boating, charters, water sports) and freight (all goods destined for the island pass through it), is saturated in terms of space.
Port authorities emphasize: the port is in good condition, but severely lacks space to absorb boat and goods flows. Statistics illustrate this pressure: the number of 20-foot containers handled has almost doubled in a decade, rising from just over 4,300 in 2012 to 8,400 in 2023.
Faced with this, a series of structuring projects is underway or planned.
Reconstruction of the Quai de la République and new passenger terminal
The most visible project is the reconstruction of the Quai de la République and the creation of a new passenger terminal dedicated to inter-island traffic. The quay renovation work began in late May 2024 for a duration of at least eight months, with a work barge and a pusher boat on site. During certain phases, cargo ship entry into the port requires priority arbitrations, further complicating logistics.
The project aims to renovate the infrastructure to streamline and secure the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers from ferries and regional shuttles. After the new terminal is operational, the Quai Général de Gaulle will be redeveloped to host only inter-island transport vessels and “day-charter” type boats.
This repositioning will profoundly change how travelers arrive and circulate around the port, and will necessarily impact the urban organization of Gustavia (pedestrian pathways, taxis, parking, links to the rest of the island).
Expansion of the commercial zone and internal developments
On the freight side, a project to extend the port’s internal platform by about 2,000 m² is planned. The goal is to improve working conditions, facilitate temporary storage and container handling, and better separate flows (heavy goods vehicles, light vehicles, pedestrians). A second extension is also scheduled in the southern part of the port, within a three-year horizon, with the prospect of further strengthening capacity and logistical organization.
The maximum number of cruise passengers allowed to disembark in Saint-Barthélemy per day is capped at 1,200.
This limitation is an old political choice, intended to preserve the island’s character and avoid massive passenger flows difficult to absorb for such a small territory. It also has positive urban consequences in terms of congestion and pressure on public space.
Progressive digital and environmental modernization
The port’s modernization is not limited to the quays. Gustavia was the first port in the Caribbean to implement fully digitalized boat entry and exit declarations. The island also benefits from complete fiber optic coverage, facilitating the deployment of digital services for boaters and professionals.
Although not labeled a “clean port,” the port is recognized for its high level of environmental care. The Collectivity collaborates with the Territorial Environment Agency. Future projects will have to reconcile increased capacity with maintaining these requirements, particularly regarding wastewater management, waste treatment, and control of accidental pollution risks.
A strategic vision: the maritime future
For the port management, a conviction is emerging: the future of Saint-Barthélemy will be increasingly maritime. Air access, via a cramped airport and small aircraft, will remain costly and technically limited. In contrast, the development of efficient and comfortable maritime links is seen as a strategic lever, both for residents and tourists.
This orientation is already reflected in infrastructure projects: new passenger terminal, quay extensions, rationalization of uses. It will also have impacts on the urban development of Gustavia, which will have to integrate these growing flows into a very constrained urban space, without sacrificing its attractiveness.
Roads, networks, parking lots: a territory in perpetual construction
When traveling around Saint-Barthélemy, one often gets the impression that the road is a permanent construction site. This is not just an impression; the Collectivity is carrying out a sustained investment program on infrastructure, which will continue.
An official cartographic document has thus listed the roadworks planned for 2025, with precise timelines and management of alternating traffic by traffic lights at most sites. Some strategic axes are even closed in both directions for long periods.
Total duration in months of roadworks at Camaruche, including utility burial and fiber optic installation.
At Grand Fond, it’s the coastal road that is being rehabilitated, with reinforcement work on the sea side (rock armoring) and the development of a small parking lot. A parking lot along the canal is due to be commissioned within about a month, with overall developments expected by November.
In Gustavia, Rue Lubin and Rue des Normands are affected by trenches, utility work and concreting. The parking lot in front of the social security office (SPC) on Rue Lubin is closed, with a substitute parking solution further down the street. The announced duration of the work is three to four weeks.
Route 210 at Flamands is undergoing a project in three phases until the following year, for the renovation of water and electricity networks, paving, and fiber installation.
Finally, Route 46 at Saint‑Jean, from the Eden Rock roundabout along the pond, is also under construction, with the closure of access to the parking lot along the canal. The objective is similar to other road projects: modernization of networks and creation of about fifteen new parking spaces.
These infrastructure projects are not isolated: they form the indispensable technical background for all future urban developments. Modernized, buried networks, equipped with fiber, roads redone with targeted parking amenities: this is the condition for supporting a population that has almost quadrupled in forty years, and tourism that, in 2022, reached about 300,000 visitors (80% of whom were American).
A strained real estate market and abundant private projects
On this foundation of infrastructure and urban planning rules, the real estate market of Saint-Barthélemy is in full swing. Prices have increased by about 70% per square meter in ten years, the stock of properties available for sale has shrunk, and construction or reconstruction projects are multiplying, even in the smallest valleys.
Approximately 1,000 villas are available for rent in Saint-Barthélemy, of which 650 are classified as luxury properties.
This context generates numerous private projects: high-end residences at Flamands, residential complexes at Mont Jean, marina projects, announced eco-districts at Toiny or Grand Cul‑de‑Sac, etc. Not all will come to fruition in the initially imagined form, as they run up against zoning constraints, environmental requirements, and the infrastructure’s absorption capacity.
The Collectivity now limits the construction of very large villas and strengthens building permit controls to curb excesses. Meanwhile, the real estate market is evolving, with a majority of transactions involving existing villas, a sign that buildable vacant lots are becoming increasingly rare on the island.
For residents, this translates into a real housing crisis: only 46% of households are homeowners (compared to 60% in Guadeloupe), rents are soaring, and young professionals struggle to find housing. The URa zones and some flexibility in natural zones for youth housing appear as partial response attempts, which will need to be part of more comprehensive development projects to be truly effective.
A fragile balance between development and preservation
As projects advance—port, roads, shuttles, parking lots, school and sports facilities, housing—a question runs through all debates in Saint-Barthélemy: how far to go in urban development without distorting what makes the island strong?
The coastal natural zones (Saline, Gouverneur, Toiny, Colombier, Flamands, ponds of Petit and Grand Cul‑de‑Sac) are at the heart of concerns. Part of these sectors is definitively unbuildable, another is subject to progressive reclassification, sometimes contested. Citizen opposition has already manifested, like the “Keep Saline Green” movement which contributed to the abandonment of a hotel project at Saline, even though the new zoning reopened construction possibilities on part of the western salt marsh.
At the same time, powerful interests are at stake: investors who paid very high prices for coastal land, real estate agencies positioned for ultra-high-end clientele, pressure to add new rooms or villas to capture growing tourist demand. The decisions made by the Collectivity in its future revisions of the urban planning map will be decisive.
Collectivité de Saint-Martin
Considering climate and natural risks adds a layer of complexity. Exposure to cyclones, submersion, coastal erosion; vulnerability of networks; the need to preserve coral reefs and wetlands… All major projects (cable car, port extensions, new neighborhoods, coastal redevelopments) will have to integrate these parameters, through rigorous environmental impact studies.
Upcoming urban development projects: a trajectory to clarify
Given all available elements, what is emerging for Saint-Barthélemy in the coming years resembles less a brutal revolution than a series of profound but gradual transformations, articulated around a few major axes.
First, a strengthening of Gustavia’s role as a port, administrative and commercial center, with a modernized port, reconfigured quays, better managed passenger flows, and public space more oriented towards pedestrians.
The example illustrates the strategy of differentiated urbanization of the territory. On one hand, the Saint-Jean plain is being developed as a major structuring hub, concentrating educational and sports facilities, commerce, park-and-ride lots, and a future major transport infrastructure (strong shuttle or cable car). On the other hand, the surrounding villages and valleys are subject to a ‘tailored urbanism,’ with small-scale operations, modest sizes, strong limitations on building footprint, and strict landscape requirements.
Finally, a progressive strengthening of sustainable mobility policies, still nascent but unavoidable if the island wants to break free from dependence on cars and imported gasoline. The success or failure of systems like Taxibus, the Saint‑Jean – Gustavia shuttle, or park-and-ride lots will be a full-scale test of the Collectivity’s ability to change practices.
Future urban developments on the island will not be limited to construction sites. They will also involve the development of regulations, plans, and continuous adjustments to reconcile economic interests, environmental requirements, and the expectations of the resident population, in a context of global attractiveness.
The challenge, ultimately, is to succeed in what few tourist destinations manage to do: continue to develop without denying their essence.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
