Jamaica's turn-of-the-century boom, engineered by tourism and agriculture, largely bypassed Kingston's poor. The downtown area continued to deteriorate, neglected by government and hit by a catastrophic earthquake in 1907. Those who could afford to continued to move out, leaving behind an increasingly destitute population that proved fertile recruitment ground for the Rastafari movement during the 1920s and 1930s.

In the 1960s, efforts were made to give the old downtown area a face-lift. Redevelopment of the waterfront resulted in a much-needed expansion of the city's port facility and a smartening up of the harbour area. A mini tourist boom was sparked by the new-look Kingston (and by the growing popularity of reggae music abroad). But the redevelopment of downtown was only cosmetic. Crime soon proliferated, and tourists headed for the new beach resorts on the island's north coast as the city sank into a quagmire of unemployment, poverty and crime. Today there are hints that the capital's fortunes may be turning, with some serious attempts to tackle crime and improve economic fortunes; still, Kingston remains a divided city.