Linking 'The Urban'

              The diverse aspects of ‘the urban’ can be explored to great depths. Nevertheless, each facet has a unique contribution which, together, coincides to provide functionality of the city, on a whole.  Bearing this in mind, after exploring urban congestion to its core, I ventured onto my colleagues’ blogs in order to understand their differing aspects of the city, especially in relation to my own.

http://pollutionincities.blogspot.com/

•   This blog, titled urban pollution, focused on the various aspects of city pollution, in addition to their causal factors and widespread effects. Firstly, the blog explored water pollution as an “environmental threat” within the city of Port of Spain. Reference was made to the Sea Lots area, where solid refuse was seen washed onto the shores by the polluted waters surrounding its reclaimed land, which was compared to a “black-ink lifeless pit’. My colleague deduced that this water pollution occurred as a result of improper waste disposal from the nearby Sea Lots slums, as well as the chemical and toxic waste contributed by the nearby Port which harbours vessels. Similarly, evident land pollution was attributed to improper disposal of waste by city businesses, as well as pedestrians through littering. Furthermore, the air pollution issue of the city was directly linked to the presence of power generating companies, such as PowerGen, exhaust from cars, as well as the burning of waste at the Beetham landfill. Lastly, the issue of noise pollution in the city was said to be due to traffic congestion, street vending and”music on wheels”. It was then concluded that the solution to, not necessarily eliminating pollution but rather, preserving the town, lies in decentralization. This solution may also curb the ills of urban congestion as there will be a reduced population located within the single city area, thus reducing the pressure being placed on its resources. 

http://urbantransporthubbs.wordpress.com/

•   This blog, titled 'urban transport hubs' explored the various transportation hubs used to facilitate commuter travels. My colleague made it clear that major transport hubs, especially City Gate, San Juan, Curepe, Chaguanas and San Fernando, are essential to provide efficient movement in and around the city. The key contribution of City Gate was noted, making reference to its busy nature during daily hustle and bustle of commuters. Similarly, the San Juan transport hub, which facilitates transportation headed further east, was referenced, making note of its colonial, architectural design. Next, Curepe was explored and was deemed a prime area for ‘trini hustle’ which never sleeps as businesses seemed to always be open and ready for a sale. Moreover, it was noted that this major junction serves to provide travel in any direction i.e. north, east, west or south. The next stop was Chaguanas, which had the urban appearance of tall buildings and billboards, in addition to an efficient taxi service. Similarly, San Fernando provided the opportunity for shopping, tourist sight-seeing of historical monuments, as well as ease of transport. All in all, this colleague highlighted the pros and cons associated with each hub which, ultimately, serves as a beneficial service across the country as they all serve to facilitate free flow of commuters and eliminate congestion.

http://taraurbanexpo.blogspot.com/

• This blog, titled the urban experience, outlined aspect of urban life. It began by highlighting the vast and unique informal sector in the cities, such as street vendors. However, it pointed out the disadvantages of the existence of this economy, making particular mention to its unsecured and unstable nature. This can be linked to congestion as, in keeping with my previous posts, street vending and the informal sector greatly contribute to urban congestion. Another key point lay in the discussion of homelessness, which was thought to be a major concern in cities. Suggestions were also provided to overcome this issue which plagues the city; these included shelter and support. Urban congestion can be seen as a contributing factor to the creation of street dwellers as, often times, inadequate housing space or the inability of individuals to obtain the financial means necessary for urban housing limits them. Furthermore, urban mobility via public and private transportation was discussed which, ultimately, is one of the key aspects that perpetuates urban congestion.

The Domino effect of Urban Congestion

“No matter how chaotic they [cities] might seem, everything about them grows out of a need to solve a problem. In fact, a city is nothing more than a solution to a problem that, in turn, creates more problems that need more solutions, until towers rise, roads widen, bridges are built, and millions of people are caught up in a mad race to feed the problem-solving, problem-creating frenzy.”- Neal Shusterman

                The above picture shows a combination of the aspects of urban congestion, as experienced in the city of Port of Spain. It was taken on a busy weekday afternoon during rush hour on Wrightson Road, a major transportation route. It can clearly be deduced, from this photograph alone, that urban congestion is a dominant issue which plagues the city of Port of Spain, with respect to, not only vehicular congestion, but also, congestion of buildings, housing, vendors, waste and pedestrians. As such, I could not help but see the truth and applicability of the quote, which accompanies the above photo, to the city of Port of Spain. This is as it can definitely be argued that each aspect of congestion is somewhat stemmed from a previously existing one, with its core being urbanization. Urbanization promotes the removal of vegetation from within the city to allow for rapid development. In fact, due to development and the influx of individuals into the city, space became limited, thereby increasing the need for high rise buildings and housing to accommodate these individuals. Along with these limitations of space, the influx of people into the city gave incentive for small owned street businesses, such as street vending to develop. From these, the need for an efficient and effective private and public transportation system was birthed, in order to facilitate the movement of these individuals, as well as their goods, in and around the city area.  Subsequently, as urban transportation systems developed and increased in numbers, the issue of traffic congestion arose. This occurred as the number of available roads became insufficient for the growing numbers of cars. As such, individuals began opting to park their vehicles in stipulated car parks around the city and walk to their destinations. This, coupled with the presence of city shoppers, in turn, created pedestrian congestion. Ultimately, the combinations of this developmental process all contribute to the issue of pollution, by increasing the presence of solid wastes and gaseous emissions while also deteriorating the urban visual appeal.

                Therefore, since urban congestion seems to be an interconnected, sequential occurrence of events, it can be assumed that counteracting its negative hold on the city will involve a similar series of actions. Thus, the core of the problem must be targeted- urbanization. Though this is a beneficial process which facilitates development, the removal of trees must be ceased or limited to a large extent. In fact, there should be the development of more public parks or green spaces in and around the city area. This is because trees provide a number of positive contributions to the society, environmentally, as well as by their physical presence, as explored in my previous post. Secondly, effort should be placed into minimizing the major issue of traffic congestion. This can only be done one way; by reducing the actual numbers of cars on the roads. Since it is impossible to take cars away from their owners, effort should be placed into encouraging individuals and households to use more sustainable and environmentally friendly means of travel, such as carpooling, cycling or the use of public transportation. Likewise, another option lies in the development of larger or multi-storey car parks to facilitate cars, thereby reducing roadside parking. In addition to these, other smaller-scale initiatives can be taken by individuals on a personal basis to make a conscious effort to impede improper waste disposal, in an attempt to preserve the aesthetic beauty of the city.

After all, Port of Spain is our city. It is ours to preserve. If not us, then who?

New Age Concrete Jungle

"Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetities"- William Ruckelshaus

                The above photo shows a green park located in Port of Spain. Yes, I know- quite a disparity for the concrete dominated city. In fact, few are aware of the existence of green spaces in the city, simply because they are minimal. The concrete dominance of the city tends to occur due to its economically-based nature which requires built-up physical infrastructure to facilitate its workers and production. As such, it can be deduced that there is an inverse relationship between the city’s development and the presence of city vegetation, as increasing numbers of people, buildings, paved streets and overall development causes a reduction in the presence of trees and green spaces. For most of us, the value of trees is often underestimated. However, we should all be concerned of their growing absence as the contributions that trees add to the city are undeniable and they, ultimately, benefit us all.

The amount and quality of trees within cities can influence its biological and physical urban environment. The prime benefit of trees is the provision of oxygen into and expulsion of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, being a carbon sink (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 2014). This has far reaching impacts as it lowers air temperature, reduces air pollution and slows the rate of Global Warming. It was found that two healthy, mature trees could produce just about the required oxygen levels for a regular person each year (Wolf, 2006). Likewise, trees also moderate aspects of climate, including sunlight, wind and rain. Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed by the leaves of trees, in addition to large trees providing physical shade. Admit it- at some point, we’ve all hidden behind a tree to avoid sunlight in an attempt to feel cooler. According to the Kathy Wolf of the University of Washington (2006), trees of 25ft can reduce annual heating and cooling of a residence by an estimated 8-12%.

Moreover, trees affect wind speed and direction as they act as a windbreak (International Society of Arboriculture, 2009). Despite this, it is not unusual to hear locals unknowingly say something along the lines of “it breezy here because of the trees”.  Additionally, rainfall is absorbed, as well as deflected, by trees, reducing the impact on people or buildings. They also intercept water and allow raindrops to infiltrate the soil beneath, thereby reducing the incidence of flooding. This can be seen as largely beneficial to Port of Spain as flooding has been an ongoing problem being faced by city users. In addition to these, trees can also be seen as having an aesthetic value as they beautify its surroundings, while creating a relaxing and peaceful mood. This is reinforced by the findings of researchers which revealed that a life in the city poses to be more stressful. They also found that residents of typical concrete-jungle cities tend to be more prone to suffering from anxiety and depression, as compared to rural area residents (Derbyshire, 2011). As such, it is evident that the need for trees within cities goes beyond mere visual attraction, as it affects the physical, social and mental wellbeing of all city users.

References:

Derbyshire. 2011. "A rural life is better: Living in a concrete jungle is stressful and make you vulnerable to depression. Last modified June, 2011. Accessed April 11, 2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2006988/A-rural-life-better-Living-concrete-jungle-really-stressful-make-vulnerable-depression.html -

International Society of Arboriculture. 2009. "Benefits of Trees." Last modified 2009. Accessed April 11, 2014. http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_benefits.aspx.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . 2014. "Trees: The Carbon Storage Experts." Last modified 2014. Accessed April 11, 2014. http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/47481.html.

Wolf, Kathy. 2006. "Urban Forest Values: Economic Benefits of Trees in Cities." Last modified 2006. Accessed April 11, 2014. http://www.naturewithin.info/Policy/EconBens-FS3.pdf.

Tainted City

“Unfortunately, our affluent society has also been an effluent society”- Hubert H. Humphrey

                The above picture shows accumulated waste on a grassy river bank, alongside a street in the city of Port of Spain. It is not an unusual sight to see garbage piled onto street corners, clogging drains or even gathered beneath a ‘No Littering’ sign in the city, thereby revealing aspects of pollution. This is no surprise, we've all seen it; those ‘No dumping of refuse’ signs have become a joke. According to Drexel University (2002), Pollution is the action of environmental contamination, of mainly land, water and air, with man-made waste. Due to industrialization and urbanization, there has been major growth in the amount of dwellers, users, as well as productive capacity of the city, thereby increasing the demands for food, shelter and production. As a result, greater amounts of waste is produced daily and, once disposed of incorrectly, this waste makes its way onto the city land, waterways, as well as the atmosphere, thereby tainting its quality and causing degradation of the resource (Conserve-Energy-Future, 2014).

                In the city, side-walks can become polluted by industrial and municipal waste discarded carelessly by pedestrians and city users. In Port of Spain, in particular, the lack of adequate waste disposal facilities, such as bins, as well as improper solid waste management is a major cause of environmental pollution as individuals are given greater incentive to litter (United Nations Environment Programme- UNEP, 2001). This, in turn, leads to pollution of city drains and, inevitably, waterways. As a result, the risk of flooding, that plagues the city, is intensified and poses a greater threat of infrastructural damage to city businesses, stores and homes. Therefore, poor waste management continues to be a great challenge to the well-being of city users as they remain vulnerable to disasters and health risks.

                Air pollution is another major aspect of urban contamination which occurs mainly as a result of an increase in gaseous emissions in the atmosphere. Increased traffic congestion, caused by higher levels of vehicular traffic, largely contributes to atmospheric pollution as greater quantities of exhaust are emitted over longer periods of commuting. Also, air pollution can be attributed to poor vehicular maintenance and low fuel quality. Furthermore, a substantial amount of emissions are emitted from factories, especially those responsible for energy production, such as PowerGen. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (2002), urban air pollution costs approximately 2% of the GDP in developed countries and 5% in developing countries, such as T&T. In addition to this, increasing emissions can affect the entire local population as it can contribute to health issues, in addition to affecting food security and climate. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that by 2050, outdoor air pollution is expected to be the prime cause of mortality (International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, 2013). Therefore, the importance of reducing emissions, as well as pollution on a whole is irrefutable, that is, if we desire to ensure healthy futures, not only for us, but generations to come. 

References:

Conserve-Energy-Future. "Causes, Effects and Solutions of Land Pollution." Last modified 2014. http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-land-pollution.php.

Drexel University. "Environmental Science - Pollution." Last modified May 30, 2002. http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~cy34/.

International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. "Urban air pollution:a new look at an old problem." Last modified April, 2013. http://www.igbp.net/news/features/features/urbanairpollutionanewlookatanoldproblem.5.19895cff13e9f675e253f0.html.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). "Environmental Pollution and Impacts on Public Health." United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Last modified 2001. http://www.unep.org/urban_environment/pdfs/dandorawastedump-reportsummary.pdf.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). "Urban Air Pollution." Last modified 2002. http://www.unep.org/urban_environment/issues/urban_air.asp.

Travel Woes

"The right to access to every building in the city by private motorcar, in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle, is actually the right to destroy the city" -Lewis Mumford

                Cities are characterized by a concentration of economic activities and are, therefore, supported by transport systems. The above photograph shows the buses used for public transportation based in a transportation hub in Port of Spain, known as City Gate. It was taken on an early weekday morning when, evidently, a number of the buses were not yet discharged to be used. To combat congestion and accommodate the daily influx of individuals that commute to the city for economic, social or educational purposes, an efficient transportation service is required. The organization responsible for public transportation in T&T is the Public Transport Service Commission (PTSC). The PTSC aims to provide “safe, reliable, efficient, effective, environmentally sound and socially responsive transportation solutions”. It operates between the hours of 5:00 am to 11:00 pm from Mondays through Saturday and from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm on Sundays in an attempt to provide an all-rounded service of easy travel for all, including the differently-abled (Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, 2014). In addition to this, privately-owned maxi-taxis, as well as cars are located at maxi/ taxi stands on various streets of the capital to enhance the daily efficiency of transport. Furthermore, the government has also implemented the use of the Water Taxi, for transportation efficiency across longer distances, such as Port of Spain to San Fernando.

                However, daily congestion within the city often overwhelms the transportation system. This hinders urban mobility and poses a problem for urban environments (Rodrigue, 2014) as the productive capacity of cities depends on the efficiency of the transport system for the ease of movement of its resources i.e. the labour force, consumers, as well as freight. In Port of Spain, pedestrian congestion, as previously discussed, is a usual occurrence, after which transit systems such as City Gate and the Petit Valley Maxi Stand become densely overcrowded. This mainly takes place during weekdays, particularly at rush hour i.e. 7:00-9:00 am and 4:00-6:00 pm, when majority of the population commutes to and from work and school. From personal experience, commuting during these hours forced me to travel in the midst of crowdedness and discomfort. Also, travel time is lengthened as it often takes long hours for transport to arrive or the mad rush for every oncoming maxi/taxi leaves you standing behind, only to wait for another. This not only affects the environment through pollution i.e. noise, as well as air pollution from increased exhaust emissions, but exacerbates the woes of public commuting. Therefore, I can vouch for the frustrations that commuters face on a day to day basis.  

Furthermore, the evident traffic congestion on the nation’s roads makes it almost impossible for the use of non-motorized transport, such as bicycles. The physical design of the roads themselves neglects this activity as there is lack of an established bike lane, throughout the country. Nevertheless, the government aims at enhancing public transportation, as can be seen by the development of the Priority Bus Route that facilitates efficient transportation along the east-west corridor. However, this too can be seen as a double edged sword as it involves significant land consumption which is devoted only to transportation, therefore neglecting other aspects of societal needs. Even so, public transport services, particularly within the city, are necessary. But let’s ask ourselves, what use is an efficient public transport system if congested roads don’t allow us to go anywhere?

References:

Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. "Bus Routes, Schedules and Fares." Trinidad and Tobago Government Portal. Last modified 2014. http://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/Non-ResidentDetail/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/gortt/wcm/connect/gortt+web+content/TTConnect/Non-National/Topic/TravelandTourism/Getting+Around+in+Trinidad+and+Tobago/Bus+Routes%2C+Schedules+and+Fares.

Rodrigue, Dr. Jean-Paul. "Urban Transport Problems." Hofstra People. Last modified 2014. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c4en.html.

Legitimately Urban

“But look what we have built... low-income projects that become worse centers of delinquency, vandalism and general social hopelessness than the slums they were supposed to replace”- Jane Jacobs

                The above photo depicts multi-storey rented apartments located on upper Charlotte Street, Port of Spain. Urbanization of the city has attracted a number of migrants seeking greater opportunities, particularly with regard to education, health care and social life. Therefore, many locals, predominantly low-income groups, desire city housing for easy access in and out of the city, without the need for vehicular transport. Moreover, according to Richard Florida, the “creative class”, including artists, engineers, musicians and designers tend to prefer the dense, sociable nature of urban living (Zack, 2014).

However, the capacity of the city and its ability to accommodate this influx of people poses a problem as space in the city is largely limited. As such, the government of T&T, through the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), constructed several multi-storey apartment complexes in an attempt to provide sufficient housing for city dwellers. It also simultaneously provides low-cost housing for citizens, which the government hoped could replace squatter and slum settlements. Due to the limited government housing projects within the city coupled with the ever-expanding influx of potential residents, private individuals have also taken the initiative to develop of multi-storey apartments in an attempt to generate profits. This is in keeping with the theory of Marxism (Cunningham Wood, 1993) whereby the Bourgeoisie i.e. upper classes who own land within the city will continue to exploit the proletariat i.e. wage-earning tenants by renting apartments at high, exploitative prices. This, in turn, leads to a culture of poverty, similar to what was discussed in my previous post, which can generate status frustration (Cook, 2012). As a result of this stress, individuals may engage in negative activities such as crime and domestic violence. Moreover, the close proximity of tenants to surrounding neighbours also results in a lack of personal privacy (Gazeley and Newell, 2009) and allows the practice of negative activities to be spread and immersed into the socialization of the area. Thus, the formation of gangs is easily facilitated as juveniles are recruited from a young age when left unsupervised, as parents may be employed in one or multiple jobs. Therefore, a delinquent subculture may arise and the morals, in addition to the value system of young apartment inhabitants may be skewed. As such, the development of multi-storey complexes can be seen as a two edged sword as they concurrently combat the problem of a shortage of housing in urban cities, yet perpetuate capitalism and harbour negative subcultures.

References:

 Cook, Sam. 2012. "Subcultural Theories." Revise Sociology. Last modified May 12, 2012. http://revisesociology.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/3-subcultural-theories/.

Gazeley, Ian, and Andrew Newell. 2009. "No Room to Live: Urban Overcrowding in Edwardian Britain." Last modified June, 2009. http://ftp.iza.org/dp4209.pdf.

Wood, John Cunningham. 1993. Karl Marx's Economics: Critical Assessments : Second Series. London: Routledge.

Zack, Dan. 2014. "Housing shortage or urbanism shortage? | Better! Cities & Towns Online." Cities & Towns Online. Last modified February 18, 2014. http://bettercities.net/news-opinion/blogs/dan-zack/20965/housing-shortage-or-urbanism-shortage.

Urban Outcasts

“Squatting [is] a conquest of city areas for the purpose of shelter, defined both by the law of force and the force of law”- Charles Abrams (1964)

The above picture depicts a squatter settlement, or shanty town, known as Sea Lots, located on the outskirts of Port of Spain. It was taken from City Gate, due to security reasons. According to Hari Srinivas (2014), squatter settlements refer to “a residential area which has developed without legal claims to the land and/or permission from concerned authorities to build; as a result of their illegal or semi-legal status, infrastructure and services are usually inadequate”. It is not alarming to see these squatter settlements developing in urban areas by low income earners  as, due to urbanization, urban areas are viewed as the ‘vehicle’ to improve one’s standard of living, as well as overall quality of life. This can be attributed to the promising nature of the pull factors of the city; particularly the ease of access to better jobs and incomes, as well as better education, as discussed in my previous post. However, the influx of these city migrants exacerbates the already-existing battle with a shortage of space in the city. Nevertheless, these individuals venture into the city in search of adequate, low-cost housing but, due to insufficient financial resources, are forced to settle on the fringes of the city- much like outcasts.

Undeniably, the nature of these settlements, which subsequently develop, can be characterized by deprivation. There is a lack of proper physical and social infrastructure, as well as services, including water supply, sanitation, electricity, drainage and other basic amenities (Hari Srinivas, 2014), which leads to the development of slum environments. According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), slum environments constitute settlements that do not provide housing durable to climate conditions, sufficient living space, easy access to potable water, proper sanitation and security of tenure (Fisher, 2014). Therefore, based on the photograph, which reveals a row of haphazardly-constructed wooden and galvanized houses that appear unfit for human habitation, Sea Lots can be seen as a slum settlement. From an outside-looking-in standpoint, beside its visually distasteful appearance, the Sea Lots slums worry me. The disorganized design of the frail structures developed on reclaimed sea land makes it vulnerable to natural disasters, while its overcrowded nature contributes to waste accumulation, thus creating breeding grounds for transmittable diseases. Therefore, to prevent this, the financially-limited inhabitants of slums are forced to spend what little they have to obtain basic necessities for survival such as clean water and vaccinations. However, this compounds their situation of poverty, which drove them to these areas in the first  place! Therefore, you can understand why the cycle of poverty is perpetuated (Practical Action, 2012). By extension, this accommodates a culture of poverty, as coined by Oscar Lewis, which allows this “design for living” to be passed on over generations, leaving individuals feeling “marginalized, helpless and inferior”. This, in turn, creates an environment that harbours negative activities, including crime and delinquency, (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2008) which dampens the positive nature of urban development. 

Further Reading:

Fixing Sea Lots and East Port of Spain- http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Fixing-Sea-Lots-and-East-Port-of-Spain-204602551.html

References:

Fisher, Jordan. 2014. "Urban Slums." About.com Geography. Last modified 2014. http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/Urban-Slums.htm.

International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008."Culture of Poverty." Encyclopedia.com | Free Online Encyclopedia. Last modified 2008. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Culture_of_Poverty.aspx.

Srinivas, Hari. 2014. "Defining Squatter Settlements." GDRC | The Global Development Research Center. Last modified 2014. http://www.gdrc.org/uem/squatters/define-squatter.html.

Congestrians?

“In great cities, spaces as well as places are designed and built: walking, witnessing, being in public, are as much part of the design and purpose as is being inside to eat, sleep, make shoes or love or music. The word citizen has to do with cities, and the ideal city is organized around citizenship -- around participation in public life.”-Rebecca Solnit

The above picture was taken on Charlotte Street in Port of Spain. It depicts the daily pedes[trian] [congest]ion that occurs on Charlotte Street, in addition to several others, particularly on weekday afternoons when there is an influx of foot-travellers. The city attracts large crowds due to its appealing pull factors (Payne & Jennings, 2003). These include better job opportunities, improved services, protection, enhanced social life, as well as affordable shopping alternatives.

Firstly, the city offers good employment opportunities, as most businesses and government offices are located there e.g. the Ministry of Health, located on Park Street in POS. Thus, majority of the working population of the country tend to be concentrated within the city on a daily basis. Additionally, the city provides better infrastructure and services, such as health care and education. This is evident as health care institutions such as the Port of Spain General Hospital is known to provide better medical care than other health centres across the country. Similarly, the best, most prestigious schools are known to be located within the city, such as St. Joseph’s Convent and Holy Name Convent, in addition to several other surrounding schools, thereby attracting students, as well as potential stakeholders. Furthermore, the city aims to provide a sense of safety- thereby attracting individuals. However, during my POS Place Check, I discovered that, though Port of Spain provides security through its police presence, especially at Independence Square, the majority of individuals who use down-town Port of Spain do not feel a sense of safety. Nevertheless, they venture into the city for other drawing aspects. Another pull factor to the city which is, in my opinion, the most influential, is the opportunity for low cost shopping. This is facilitated by privately owned businesses, whether on a small scale, such as street vendors, or large stores which provide competitive prices that are substantially lower than those at Shopping Malls or even established Markets. As such, individuals are enticed into the city in order to get ‘a better value for your dollar’, as some would say.

Therefore, there is an inflow of these varying groups of people into the city. This is especially evident at peak hours of weekdays i.e. around 3-4pm. At these times, the students belonging to surrounding schools would have been dismissed, and regular government offices which maintain an 8-4pm work schedule would also release its workers. At this time, some also opt for a 'lime' at one of several roadside bars in the city. As such, this results in an overwhelming crowing of people on the street pavements, which poses serious problems of congestion, especially in areas where street vending is practised, as highlighted in my previous post. This forces pedestrians to engage in a series of strategic walking patterns in order to manoeuvre their way either uptown or down-town. From my own experience, I can say this involved all but a combination of dodging people, poles, carts, cars, kids, students and even ducking from flying parcels being tossed through the air from the hand of one truck loader to the hands of another stocker. Sounds tiring right? Most definitely! But nothing short of exciting as I often think of it as an obstacle course. Nevertheless, pedestrian congestion poses a great problem for urban areas as it can lead to conflicts, delays of travel as well as a great hindrance and complication of evacuation procedures (Lopez, 2014).

Further Reading:

• A creative measure developed to ease pedestrian congestion In London: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/127823-london-to-test-smart-crossing-sign-system-hoping-to-reduce-pedestrian-congestion

• Congestrian = Monitoring Pedestrian Traffic and Congestion:  http://www.ubicomp.org/ubicomp2013/adjunct/adjunct/p1355.pdf

References:

Lopez, Angela. 2014. "Assessment of Measures to Ease Pedestrian Congestion." European Transport Conference Past Papers Repository. Last modified 2014. http://abstracts.aetransport.org/paper/index/id/2344/confid/12.

Payne, David, and Sue Jennings. 2003. Revise for GCSE Geography AQA C. Oxford: Heinemann.

Side-walk 'Hustle'

 "Houses make a town, but citizens make a city"- Rousseau

The photo above illustrates typical street vending on Charlotte Street, Port of Spain. Charlotte Street is considered to be the ‘street vendor capital’ of the city, as it is not unusual to see both sides of the street completely lined with roadside vendors, particularly from Thursdays through to Saturdays. Street vending also occurs in other parts of the country, including High Street, San Fernando and Main Road, Chaguanas. These vendors sell an array of items, ranging from clothing and household items as well as agricultural produce either in small kiosks or stalls, which allows them to have flexible locations.

According to the Dualist school of thought, many vendors engage in roadside trade due to poverty and their inability to obtain jobs in the formal economy. As such, the low barriers to entry allow street vending to be used as a refuge occupation to earn a subsistence income. On the other hand, others simply choose a life of street vending due to its flexible conditions that can earn an income without the costs and risks associated with operating a formal store-front business  (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, 2014).

However, street vending greatly adds to the issue of congestion in cities, especially in Port of Spain. Firstly, it adds to vehicular congestion as carts often narrow road space, thereby slowing traffic flow, as well as pedestrian congestion as consumers stop along the pavements to observe and purchase the affordable sale items. I have, personally, experienced both of these first hand, and so I've learnt (the hard way) that driving down Charlotte Street, especially on a weekday afternoon, is always a no-no, and that walking along this road will definitely result in you reaching your destination a minute away, at least, 10 minutes later. This congestion also leads to numerous problems including increased incidence of vehicular accidents, increased air pollution levels from exhaust and impediment of the flow of emergency vehicles, such as police, fire service, and the ambulance which poses a safety hazard to all city users. Moreover, overcrowded side-walks encourage pedestrians to walk in the roadway, which, similarly, hinders the flow of traffic, as well as distract motorists, thereby heightening the risk of accidents (Moustafa et al., 2012). Street vending also contributes to city pollution, of land, water and visually, as vendors often neglect the collection of ‘waste’ i.e. goods and produce that may have fallen into nearby drains or along the pavement after a day of sales. This often leads to clogging of drains, thus exacerbating the issue of flooding, which already plagues the city of POS.

As a result, Gregory Aboud, the president of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association, made it clear that its members were strongly against plans of the local government to develop a temporary street market on Charlotte Street. After much debate, plans were altered to allocate specific days for street vending on Charlotte Street for T&T nationals only (Maraj, 2008). It can be argued that the government chose to regulate roadside trade, rather than eradicate its existence, as street vending provides an integral part to urban economies, through the convenient provision of affordable goods to consumers, as well as the upholding of cultural heritage. Thus, street vendors are, essentially, a vital component of the unique, defining character of our down-town, which enliven the City, while still providing a valuable service to customers.

References:

Maraj , Leiselle. 2008. "PoS businessmen against Charlotte Street vending." Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, May 17, 2008. Accessed April 9, 2014. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,79063.html.

Moustafa , H. Et al. 2012. "Dealing with Street Vendors in Public Spaces | Salma El-Banna - Academia.edu." Academia.edu - Share research. Last modified November 10, 2012. http://www.academia.edu/4826122/Dealing_with_Street_Vendors_in_Public_Spaces.

Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing. 2014. "Key Debates about Street Vending | WIEGO." WIEGO | Informal Workers - Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing & Organizing. Last modified 2014. http://wiego.org/informal-economy/key-debates-about-street-vending.

Building Giants

"[City] Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how."- Edward T. McMahon

The above photograph depicts the Twin Towers on Independence Square, Port of Spain. This is one of the many high-rise buildings in the city as construction of these towering infrastructural buildings is now a frequent occurrence. For those of us who frequently visit the city, this has become such a normal sight that we ignore what these really signify- a lack of space. This lack of space is due to the continuous growth that the city of Port of Spain experiences as the 21^st century unfolds. Undeniably, this incessant urban growth can lead to a host of problems, including excess stress on the nation’s natural resources, particularly its land resource (Dowling, 2013).

To maximize the use of city space efficiently, development must be done in an innovative way. Innovative, yet obvious in my opinion. If you can’t move outwards, wouldn’t you naturally go upwards? According to a lecturer at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, urban planners should “Make use of existing physical infrastructure and stop spreading outward”. Therefore, he argues that the future should promote building the city upwards rather than governments releasing land around the cities for development, as this perpetuates the issue of sprawl (Shiloh, 2011).

Tall buildings became possible in the 19^th century, thanks to American innovators, as they overcame the problems associated with moving persons safely up and down tall buildings via elevators, as well as construction of the proper physical infrastructure (Glaeser, 2011). To many, increased infrastructural height often symbolizes power as well as a means of maximizing space on a limited area of land. As such, powerful cities such as Toronto, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore have embraced the idea of building upwards. And now, other developing countries of the world, including T&T, are embracing the idea, following the domino effect that the developed world orchestrates.  However, local residents in some of these countries express their concerns about historical preservation and environmental protection. For instance, in Montreal and London, tall buildings do not receive social acceptability from its residents (Dennis-Jacob, 2012). Several projects are criticized, and even abandoned due to its inability to encompass the city’s heritage while promoting environmental preservation. So, you may be asking, if locals disagree with the construction of tall buildings, why should we still build them in our cities? The answer is simply because building taller equals building smarter.

References:

Denis-Jacob, Jonathan. 2012. "Growing Upwards: the Tall Buildings Dilemma - Featured Article - Geography Jobs." Geography Jobs International Inc. Last modified January 25, 2012. http://www.geographyjobs.com/articles/growing_upwards_the_tall_buildings_dilemma.html.

Dowling, Stephen. 2013. "BBC - Future - 2050: Building better cities for an overcrowded world." BBC Future. Last modified May 8, 2013. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130507-challenges-for-the-cities-of-2050.

Glaeser, Edward. 2011."How Skyscrapers Can Save the City - Edward Glaeser." The Atlantic. Last modified February 9, 2011. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/03/how-skyscrapers-can-save-the-city/308387/.

Shiloh, Shanee. 2011. "Building upward not outward is the answer." Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. Last modified September 19, 2011. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/real-estate/building-upward-not-outward-is-the-answer-1.385272.

Place Check

Independence Square

Fig.1- High-rise buildings and
greenery in Independence Square

              Independence Square, previously known as “Marine Square”, was renamed upon the attainment of the country’s Independence in 1962. It is located on the southern end of Port of Spain and is informally known as the ‘heart’ of Port of Spain as it constitutes valued historical buildings, including the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, several governmental buildings such as the Nicholas Tower and the Eric Williams Plaza (Louis B. Homer, 2012), as well as commercial retail outlets (See Fig. 1). Upon visiting Independence Square on a busy Saturday morning, several observations could be made.

Numerous fast-food outlets, including the renowned KFC and Church’s Chicken, as well as small retail outlets offering a range of items, varying from clothing to shoes even to hand-made crafts, surrounded Independence Square. However, there was great contrast with the manner in which each of these retail outlets advertised themselves. The fast food outlets had towering signs above them in order to demand the attention of consumers, while the street-sellers simply hung their products from tents or placed them on tables in front of the outlet for display (See fig. 2). Nevertheless, both shared the common intention of drawing the attention of customers to obtain sales. As such, the presence of these numerous food and clothing retail outlets ensure easy access to products, usually at a cheaper price due to competition for sales. According to a vendor located within the Square, her location is the most “convenient”. She explained that the high inflow of people in and out of the Square allows her to generate “fast sales”.

Fig. 2- Street vendors near
Independence Square

            When looking around Independence Square itself, there was a serene atmosphere created by the presence of trees which delineated the Square. This greatly contrasted to the ‘concrete jungle’ that the city otherwise provided. As such, the Square proposed itself to be an ideal spot for relaxing or ‘liming’. However, its presence goes beyond simply providing a recreational ground. The Square is also home to commemorative statues of historical figures of Trinidad and Tobago, including Arthur Andrew Cipriani, a distinguished advocate for Independence, and Brian Lara, the ‘Prince of Port of Spain’. However, the beauty and historical value of Independence Square is also being combated by a number of negative concerns. Firstly, the streets displayed signs of pollution as they appeared dirty and littered. A vendor also complained of lacking facilities, as well as the offensive odor that often engrossed the atmosphere, usually on mornings. Moreover, the main concern of most vendors and passers-by, whose opinion was stated, laid in the issue of safety and security. Many of them expressed that they did not ‘feel safe’ in Independence Square, especially at night when the Square is home to a number of street dwellers. A female interviewee voiced that she disliked Independence Square as there are ‘too many characters’, referring to the host of males who often sit on benches and vocally admire female passers-by. Some even expressed that they did not ‘feel safe’ in areas such as Charlotte Street as they believe pick- pocketing, theft and overall crime is at its highest and security is inadequate.

Fig. 3- Street Parking on Fredrick
Street, P.O.S.

Thus, it was made clear that most individuals felt that a number of improvements should be done to enhance Independence Square and its surrounding areas. This could be done through urban planning of streets and infrastructural improvements by painting, rebuilding or refurbishing existing deteriorated buildings, as well as upgrading facilities, particularly bathrooms. Also, traffic congestion is another key issue that must be targeted. This could be done by establishing additional parking facilities, which would reduce street-side parking, thus allowing easier traffic flow (See fig. 3).  Furthermore, vendors should be prohibited from selling within the streets themselves, as often seen on Charlotte Street, as this also contributes to traffic pile-up. Most importantly, to combat the issue of crime in the CBD, cameras should be employed, as well as more frequent police and security patrols. All in all, Independence Square is a treasured point in Port of Spain which many see as a “home away from home”.

Belmont

                Belmont, previously known as “Freetown”, was the first area within Trinidad to become populated by African slaves who worked on the cocoa and coffee estates at Belmont (Louis B. Homer, 2013). It was the first official suburb of Port of Spain, located on the eastern outskirts of the city. This location is seen as beneficial to the people of Belmont as its close proximity allows the resources from P.O.S to be easily accessed and used and, in turn, the city can readily utilize the human resources of Belmont.

Fig. 4- Narrow Streets of Belmont

However, there are several downfalls also associated with the area. The lack of urban planning is evident through the very narrow streets (See fig. 4). This dates back to days of African enslavement when slaves left the plantations and haphazardly constructed houses close to each other (See fig. 5). This somewhat limits the development of the area as excessively large trucks or tractors may have difficulties maneuvering through these constricted streets. Moreover, traffic congestion is another issue that plagues the area of Belmont. This is due to its interconnectivity with the Port of Spain area, which experiences heavy traffic congestion on a daily basis. As such, traffic that begins within the city on Charlotte, Henry and Park Street stems into Belmont Circular Road and throughout Belmont. Additionally, the area of Belmont lacks adequate community centres and recreational areas for its residents. Instead, they are forced to rely on the Queen’s Park Savannah to provide a location for leisure. However, due to the spread of the crime that makes it way over the hills from Laventille, there is also an issue of security in Belmont. As a result, individuals are less encouraged to leave their homes in fear of crime.  This often results in a stigma being attached to Belmont and its residents that “nothing good comes out of Belmont”, as expressed by a Belmont resident.

Fig. 5- Houses built close to
each other in Belmont

However, the tour of Belmont, headed by Mr. Scantlebury, shed light on the numerous people and contributions of historical significance which emerged from Belmont. This included introduction to Denzel Fernandez, a resident of Belmont, who invented the popular ‘bore pan’. It also shed light on the contribution of Belmont to traditional mas by birthing characters such as the ‘fancy sailor’ and ‘blue devils’, as well as several pan bands, including ‘Casablanca’. Belmont is also home to the POS Charitable Brotherhood Friendly Society, as well as the Rada movement, which began in 1868. As such, there is great need to preserve the community of Belmont. In order to do this, there should be improvements to existing infrastructure, such as the Belmont fire station, schools and churches as well as upgrading of ancient ones. A community centre and recreational park should also be built, in order to host social events for the area, thus promoting a sense of community among Belmont residents. The Belmont Museum should also be developed further and a resource centre should be established, in order to preserve the rich history of the Belmont area through time.

In my opinion, a successful neighbourhood is one where the neighbours live harmoniously in a community with a sense of cohesion. This will facilitate social development within the area as individuals will establish a sense of kinship, and thus feel comfortable to utilize community-shared spaces for interaction. Physically, the community should also be adequately developed with infrastructure and necessary amenities required by residents, including good transport networks, communication lines and close proximity to health centres, parks, schools, churches, as well as  protective services such as police and fire stations. Upon development of the community, particular attention should be paid to land use planning in order to prevent later issues such as insufficient housing space for residents, traffic congestion or overly narrow roads, as experienced in Belmont. Moreover, residents themselves should ensure that the neighbourhood is kept clean, and pollution-free in order to inhibit any environmental degradation.

References:

Homer, Louis B. "From Freetown to Belmont." Trinidad Express Newspapers, February 24, 2013.

Homer, Louis. "History of Independence Square." Trinidad Express Newspapers, July 8, 2012.

Mechanical Snails

“An advanced city is not a place where the poor move about in cars, rather it’s where even the rich use public transportation” ― Enrique Penalosa

The above photograph was taken at approximately 4:00 pm on the east-bound lane of Wrightson Road, Port of Spain i.e. a major transport network used for heading into or out of the city. For those who utilize this road to exit the city after work or school on a weekday, this is a regular scene at rush hour – standstill traffic. In Trinidad, traffic congestion occurs simply due to the fact that there are too many cars in relation to the limited roads available. This is mainly due to the fact that several members of a single household own cars and choose to drive to their destinations individually, rather than carpooling or traveling via public transportation.  As a result, traffic congestion plagues the city and poses a great problem for us all.

Traffic congestion does not only affect society by increasing travel time, but the environment also takes a hit. Increased traffic leads to greater levels of air pollution as increased amounts of car exhaust comprising of nitrogen dioxide and particulates are emitted into the atmosphere daily. Subsequently, these increased carbon emissions exacerbate the phenomena of Global Warming, while adversely affecting human health by causing a range of respiratory diseases and cancer. In addition to this, longer travel times through traffic also increases overall fuel consumption rates. Therefore, greater traffic congestion correlates to increased exploitation of natural gas i.e. a valuable, non- renewable natural resource which is one of the driving forces of the economy of Trinidad and Tobago, and thus, its use must be managed.

Needless to say, it is evident that the government of Trinidad and Tobago is attempting to manage this traffic congestion problem by developing new transportation schemes through the widening of existing roads, such as at Four Roads, as well as the restructuring and development of new roads and flyovers such as along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway and the Uriah Butler Highway. However, in often cases, construction using improper planning techniques, such as the haphazard widening of roads, leads to a temporary ease in congestion followed by bottlenecking. Thus, this completely misses the aim of easing traffic congestion. Nevertheless, any improvement to this prominent problem is better than no improvement at all.

Further Reading:

• Restructuring and development of new roads along the Churchill Roosevelt/Uriah Butler Highway: http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-10-11/video-how-use-new-churchill-roosevelturiah-butler-highway-interchange
• The effects of traffic fumes: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2359148/Traffic-fumes-raise-lung-cancer-risk-say-experts-Air-pollution-added-list-recognised-causes-disease.html

References:

KPMG. "INSIGHT: Urbanization Urbanization, congestion, energy KPMG GLOBAL." Accessed February 8, 2014. https://www.kpmg.com/global/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/insight-magazine/pages/urbanization-congestion-energy.aspx.

Sussex Air Quality Partnership. "What causes Air Pollution?" Sussex-air. Accessed February 8, 2014. http://www.sussex-air.net/PollutionEffects/AQEnvironment/AirPollution.aspx.

Trinidad Express Newspapers. "Simply too many cars on the nation's roads | Trinidad Express Newspaper | Letters." Trinidad Express Newspaper. Accessed February 10, 2014. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Simply_too_many_cars_on_the_nation_s_roads-170861001.html.

Exploring growth in Port of Spain.

As a simple girl, born and raised in the west of Trinidad, I've always attended schools that were a mere 10-15 minutes away, with traffic. So imagine my horror when I began my studies at the University of the West Indies, located in the east of the island, and realized that it requires approximately an hour worth of commuting! Despite this, I make my daily east-west journeys and lately, I've become increasingly aware of the growing numbers of people, businesses, stores, cars and wastes etc. in a city that isn't capable of facilitating this exponential growth. This underhandedly poses a problem, not just for city dwellers, but for us all. Stick with me as I dig deeper and shine a light on the current issue of congestion in Port of Spain, Trinidad.