To Conclude.

   My blog was designed to portray the difference between wealth distribution throughout the capital city of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. This blog described a range of activities that the distribution of wealth affected. These activities included Public services such as hospitals, public spaces , green spaces and of course buildings and structures; both private and public. 
   I commented on three blogs that I believed were linked to my blog. I commented on Ryan Proverbs blog called Urban Spaces: Change and process. In his blog he discusses the importance of green spaces in urban areas. This can be linked to my blog where I discuss the importance of maintaining our green spaces such as parks for the benefit of the community. I also commented on Diary of the Urban by Annila Lutchmesingh. In her blog she discussed the changes from new buildings being built. There is therefore an increase in the the number of abandoned buildings. This linked directly to the fact that wealth can be removed from one area to another which leads to an increase in abandoned buildings. Hall and Barrett described this as a cycle that can continue as long as there is an area of improvement. Lastly I commented on Francis Arzu's Blog entitled Urban Lifestyles.
    Overall the distribution of wealth in any community can lead to both disadvantages and advantages. These advantages are usually meant for those of a higher class whereas the lower class usually gets the disadvantages of this type of distribution. Even though these issues are vitally important in urban areas, there are some spaces that continue to remain neutral such as the Queen's Park Savannah or the National Library.
  I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and also that you found it informative. It was created in order to keep you thinking about the urban world we currently live in and I hope I have achieved that goal. Always remember that change can be both beneficial and destructive. But in order to encourage change there must be an opposite effect occurring simultaneously. Let's try not to make this urban change to unfair but to help both those of the lower-class as well.

The view from Laventille. It shows Central Trinidad, Port-of-Spain, San Juan and so on.

So What to do Now.....

    When I think of the drastic differences that are seen daily in public areas, I sometimes, honestly, want to cry. Why you may ask? Because it is just one of those aspects of life that affects me personally. Every day I see changes within communities leading to the gentrification of these communities. I watch the skyscrapers continue to be built and think about other areas of the community that still needs work and a great improvement.

The Twin Towers and Nicholas Tower, Port-of-Spain.

    The changing of the landscape leads to a new developing future. The architecture becomes more powerful, making a statement and portraying great intimidating structures. The traffic becomes heavier as the urban city becomes more crowded and there is a greater migration of persons moving into the urban environment. It is recommended that more buildings be put into place to house homeless persons. Buildings that are of good quality and of high-class materials. This improvement might lead to a reduction in criminal activity. It is also recommended that more wealth be given to services in order to provide a better quality of service to the public. 

    Urban form and structure can usually paint a vivid picture as to what an urban area looks like or is destined to look like. This means that urban planning can be achieved by dissecting urban structure and form. A sense of planning would be a perfect aid in encouraging a more balanced urban environment. What do you think? :)

Gentrification: a benefit or disaster

 

The Twin Towers next to the Hyatt.

      Every family dreams of owning their own home. Within urban areas there is not much of a choice as to the type of home they must own. In the last blog post, I discussed the negative aspect of housing within the capital city. The aspect that dealt with state housing and its effect on urban dwellers. But the capital city does not only house low-income apartments. There are also larger buildings that are built in order to encourage investment and progress. Countless number of times I have listened to my father complain about these big buildings in the capital city that are built and then left empty because the rent is too high. This occurs on numerous occasions where more ‘glass’ buildings are being implemented. The picture shown is of one of the twin towers located on the waterfront at the Port-of-Spain port. It is not a picture of a building that was meant to provide a home for families. It was meant for business and offices. However the rooms located in this building are still empty because of their rent rates. Partially also because the government cannot afford to rent these offices.

            The increase in high rise buildings can be as a result of gentrification of this urban area. According to Hall and Barrett, gentrification is defined as ‘the transformation of a working-class or vacant area of the central city into middle-class residential or commercial use’. A clear example of gentrification was found in the Express newspaper. “It is a community of less than 2,000 residents, but for the past two months, their grief, concerns and calls for justice have echoed across the nation. As they mourn another loss today... news of plans to relocate everyone brings more anxiety to an already emotionally exhausted Sea lots community.” stated the Express newspaper regarding Sealots residents. The newspaper discusses the belief that the government wants to relocate Sealots residents in order to expand the port. This leads to the displacement of many low-income households. On several occasions, residents within a community are relocated in order to make way for more economic investments. This can be both detrimental and/or beneficial to any community.

            I personally believe that gentrification of an urban area can result in a loss of culture as well as history of the specified area. The encouragements of new investments are positive and will create new jobs but again at what expense? Who really benefits from these new decisions? 

Housing in Urban areas

 “I think people need housing. And there's empty buildings; I think people should live in there. If you want to call them squatters, trespassers, hey, I call Wall Street thieves!”

Al Lewis

            Housing is seen as one of the most important aspects of urban living. According to Hall and Barrett, affordability is basically the proportion of household income spent on obtaining housing. In Port-of-Spain, affordability varies depending on the location of the house. The more gated and protected the housing settlements, the greater the affordability of a house. Because of this factor, Hall and Barrett continued to echo the importance of state housing. Areas where affordability is very low, most states provide housing for those located in squatting areas. The picture below shows apartments built within Port-of-Spain in order to help relieve homelessness within the capital city. Even though these apartments are of good gesture by governments as well as the private sector, they are not always of good quality. Is this where you would want to live? There are bars located on the windows and doors as well as many persons sharing one room.

An Apartment building in Downtown Port-of-Spain.

 Hall and Barrett continued stating that the effects of state housing led to the development of large informal housing sectors such as Laventille, East Port-of-Spain and Belmont. There are tall apartment buildings such as the diagram below where many low-income persons are housed.

 

An Apartment building in East Port-of-Spain.

     In a blog post entitled; “Trinidad: a nation of Villains and Heroes, Victims and their Tormentors...” Hannah discusses the effects of violence and crime within an urban environment.  Many people believe that most urban criminals originate from these poor housing facilities. The need for social and personal space, affects persons differently thereby encouraging a breeding ground for illegal activity. This can also be an effect of mixing different cultures and histories together in an already small and ineffective area. To every idea there is an opposite…..

    On the other hand, governments can also encourage gentrification of a specified urban area. This will be further discussed in the next blog.

Hospitals just another service

As I continue with my examples, I shall give a short story. A couple of months ago, I had my first experience with the Port-of-Spain General hospital. My sister was not feeling well and so we rushed her to the emergency room. On arrival, the security at the hospital proceeded to tell us to have a seat, take a number and we would be called shortly. I stared in shock as my mother began to panic, not sure if her daughter was having a heart attack and being told to wait on a number. Around one in the morning, we arrived at the hospital at 9:00 pm, we carried my sister home. Needless to say, half an hour later, we rushed her to St. James Medical Hospital still in pain. The response there was completely different. She was immediately attended to and left promptly two hours later.

St. James Medical

St. James Medical

The pictures on the left are showing the St. James medical hospital. Unfortunately I could not acquire a picture of the Port-of-Spain general hospital as I was told no pictures could be taken. (I was told this by the security guard). The structure of the St. James medical hospital as well as materials seems to contrast heavily with those materials used in the Port-of-Spain general hospital. The presence of security is also more prominent in St. James. They are located at the entrance to the compound unlike Port-of-Spain general where the guard booth is empty very often. Overall the service offered as well as atmosphere of St. James medical seems to be of a greater quality than Port-of-Spain general.

Why is it that both of these hospitals reacted in contradictory manners? Both are public hospitals. Both had a similar number of emergency patients. The answers to these are believed to be found in the location of these hospitals. Port-of-Spain general is located in the heart of the capital city whereas St. James medical is located on the outskirts of St. James, near to St. Clair and Woodbrook. It again portrays the distribution of wealth as it seems the wealthier the area you live the better quality the services will be. This is an important aspect of urban communities and is noted commonly throughout many of the popular urban areas. Low-class housing areas usually suffer with less quality services than those with high-class housing. This is one of the aspects of urban inequalities.

Other Areas

      I decided to compare Tamarind square to parks located a little e further west. So I headed into St. Clair. The pictures below are taken form King George V Park in St. James.

Pic #1 King George V Park

      This picture gives a different perspective than Tamarind Square. Even though the grass is dry due to the lack of rainfall, there is little to no garbage littering the ground as well as there are warning signs in order to protect the park from unwanted activity.

Pic #2 King George V Park

Pic# 3 Jackson Square

                   In the other picture, it shows Jackson Square that is located within St. Clair, itself. This park is completely clean. As the picture shows there is no garbage, homeless persons….and I believe if it is possible, there would be no leaves either. The grass is always mowed and looks neat. When I showed these pictures to one of my friends, her response was “Das rich people area, so they does keep it looking so.” Unfortunately this common way of thinking is wrong. Both these two parks and Tamarind Square are maintained under the Port-of-Spain Regional cooperation. 

        In order words, it can be speculated that more money is being spent in certain areas rather than others. In the last blog, I mentioned the topic of capital switching. It is possible to say that due to the increase in more ‘luxurious’ housing in the St. Clair, more focus is provided to that area. There is a greater need for well-manicured lawns and parks and no pollution anywhere. In a way this aspect of thinking can be profitable. 

     It encourages the movement of wealthier persons into the area. It is close to the capital city and thereby this influx into the area can also encourage investment. This can be one cause of the gap between these three parks.

In the next four blogs I will continue to give examples of this difference. Please stay tuned………

A New Perspective.

      When I began this blog, I was narrow minded in my analysis of the capital city. After doing research for my lab, I learnt that my idea of Port-of-Spain was actually smaller than the designated size of the Port-of-Spain.  This was when I realised that my analysis was based solely on East Port-of-Spain, mainly Laventille. Even though this is an interesting community, it is also not the only area of Port-of-Spain that is affected by wealth distribution. The following map shows the entire area of Port-of-Spain including areas such as Woodbrook, St, James and so on. This map was taken from an online web source.

The city of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago

         Since I discovered this fact, I decided to do some comparisons thereby expanding my area of analysis. These comparisons help to explain the extent to which distributed wealth is seen in the capital city.

         Port-of-Spain has many parks located in and around the city centre. These green spaces are preserved in an attempt to beautify as well as provide a balance between the hustle and bustle of everyday life and commercial activity with an area of relaxation. Unfortunately this is not what is seen daily.

Tamarind Square, Port-of-Spain.

Tamarind Square, Port-of-Spain. 

          The picture both on the left and below is of Tamarind Square which is located on the Eastern side of the Cathedral on Independence Square, Port-of-Spain. As you can see, even though the bushes may be neatly trimmed, this green space is usually littered with garbage and homeless people. Therefore it is rarely clean and so many people do not visit this area. According to Tim Hall and Heather Barrett, urban planning is normal as a way of controlling urban sprawl and other urban issues. Many planners such as Ebenezer Howard and Jane Jacobs included green spaces during their planning period as they saw it as an important part of urban development. It also helped in creating an area in which persons would want to live. Therefore green spaces are essential in an urban environment.

       Tamarind Square, however, does not influence persons to move into the area. The lack of interest in this park could be due to a shift in economic interest from this area to another that boasts more investment. Hall and Barrett introduce this concept through David Harvey. Harvey believed that ‘capital switching’ occurred where capital is moved from one sector in an urban area to another. Thereby leaving abandoned environments and spaces as capital is moved to more profitable opportunities.  This can be seen as the main reason for the dilapidation of Tamarind Square. The question now is where does this capital go? Where is a more profitable place of investment?

The Houses of Laventille......a sense of space....

       Within geography, especially urban geography, a sense a place and space is vital in describing any particular area. A specific area can  provide a sense of comfort and security. Every person usually, when building or buying their own home, wants a home where there is privacy and sense of a safety. They don't usually want a home where they can see directly into their neighbour's house or vice verse. The picture below       shows an area in Laventille where the houses are built with very little space near to one another. Many of the house surrounding the capital city are built this way.

The Houses of Laventille.

      I don’t believe that these houses were built so close to one another by choice but due to the lack of space within the urban area. Urban spaces are known for having a variety of uses one being low cost housing. Many of the houses in the picture above started off as low cost housing and were gradually developed by their owners. Urban models such as Burgess’ model, Ullman and Harris and Hoyt’s sector model each include an area designated specifically for low cost housing. Houses that are built closely together due to lack of space and need to be close to the city centre.

       Even though this aspect or urban planning may be seen as a “problem” because of the lack of space between houses, it can also be seen as a way to create a much more intimate community. The lack of space can be seen as encouraging a family among members of the area. A community in which everyone knows everyone and even your neighbour is as close to you as a brother. In this perspective, a closer community can lead to a reduction in urban problems such as crime. This goes to show that not all urban problems may be considered “fully” urban problems without weighing both sides….

The Other Side...

           "In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of."  Confucius

The above quote describes what many countries experience on a daily basis. Both statements can be used to describe Trinidad and Tobago. It can be both poorly and well governed. Currently the government is moving towards a more entrepreneurial form of governance. The below picture portrays the wealthier aspect of the Port-of-Spain area. It shows the skyscrapers of the west side of Port-of-Spain.This is in complete contrast to the picture i last posted of the houses in Laventille, the east of Port-of-Spain.

The Skyscrapers of Port-of-Spain.

       In contrast to the picture shown in the previous post, there is a difference in the building structures, materials as well as design. There is a distinct contrast between the two. This is clearly portrayed the effects of an entrepreneurial government. Here is a building that was built to encourage investment and tourism in order to increase the foreign exchange within the country. But at what costs? Even though creating investments and jobs are priority, what happens to the remainder of the country who are in need of better roads and service facilities? 

      The buildings shown in the above picture seem to be buildings of power. Structures that dominate the skyline and show the power of these buildings. The architecture and design of a building demonstrates the effect that building structure has on the urban environment. Compared to buildings to the east of Port-of-Spain, these structures   portray the country's wealth and beauty.

If such buildings can be built on one side of an area and not on the other side then what can we say for that country?

Til next time, Chantel

Urban Politics and the Community...

This picture shows the roof of a house in Laventille.

    I took this picture while touring the streets of Laventille for the first time with my boyfriend. It was hard at first due to the stigma that Laventille has attached to it's name, but after the first corner I began to realize it was just like any other community. Full of life. People liming, children playing... During the day it seemed nothing like the place portrayed in the media and through the politics of this country. I was shocked when I first saw this house. It was hard for me to grasp how someone could not have used nails in their roof but rather have stones to keep it attached to the ceiling. Why would someone choose to cover their house in rocks? It did not make sense. 
     After a while it occurred to me that there could be multiple reasons as to why this was so. Maybe the ceiling was too weak, or maybe it was a last resort. Why was it that a building so close to the capital city, looked so dilapidated.
    Tim Hall and Heather Barrett put forward the question, "Is urban political power located mainly in the hands of the elite or is it distributed among a wider constellation of groups?" This picture showed an example of what many would describe as political power being located within the hands of the elite. Port-of-Spain's governance can been seen as moving further towards a form of entrepreneurialism. According to Tim Hall and Heather Barrett, entrepreneurialism entails the process by which urban governments become more concerned with 'inviting' investments and creating jobs as well as increasing economic growth. While there is a decrease in the local government as the provider of social welfare and other services. This form of governance can lead to the a reduction in funding for housing and social development and an increase in the building of skyscrapers. It can thereby be assumed that the house shown can be a result of lack of funding for social welfare and therefore many people suffer as a result. 
    Why is it that that resources can be allocated to one sector in a city and not to another? Is this new form of governance good for the citizens of the urban city or would it create greater inequalities?

Think about it....
 Chantel
    

LAVENTILLE: A Big Community, Very Little Space.....

       Within the urban city of Port-of-Spain, there is a distinct split between the upper class and lower class in the community. I noticed this split within the city one day as I made my way down Fredrick Street. I decided to take a closer look at this difference. As I left home for school one day, I noticed large houses, open yards and huge gates. My journey continued through city gate and up the bus route. As I headed east, I noticed the deterioration of the houses as well as the housing settlements.

       This picture was taken in city gate, Port-of-Spain, of Laventille; a community that lies on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain. In the distance, on the hills, you can see an array of houses dotted all over the hill. There is very little space between these houses, thereby portraying how 'cramped' the community of Laventille really is. 
      With all the resources that are found within Trinidad and Tobago, it is unfair to see the poor quality of housing located on the east of the city, compared to that of the west. Why is it that two halves of a city can be completely different? With all the growth in the growth in the economy and the expansion of the city, is it not strange to see more development taking place within west Port-of-Spain? 
     Think about what could be done if resources were divided equally.......
Chantel

INTRODUCTION

           According to the Economic Glossary, resource allocation is the process of dividing up and distributing available, limited resources to competing, alternative uses that satisfy unlimited wants and needs.

          In the urban city, there are many divisions separating each part of the city. Within these urban cities, there are constant changes as well as growth continues; thereby creating 'new' cities. As a result, different models such as; Burgess' model, Ullman and Harris and so on. These models then show a distinct difference within the urban areas of the city such as housing settlements.

          My aim is to show how little the resources are located on the Eastern side of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad with regards to housing and settlement.