Conclusion

Over the past ten weeks, I have highlighted the ardent issues within the urban spaces of Trinidad and Tobago. Issues in every aspect of urban space such as social, political, economic and environmental factors were highlighted in order to raise the awareness level of my Urban Geography (GEOG 2007) class colleagues and the wider world by extension. These issues comprised of homelessness, overcrowded streets, crime, pollution (air and land), marginalization, inadequate affordable houses, dilapidated buildings, lack of sustainable modes of transport and architecture of fear.

Some of the issues highlighted in my blog were also mentioned in some of my colleagues’ blog such as Urban Environment in T&T (http://urbanenvirtt.blogspot.com/) by Avion Harvey, Cultural Influences on the City of Port of Spain (http://the-power-of-culture-in-pos.blogspot.com/) by Danielle Richards and The Dark Side of Urbanization (http://negativeurbanisation.blogspot.com/) by Khadija Stewart. Urban Environment in T&T blog highlighted inequality as one of the main reasons for the perpetuation of high crime levels in Laventille, Port of Spain. This was indicated in my blog’s subtitled ‘Urban Crime.’ On the other hand, Cultural Influences on the City of Port of Spain blog commented on the prevalence of homeless people in Port of Spain, which I also highlighted in my first posted picture blog, subtitled ‘Homelessness.’ The Dark Side of Urbanization blog specifically discussed the issue of overcrowding in Charlotte Street, Port of Spain which was one of those burning issues mentioned in my blog post subtitled ‘Overcrowded Streets.’ It was a bit surprising that my colleagues also highlighted similar issues to my blog’s postings.  This showed that these are some of the main issues affecting urban spaces in Port of Spain and other urban areas throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

The experience of doing this blog has aided my understanding of some of the issues that plague cities or urban spaces such as in Port of Spain and Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago respectively. It is my hope that the issues highlighted in this blog would encourage someone to become proactive in developing feasible solutions to address the urban issues in Trinidad and Tobago.

Photo 10 shows a typical display of architecture of fear in Woodford Square, Port of Spain.

Architecture of Fear

The photo above shows the barricade of a small garden in Woodford Square, Port of Spain that is enchained by spike chains. It could be suggested that this was purposely done to prevent socially displaced persons from siting or even reclining at the garden’s barricade. The scenery could be simply classed as a fortress landscape since the spike chains are there for the purpose of security, protection and exclusion. Fortress landscapes are becoming more common in the Capital of Trinidad and Tobago as a response to the increasing deviant behaviours in the urban area. It is said that architecture, planning and urban design have a tradition of designing urban landscapes for the purpose of controlling bodies of people and fostering particular modes of behaviour and urban living, either explicitly in the form of orders and instructions inserted into the urban landscape or more subtly through the design of elements of it (Hall and Barrett 2012, 209). Although these types of architectural designs are useful for protection they could also facilitate inequality through exclusion. Many people may view such landscapes as being exclusive and locals could retaliate by protesting or even being rebellious through vandalism.  

Methods of demonstrating exclusion in cities can be detrimental to urban social life. For instance, unity is likely to be hampered within such context and discrimination becomes predominant which may possibly affect the social development of the lower classes. According to Hall and Barrett (2012), the implications of such actions are potentially dangerous for equality and conviviality of urban life.

Exclusiveness caused by fortress landscapes in Port of Spain may be a difficult issue to digest for many people, particularly the poor, homeless, and others. However, it should be noted that such landscapes can serve a very important purpose in terms of protection and maintenance of property. Therefore, it should be ensured that people are being excluded from certain areas only for the basis of protection and maintenance of property and not because of one’s ethnicity, race, gender, religion, financial status and other personal socioeconomic reasons.  

References

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Photo 9 shows a man riding a bicycle in Charlotte Street, Port of Spain.

 The Lack of Sustainable Modes of Transport

The photo shows an example of a mode of transport (cycling) in Charlotte Street, Port of Spain which is seriously neglected in the Capital. Public transportation such as buses may have reduced car usage in the city but they are also a contributing factor to unsustainability in the city as well. Port of Spain has a high usage of automobiles transport as a dominant means of mobility. Automobiles such as car and buses require massive consumption of fuel in order to sustain their use. It has been mentioned that strategies to improve public transport provision have often resulted in people switching, not from car travel to public transport, but from other sustainable transport modes such as cycling (Hall and Barrett 2012, 294). On the other hand, there seems to be a lack of initiative to implement sustainable forms of transportation in Port of Spain such as cycling. The governing bodies of Port of Spain have placed very little emphasis on cycling as a solution to many of the city’s problems. Cycling is not only a solution to traffic congestion, but it can be very helpful to minimize fuel consumption, pollution and even improve one’s physical health.

However, for cycling to become a practical solution to the problems listed earlier, there needs to be proper implementation of cycling routes in the city. This could only be achieved through a collaborative effort among the urban political bodies. First of all, the local community needs to lobby for such an implementation in order to attract the attention of the state and even the private sector. The private sector has much to gain by lobbing for such a mode of transport since businesses have endured high costs due to traffic congestion (Dekoster and Schollaert 1999, 20). The local state should make it a mandate to introduce proper cycling systems in Port of Spain in order to alleviate some of the problems caused by automobile usage.

References

Dekoster, J., and U. Schollaert.1999. Cycling: The Way Ahead for Towns and Cities. “Benefits for Companies.” Accessed April 15, 2013. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/cycling/cycling_en.pdf.

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

The Forsaken Buildings

Photo 8 shows a dilapidated building in Burnette Street, Scarborough .

The Forsaken Buildings

The degree to which certain types of buildings are conserved depends on various factors. Buildings are conserved on the basis of intellectual, psychological and financial importance. However, the intellectual tradition remains the main purpose for conservation because of its ability to define the cultural achievement of a society (Hall and Barrett 2012, 144). Therefore, particular structures such as religious, monument and homes of the ruling elite are examples of conserved structures within urban areas because of their importance to cultural tradition to society. On the other hand, structures of the minority groups and local population are not likely to be conserved. According to Graham et al (2000), such is the politics of heritage, where the use of the past in the present is a highly contested process bound up the production of individual and collective identifies. The photograph above shows an ideal example of a dilapidated building in Burnette Street, Scarborough that was owned by a minority group. Unlike the Scarborough Methodist Church and other historical buildings, the dilapidated building is not given the same recognition to be conserved.

References

Graham, B, Ashworth, G.J. and Tunbridge, J.E. 2000. “The Geography of Heritage: Power, Culture and Economy.” In Urban Geography 4^th edition, edited by Hall, Tim and Heather Barrett, 144. London and New York: Routledge.

Hall, Tim and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Lack of affordable houses in Port of Spain

Photo 7 shows one of the few housing stock designated for low income persons within Nelson Street, Port of Spain.

Lack of Affordable Houses

According to Trinidad and Tobago’s 2011 demographic report, the city of Port of Spain has 307 persons who are street dwellers. This gives evidence of the manifestation of housing affordability problems in Port of Spain (Hall and Barrett 2012, 276). The adequate provision of low income houses in Port of Spain remains a key challenge for the local state, private sector and community in general. Majority of the locals within the city are either unemployed or have low paying jobs. Therefore, it is very difficult for many to access affordable houses and even some of these houses (shown in photo 7) that are provided by the local state because of their financial status. As a result, some have responded to the situation by living in the streets or squatting.

Another reason for the lack of affordable houses in many urban areas can be explained by the changing role of the state in housing supply (Hall and Barrett 2012, 275). In recent time, there has been a diminishing role in the government providing houses. As a result, the private sector has caused the prices of houses and apartments to escalate drastically and thus increased the number of people who cannot afford houses, such as middle-income persons.

As mentioned earlier providing adequate affordable houses for local residents is a challenge. However, if financially feasible, a greater involvement of the local state is needed in order to reduce the cost of house prices so that the least of the urban dweller can benefit. Also, the involvement of more charitable organizations should be encouraged to aid with the responsibility of providing low income houses in Port of Spain and the wider urban areas of the nation.

References

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development. 2012. “Trinidad and Tobago 2011 Population and Housing Census Demographic Report.” Accessed 24, 2013. http://www.cso.gov.tt.

The marginalized of Port of Spain

Photo 6 shows a disabled man being rejected by motorists in Duke Street , Port of Spain.

Marginalization

Many disabled people in Port of Spain are faced with the hardship of accessing certain spaces around the city. The photograph at Duke Street shows a disabled and probably homeless man having great difficulty to hire transportation for his next destination.  Unfortunately, disabled people are made up of a portion of those people who are generally marginalized in the city. People tend to ignore or even scorn such people in the city. This sort of marginalization has led to other social problems in the city.  For instance, inequality has heightened among people in the city because of the lack of attention paid towards the disadvantage. Moreover, it should be noted from a geographical contextualization that disabled people or bodies are also defined along the lines as one of a number of 'special populations', including the poor, the ill and homeless, which suffer the common social fact of 'disadvantage' (Golledge 1990).  According to Hall and Barrett (2012, 247), disabled bodies are physically excluded from some urban spaces and also the social pressures that make disabled bodies feel ‘out of place’ in some locations, for example, those of leisure, consumption and even education.

Situation such as marginalization or discrimination in the city could be reduced by ensuring that urban politics in all three realms such as the state, private business and community residents play an active role. Religious and social outreach groups are some of the most effective organizations of breaking the stigma that disabled people faced in the city.

References

Golledge, R. 1990. “Special Populations in Contemporary Urban Region.” In ‘A Geography for Disabled People’, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series, edited by Gleeson, B. J. Vol. 21, No. 2 (1996), 387-396. Accessed March 16, 2013. http://www.jstor.org/stable/622488?origin=JSTOR-pdf.

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Land Pollution in Port of Spain

Photo 5 shows improper disposal of garbage in George Street, Port of Spain.

Land Pollution

Land pollution remains an important issue in the city of Port of Spain as depicted by the photograph above. Many streets on the eastern side of Port of Spain are generally filled with improper disposal of garbage by residents (East Port of Spain Development Company Limited 2013). The ramifications of such acts are detrimental to the city’s sustainability. For instance, there is the possibility of many health diseases arising with respect to such improper disposal of trash.  Epidemic situations are common in cities due to the high concentration of people which make it easier for communicable diseases such as cholera, typhoid, viral infections, hepatitis and others to spread. Also, the city is likely to lose financial profits since tourists may see the city as unappealing to reside within because of the high level of insanitation. In addition, private investors could refrain from investing in business activities in such areas since consumers may find the environment unsuitable for engaging in shopping, especially among high-income customers.  According to Hall and Barrett (2012, 309), the generation of poverty in cities is inextricably associated with the generation of environmental degradation. This is probably the reason why so many garbage adorn the streets on the east of Port of Spain since high levels of poverty is an issue in the area (East Port of Spain Development Company Limited 2013).

Solving the issue of improper disposal of garbage in Port of Spain would require complete participation from the community residents and local state officials. The community must be educated on the importance of disposing garbage in order to prevent health risks within the city. The local state officials must ensure that such areas are cleaned daily by their respective environmental authority corporations. Also, environmental laws should be enforced within the city at a higher level in order to deter people from committing such insensible acts.

References

East Port of Spain Development Company Limited. 2013. "Summary of Development Issues." Accessed March 15, 2013. http://eposdctt.com/default.asp?id=54.

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Air Pollution in the City

Photo 4 shows a power plant that is a source of air pollution in Port-of-Spain.

Air Pollution

The picture shows a major power generating plant that is located in the core of Port-of-Spain. Cities contribute to global environmental problems including pollution, resource depletion and land take (Hall and Barrett 2012, 306). Industrial activities in urban spaces are one of the main contributors of pollution, with regards to the atmosphere. In Port-of-Spain, power generating plants are contributing at a significant rate to the degrading atmospheric condition of the city. There are both short and long term consequences to such acts occurring within the city. For instance, local temperature and respiratory diseases are likely to increase within the urban space. Also, these effects are more likely to be felt on the global scale since cities are becoming more interconnected within the twenty first century.

Solutions to atmospheric pollution in the Global South could prove to be very difficult to implement since they are likely to be very costly. On the other hand, the Global South countries might argue that regulations are unfair measures to prevent their development by the Global North (Hall and Barrett 2012, 310). Nevertheless, sustainable development is needed to confront issues such as air pollution in Port-of-Spain.

References

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

Urban Crime

Photo 3 shows the Laventille Hill behind the buildings.  

The photograph shows the notorious Laventille Hill behind the buildings. This area is known for high levels of criminal activities. It is often stated by scholars that urban areas are conducive for high levels of criminal activities. The level of socioeconomic inequality that currently exists in Laventille is alarming. Socioeconomic inequality in Laventille is possibly attributed to the process of deindustrialization. Deindustrialization may be simply defined as the decline in industrial activities in a region. Hall and Barrett (2012, 77) described the effects of deindustrialization as one of the reasons for the growth of criminal economies in urban areas. Laventille is characterized by high rates of unemployment, which is possibly linked to the relocation of many manufacturing industries in which many people in the region have relied for employment opportunities. As a result, many young people have turned to a life of crime in order to support themselves and their family members. They engaged in criminal activities such as selling illegal drugs, prostitution and forming gangs.  

Urban politics at the local state and private sector have seemingly failed the people of Laventille. Therefore, a stronger involvement of community groups in the area’s political decision is possibly the best option to solve some of the criminal problems faced within the urban space.  According to regime theorists opportunities are opened to the disadvantage urban groups under such method (community involvement) of urban governance.

References

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

The Overcrowded Streets of Port-of-Spain

Photo 2 shows a line of cars in one of the busiest streets of Port-of-Spain.

Overcrowded Streets

The image shows over crowdedness in Charlotte Street, Port-of-Spain. It is said by many that Charlotte Street is one of the busiest streets in Port-of-Spain. Motorists have to compete for driving space among vendors and illegally parked cars. The level of traffic congestion in Charlotte Street is also a serious thief of time to many busy people. Hall and Barrett (2012, 291) stated that the social spaces of city life are also affected by the increasing dominance of the car. Also, the level of traffic congestion in Port-of-Spain has serious environmental implications for the future of the city. One of the ways in which the local authority could help reduce the over crowdedness of the street is to be more stringent with its law enforcement policies.

References

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge.

The Homeless of Port-of-Spain

Photo 1 shows a vagrant lying on the corridor of George Street, Port-of-Spain. 

Homelessness

The photo shows a displaced man lying on George Street, Port-of-Spain. The issue of vagrancy or homelessness is a common problem that affects so many people in the capital city. It is very unlikely for one to visit Port-of-Spain without noticing many displaced individuals. According to Daly (2008) and Pacione (2009), homelessness is an issue for cities of both the Global North and South; within cities of the Global South the presence of large numbers of homeless people on the streets has been an enduring concern.  Also, it can be noticed that homelessness affects various age groups, gender and ethnicity within the streets of Port-of-Spain. Therefore, it is not unlikely to see children who are displaced on the streets. The presence of homeless people in Port-of-Spain has highlighted a series of social and economic issues that possibly contributed to this level of homelessness. These issues include dysfunctional families, unemployment and lack of affordable houses. Gottdiener and Budd (2005) have identified the homeless as those who cannot personally afford shelter and most often consist of marginalized groups such as the unemployed, recent migrants, substance abusers, mentally ill people, ethnic minorities, battered women, runaway youths and street children.  

Homelessness is a very difficult issue to combat in Port-of-Spain, but with the intervention of the local state, private sector and community base organizations (CBOs), such as community support groups, church groups, youth groups and others, the level of homeless persons could be significantly reduced. For instance, the local state should offer jobs to such people with the aim of helping them financially to afford shelter in the city.  However, some have stated a more direct approach is needed to solve the issue. For example, the problem should be viewed through the eyes of homeless persons in order to have a better understanding of their situation so that effective measures could be implemented.

References

Daly, G. 2008. “Housing and homelessness.” In Urban Geography 4^th edition, edited by Hall, Tim and Heather Barrett, 276. London and New York: Routledge.

Pacione, M. 2009. “Urban Geography: A Global Perspective.”  In Urban Geography 4^th edition, edited by Hall, Tim and Heather Barrett, 276. London and New York: Routledge.

Gottdiener, M. and Budd, L. 2005. “Key Concept in Urban Studies.” In Urban Geography 4^th edition, edited by Hall, Tim and Heather Barrett, 276. London and New York: Routledge.

The Urban Cries of Trinidad and Tobago

The urban area is usually associated with negative themes, such as homelessness, crime, abandoned animals, pollution, socio-economic inequality and others. Many urban areas of Trinidad and Tobago are unfortunately no strangers to these themes, especially the city of Port-of-Spain and other prominent towns of the country. However, if there are continuations of these negative themes or ‘Urban Cries’ as referred by myself, from these urban areas, the consequences are almost certain to be far-reaching in the future. These consequences are likely to affect every aspect of urban space such as the economy, politics, social and environment. Although these situations are humanly impossible to completely solve, there is need for integrated cooperation among the local state, private sector and community-residents to alleviate basic issues. Therefore, this blog would seek to highlight those issues that are seriously affecting urban areas, especially within the city of Port-of-Spain.