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.