Critique of Course Colleagues Blog.

In this blog, the effects that urbanization has on the cultural and historical components of Port Of Spain were investigated.  A key component to this was entertainment.  In the blog, “Effects of Urbanization on Entertainment,” all aspects of the impacts of urbanization on entertainment were discussed. Both blogs shared similarities as the loss of identities, hybridization of cultures and the utilization of once public spaces for private places were discussed. This blog was well detailed and the triggers of urbanization well discussed.

The blog entitled, “Prestige and Position in Port Of Spain,” was also related to this blog. Prestige and position discussed key factors affecting the city. Some of these factors included, education, gender and ethnicity.  Economic status was discussed as a factor contributing to prestige and position in Port Of Spain. The culture towards economic status has varied little since colonial times. This is evident in both blogs. It is stated that people of higher economic status are more respected; they have better benefits and are given social prestige. They are the ones who dictate the Trade market and influence consumption patterns a great deal. Their economic status gives them privileges. In the urban city of Port Of Spain, the upper class has greatly influenced culture.   

In the third blog that was viewed titled "Gentrification Making or Breaking the City" the idea of renovating these poor lower class communities was viewed. The article went on to highlight the many challenges facing this area in an act to prove the need for this drastic change. Some of these problems include that of improper housing and infrastructure, sporting facilities, the need for proper washrooms and the overall low levels of development. These conditions as seen in five pictures clearly highlighted the need for new infrastructure which would raise the standard of living within this urban slum area.

  

References:

Charles, J.Wilson. 2015. " Urban Geography: Prestige and Position in Port Of Spain." http://prestigeandpositioninpos.blogspot.com/2015/04/blog-post.html

Maharaj, Nikitt, H.Noel. 2015. "Urban Entertainment: All Things Entertainment in TNT"
http://ttcityentertainment.blogspot.com/2015/02/all-things-entertainment-in-tnt.html

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected People in Port Of Spain.

History and culture are two aspects of life that people have an emotional attachment to.“ Gandhi proved that one man has the power to take on an empire, using both ethics and intelligence,” (Whipps 2008). The success of Gandhi would remain in history forever. Urbanization has created a medium which allows for history to be easily maintained and destroyed at the same time by changing the way of life for individuals. This is evident in Port Of Spain.

Urbanization has helped to maintain history by exposing Trinidad to a Westernized way of life. The change in culture has brought with it increased need to preserve history. Museums and historical buildings for example, The Magnificent Seven have been showcased more. The contemporary urban life is one that facilitates a greater appreciation for history. Art galleries and studios are now present within Port Of Spain which displays exhibits pertaining to our background and development as a nation. The higher class people spend some of their afternoons at art exhibitions which showcase local culture and history. This has led to a culture that is hybridized, that is incorporates both a Western and Caribbean way of life. Hybridization indicates that there is no pure culture existing (Mohan 2000).

Photograph showing history being preserved in the form of a statue located on Independence Square (Ramadhar 2015).

Urbanization has also affected the space of people over time. Some public places, have been privatized. The public places are also constructed to prevent homeless people from utilizing the space. For example, stilts are placed in between benches to make lying down uncomfortable.

Culture on the other hand, has been maintained in some aspects. From the photograph below, it can be observed that an elderly man and woman are relaxing in Independence Square. Urbanisation has changed the views of the younger generation. The young people are into a lot of technology hence, their interactions with the outside world are limited. A hybridized culture is also observed in this case because, as seen in the photo below a young boy is carrying a cricket bat as he walks through Port Of Spain. This indicates that there is a mix between the Western and Caribbean cultures.

Photograph showing two people relaxing on Independence Square (Ramadhar 2015).

Photograph showing a young person with a cricket bat on independence square (Ramadhar 2015).

Although some of the culture has been lost, urbanization has proven to create more appreciation for historical sites and allowed for hybridization which creates greater diversity in Port Of Spain.

References:

Live Science. 2015. “ How Gandhi Changed The World.” Accessed on March 10, 2015.

http://www.livescience.com/2851-gandhi-changed-world.html

Mohan.2000. “Dislocating Globalisation: Power, Politics and Global Change.” Jstor Geography, Vol. 85, No. 2 (April 2000), pp. 121-133.

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected Security in Port Of Spain.

Crime can be described as one of the major problems facing cities in the 21st century.  Urbanization is a major factor contributing to crime as it  results in a greater number of urban poor within society. Within the Caribbean and Latin America the increased number of urban poor which make up between two thirds to three quarters of people in the region can be corelated to increased crime rate (Ayers 1998).

Culture has a major impact on crime in urban areas. According to an Express article in 2014 which goes on to highlight this fact by stating that "children are born into a culture which teaches them what to do, what not to do and how to do what they do. They learn how to speak, how to think they learn nutrition, they learn how to dress and the learn what needs to be done to maintain order... that sense of comfort and peace of mind, in their homes, communities and society".

This links directly into the Social Disorganization Model which goes on to state that its a persons residential location which has a primary effect on there involvement in illegal activities (Sampson 1992). This study which was done by Shaw and Mc Kay showed removing individuals from " crime prone areas" and placing them within a different community the tendency to returning to criminal activities decreased. This finding thus showed a relationship between a person's culture (way of life) and crime within urban areas,

All of these factors are made evident within the eastern Port of Spain which due to the economic stature of the communities have developed a culture filled with guns, drugs and violence. The image seen below is one of the gruesome scenarios which happen at an almost daily basis around the city of Port of Spain.

Photograph 1 showing acts of violence within Eastern Port of Spain
Guardian Newspaper March 24th 2014

References 

1. Ayres, Robert L.. 1998. World Bank Latin American and Caribbean studies. Crime and violence as development issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

2. Mora Anna  " The link between culture and crime" Express Newspaper, December 22nd 2014

3. Sampson.J. Robert 1992. Urban Problems and Community Development. Brookings Institution Press.

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected the Environment in Port Of Spain.

Human beings are quickly becoming an environmental problem, over the past 10000 years. This first started with the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution all culminating in the 21st century where one of the major anthropogenic problem facing the environment is that of urbanization, where more and more persons are moving from rural areas to urban. While the world's population is said to be doubling the rate of uran growth is tripling (Torrey 2004). In closer looking we will look at the cultural and historical impact of urbanization on the environment this on the city of Port of Spain.


Urbanization fosters a greater interaction between people and the environment as they consume more food, energy, water and land resulting in larger amounts of waste. The general culture of persons in  Port of Spain in respect to the environment is one of  complete disregard where persons litter leaving the city with polluted waterways and drains, where waste is almost never recycled and where trees has been cut to provide much needed land.

One negative aspect of urbanization is that of the reclamation of the natural environmental land which is then converted to land used for the urban. The port authority of Trinidad and Tobago embarked in a historic undertaking to deepen the Port of Spain harbor from its draft of 9.75metres to 12 metres which  would involve reclaiming much of a nearby mangrove in order to facilitate the growth of the city. Much of a nearby mangrove or marshland was reclaimed in the name of development (Gupta 2007)

Image showing land reclamation over time within Port of Spain
Thompson 2012

Another negative aspect of urbanization is that of the channel capacity of the East Dry River which is adequate for the amount of water it carries but a large volume of sediments, garbage and debris in the channel reduces the capacity of the channel to accommodate large amounts of water hence leading to flooding (Cropper Foundation 2009).

Photograph 1 showing garbage and debris accumulation along the channel of East Dry River
Quashie 2015

References
1. Cropper Foundation 2015. " POS Port of Spain." Accessed on April 9, 2015.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19552480/Port-of-Spain-Case-Study#scribd

2. Gupta.K. R 2007. Global Environmental: Problems and Policies Volume 1

3. Thompson, Yvonne 2012 Flickr Accessed on April 9, 2015
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yvonnert/8003292694/

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected Architecture in Port Of Spain.

Urbanization has a direct relationship with that of Architecture affecting the said same both positively and negatively. In this post we would like to look at how this new influx of persons have affected the cultural and historical aspects of the city.

Trinidad's early nineteenth century Architecture was typical of the Neo- Classical style popular under British colonial rule. Much of the major landmarks found within the city such as Magnificent 7, St James Barracks, Port of Spain General Hospital, Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Cathedral are all remnants of the colonial past (CCTT 2010)

Within the city of Port of Spain in the past  middle class houses comprised of Victorian styled architecture. This is evident with the wooden fretwork, steep pitched gables crowned by finials (Osmond 1991)  as evident in picture 1 below. The architecture of the shops located along the major streets all had large verandas which outstretched onto the sidewalk along the whole length of the street.

Photograph showing an old Victorian House
Quashie 2015

In modern times due to the effect of urbanization on land space availability many of these buildings that were once used has been broken down, removed and replaced by more modern structures. This results in a permanent loss of culture and history as these buildings hold stories of our past. A great example is seen in the streets of Port of Spain where all of the veranda styled buildings have been removed replaced by larger glass walled stores, shopping plaza's and commercial spaces.

On the contrary urbanization can has also have a positive impact on the cultural and historical architecture within the city through the process of renovation. Much of these buildings have aged with the passing of time by renovation the history of the building is not just preserved but can be made too last longer with modern and up to date design. Urbanization allows for more persons to enter the city these persons who would visit these sites and get to know there importance. Some examples of cultural and historical cites which have been renovated include the Red House, Anglican Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Old Police Station

References
1. Citizens for Conservation Trinidad and Tobago 2010. " Built Heritage" Accessed on April 8th 2015

2. Osmond, Linda 1991. " Victorian House Style: An architecture and Interial Design Book".

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected Food in Port Of Spain.

Food is a necessity that  can used to directly represent the culture of a place. As such we cannot deal with food without speaking about its history of food which is a direct representation of colonization. These processes directly shaped our cuisine as the indentured labours brought back there respective foods native to there homeland consumed. Delicacies such as curry, doubles, dasheen and callaloo are all direct result of this form of foreign influence mixing and fusing into something indigenous to our culture.

However with the turn of the century urbanization has completely changed the way in which food is being consumed within Port of Spain. As persons move to city from rural areas less land is being made available for planting. As the population in cities increase the number of foods needed to feed persons would also need to increase resulting in greater importation.

Due to the fast pace of urban lifestyle the general culture and history of food in the city has changed resulting in the development of the fast food industry. Persons are now venturing away from traditional lifestyle into quick food that is readily available. These businesses are also drawn towards the city due to this fast lifestyle and the density of the population. No longer are persons growing crops or farming chickens but are now buying these products many of which are mass produced. This is done by treating the animals as machines. The living capacity of the animal or bird is thus is entirely subordinated to its technical and economic qualities and its productive capacity
(Relph 1981) .
The dasheens, callaloo is quickly being replaced by Mc Donalds, KFC, Chinese and Gyros revolutionizing the culture of food within the city. The need to cope with increasing pressures associated with Urbanisation has encouraged these markets. Boserup's theory on how innovation would produce new agricultural methods to cope with food restraints can be observed by the introduction of fast food in society. This is a means of adapting to the high demand for food required. Fast food is easily accessible at an affordable price. The innovation of individual's in the food industry validate's Boserup's theory.

Photograph 1 showing Good Luck Chinese Restaurant which is
one of many restaurants which can be seen within the city.

References:

Relph Edward, 1981. " The Character of Modern Landscapes."London Crown Helm

BBC 2015. "GCSE Bitesize," Geography the Global Food Industry. Accessed April 5, 2015.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/global_food_industry_rev2.shtml

How Urbanisation has Culturally and Historically Affected Transportation in Port Of Spain.

Transport is a constant that remains throughout time. Historically, the Neo-Indians travelled long distances by foot to sustain daily practices, Columbus used boats as a mode of transport on explorations. Today, transport is utilized in almost every aspect of life. Transportation can be defined as the act or process of moving people or things from one place to another (Webster 2015). The geography of transportation is affected by space time compression which have affected cities worldwide, culturally and allowed for the evolution of different modes from historical times to present. Port Of Spain is an example a city that has experienced these changes.

In ancient times, people travelled by foot. As time progressed and development began carriages powered by animal labour was used. Eventually modes of transport became mechanized in Port Of Spain. In 1876, Trinidad Government Railway ran its first steam locomotive. Despite the introduction of steam locomotive, horsedrawn trans were still present. The railway system eventually gave way to the motor trans. In 1939, transportation in Trinidad was described as transformed with the introduction of trolleybuses. Port Of Spain had the only trolley buses in the western hemisphere that had doors on the left side and ran on the left side of two-way streets. The trolley bus system was closed on the last day of 1956. In 1976 based on a painting by David Moore, both trolley buses and automobiles were observed in operation.

Photograph 1: The above picture shows a Trolley bus located in Marie Square currently known as Independence Square (Morrison 2008).

 

Photograph 2: This picture shows a Public Transport Service bus located outside Woodford Square (Ramadhar 2015).

In today’s society, there is the operation of transport vehicles of various types. The Ferry (Water Taxi) is seen in operation down town Port Of Spain, taxis are readily available and heliports are placed at the top of some buildings. These avenues have made transport by air, land and sea possible.

Photograph 3: Picture shows various types of automobiles in Port Of Spain (Ramadhar 2015).

Photograph 4: Port Of Spain Ferry terminal recently introduced to the city (Quashie 2015).

Urbanisation has created increase need to cover maximum distance in a short space of time to cope with the fast past lifestyle tied to a contemporary urban life. Improvements in transportation have given urban lifestyles the fuel it requires to be effectively functional. Advances in the transport system of Port Of Spain have shortened the gap between the city and the rest of the country. This is evident by the bus system available at City Gate which provides transport to the rest of the country at a subsidized cost. The Ferry system from North to South Trinidad has increased the rate of commute. 

The way in which people travel has been culturally affected. Commute has become easier, faster and more efficient. However, there are environmental, health, economic and social cots associated with these advances. To keep up with the contemporary lifestyle, these negative impacts are simply ignored in most cases.

Costs is an example of  a negative aspect of transportation in Port Of Spain. Methods of cheap transportation is a major concern. Von Thunen's Model highlights the importance of the relationship between transport and costs. Hence, as discussed in his model, it is important to structure activities close to the city to reduce transportation cost, thereby allowing for maximum profits.  

Urbanisation has influenced the growth of cities making transport a necessity. In 1876, Port Of Spain had a population of 2500 persons (Morrison 2008). In 2011, its population was recorded as 66000 persons  ( World Fact Book of The United States Central Intelligence Agency 2015 ).  This population growth has increased the flow of people in and out of the city. Boserup's theory on  a limited food supply being the stimulus for development in farming technologies can be applied to other aspects of contemporary urban life. The growth in population has increased networking which resulted in development in traveling technologies and methods. A new culture of travel have been introduced to cope with the need for efficient transport . This shows that human innovation develop means of combating environmental restraints.

The definition of urban is greatly influenced by the environment (Portugali 1996). Portugali discusses in his article, how a city is considered urban based on the tangible technological progress that it has made.Advances in transport over time has contributed to defining Port Of Spain as an urban space. The more advanced the city's transport system gets, the more urban it is considered. Urbanisation has progressed over time and contributed to the development of Port Of Spain which has increased the desire to operate faster, thereby, changing  culture and methods of transport over time.

References:

"Merriem Webster," 2015. Accessed, April 7, 2015. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transport.

"The Trams and Trolleybuses of Trinidad and Tobago,"Allen Morrison , accessed, April 7, 2015,
http://www.tramz.com/tt/tt.html

Amos, Borne, J.Portugali. 1997. "Contemporary Perspectives on Urbanization." Progress in Planning.

."

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected Entertainament in Port Of Spain.

In Trinidad and Tobago, entertainment has always been an area of interest. The talent of the people expressed through entertainment can be seen through the invention of the steel pan in the 1930s to what is currently known as the greatest show on earth, Carnival. A combination of rich culture and historical diversity has contributed to a range of entertainment hubs in the country’s Central Business District (CBD), Port- Of- Spain. The city has evolved into one which promotes a contemporary urban lifestyle. At the core of contemporary urban life, is entertainment.

List of entertainment hubs in Port-Of-Spain

• Mas Camp Pub
• Smokey and Bunty
• Movie Towne
• Zen
• Shakers
• Drink
• Fifty One Degrees
• Phase 11 Pan Groove
• The Avenue

Photograph showing Stumbling, Coco Lounge and Aria clubs located on the avenue.

In ancient times, there was little emphasis on developing the architecture of the city to facilitate entertainment. Entertainment in historical times consisted of, activities such as stick fighting which entailed Canboulay riots. There was no need for large recreational facilities. As time progressed however, the architecture of the city changed from one that was functional and balanced, meaning built merely for the purpose of protection or providing shelter to one that incorporates science and technology as well as individuality. The design of entertainment venues has been constructed to showcase a form of uniqueness as well as attract people. An example of this is Movie Towne. The design of the building is very original and attractive.


                     Photograph showing Various acts of entertainment which can be enjoyed within the city.
                                                         Quashie2015

 Individuality being express by choice  in this case outdoor dining, bar hoping, socializing or partying contribute to a contemporary urban lifestyle in which entertainment is at the core. It also allows us to focus on what makes a true ideal city as the author challenges us to examine in (Akkerman 2010).     

The development of Port-Of – Spain into an area that has a variety of entertainment avenues  also resulted from cultural integration and the spread of information in this new milenux. These characteristics are typical of rediscovered cities (Amin and Graham 1997).   Human aspects such as democracy, creativity and social justice have been expressed in the free atmosphere that entertainment allows.

Culturally, some aspects of entertainment have remained the same. For example, in the past, the playing of chest in the Woodford square area was common. Today, this is still seen throughout the day. The elderly population especially is observed engaging in a serious but friendly game of chest. Carnival traditions from the past remain the same today. People parade through the streets and express themselves by dancing and singing soca music. This was the tradition of the slaves. Although, the architecture of city has changed, the way of doing things remain constant. The houses from the past have been converted to ‘liming spots.’ This is seen along Ariapita Avenue Port- Of- Spain.

Over time, urbanization has led to a change in the cultural aspect of the city. There is a new urban way in which people entertain and like to be entertained. Some historical traditions have remained constant and old architecture modified to show a contemporary twist. However, as discussed in Mycoo 2006  there would always be constants of a city. 


References:

Akkerman, Abraham. 2010."Harmonies of Urban Design and Discords of City-form: Urban Aesthetics in the Rise of Western Civilization." Journal of Urban Design, 5:3, 267-290.

Amin and Stephen  Graham. 1997 . “ The Ordinary City. “  Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series, Vol. 22, No. 4 (1997), pp. 411-429

  

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected Housing in Port Of Spain.

Urbanisation is the movement of persons from rural to urban areas. The City of Port of Spain and environs can be considered the most densely populated comprising of 10% of the country’s total land area while accommodating 45% of the total population (Mycoo ). This creates a major problem within this developing country where there is a vast economic divide between the rich in society and the poor. 

Urbanization has changed historical aspects of housing within Port of Spain this can be seen in a comparison between past and the present urban models model. Within the Burgess or Concentric model the city could be seen as radial bands moving away from the central business district (CBD) and extending to the recidential which was placed at the outermost regions. This simple model came into great critisism as it did not take into consideration landforms such as hills. 

The city of Port of Spain however falls into the past Burgess model but in fact can be compared to that of Hoyte's which is an improvement on the concentric model of Burgess. Within this model the most desirable land for housing is used by the upper class within society. These are areas which receive fresh breeze, is located at a close distance to the CBD, contains parks, various outdoor amenities and are located in safe areas crime less areas. These lands are very expensive an can only be accessed by a small majority of the population. The lower class in society are opposite to this they are located in bad lands such as on hills, has little to no outdoor amenities, and are highly polluted areas. 

Diagram of Hoyt Urban Model 

Within the city the more affluent and middle classes live within the west whereas the middle-middle and lower-middle classes live in the east this is because much of the city's crime is found in the east while much of the best land within a city is found in the west (Mycoo 2006). Forming gated communities such as One Woodbook as illustrated in the photograph below. This is in comparison with Luiz and Lara 2011 which used Brazil as an example of how upper class persons are moving towards gated communities in developing countries.

Photograph showing the gated community of One Woodbrook

As urbanization has increased in Port of Spain the greatness in the economic divide which can easily be seen looking at housing or where persons call home is increasingly evident. Housing settlements such as Beetham Gardens and Sealots which is located metres away from a landfill is become more and more deplorable. As photograh shows the deplorable conditions in which persons in Sealots endure, little to no utilities, poor structural houses and little to no road linking these areas.  Places such as laventile is quickly becoming more and more densely populated as in comparison to the gated communities of One Woodbrook.

Photograph 3 showing the deplorable conditions which persons in Sea lots call home.

The last aspect of housing that is  caused by urbanization is that of vagrants this is a major problem within the city and highlights the lack of available housing within the city. Leading to persons to find alternative housing in parks, squares and along the sidewalks of Port of Spain. This causes an additional problem to city such as pollution uncleanliness and crime. This is illustrated within photograph 2 where a homeless man is seen asleep within the city.

Photograph 2 showing homelessness within Port of Spain
Quashie 2015

Housing can be used to describe a way of  life within a city as it gives a direct indication of the cultural aspect. Culture as we know it is a way of life and housing directly affects this way affecting the standard of life in which persons obtain. According to Article 25 of the Declaration of Human Right which states that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family. 

The historical aspect of housing has changed due to urbanization slowly the olden Victorian type houses are being removed and in there place new more modern houses are being built. This is seen in Victoria square where only a few remnants of these type of houses remain through the process of Gentrification where much of these houses have been removed.

'


References
1. Mycoo, Michelle 2006, "The retreat of the upper and middle classes to gated communities in the post structural adjustment era: the case of Trinidad" Environment and Planning A 2006, volume 38, pages 131-148

2.  Lara Luiz Fernando 2011. New (Sub)Urbanism and Old Inequalities in Brazilian Gated Communities, Journal of Urban Design, 16:03, 369-380

3. International Council on Human Rights.  Article 25- Universal Declaration of Human Rights Accessed on 5th April 2015 

http://www.ichrp.org/en/article_25_udhr 

How Urbanization has Culturally and Historically Affected Trade in Port Of Spain.

 From inception,the first capital of Trinidad  and Tobago was St. Joseph. In 1595 Sir Walter Raleigh destroyed this city allowing for the relocation of the main capital to Harbor of Spain later known as Port of Spain. This was done as it was not profitable to rebuild the capital in its existing position, away from a port.
Initially there were 3 shops located along Calle-de- Infante( Duncan) and Calle Principe (Nelson). The main professions of the Amerindians who lived there were fishermen, hunters and small farmers of cassava, corn and sugar cane made into Pampelona ( Brown Sugar). The city began to develop in terms of trade and commerce when Rio Sante Anne ( Dry River) was channeled to its present course and the general area of town expanded from Charlotte to Duke Street.

This image shows an older view of  Frederick Street 

which was seen as the main shopping area 

In today's society, trade has changed to cope with the increase in consumption rates associated with the contemporary urban life. A characteristic of the urban life is that their is an increase in wants which can be easily satisfied as people can afford. This has contributed to over consumption of resources in large quantities. Hence, in the past Port Of Spain had only three shops. Now the streets are saturated with businesses. Buildings have started to take the appearance of skyscrapers to facilitate spaces for rent.

The main Parliament  buildings, The Red House, bank and places of high importance are concentrated in close proximity of each other in the central business district. This can be defined as the commuters zone. Burgess's model can be applied to Port Of Spain. The zone of transition, workers, higher class and commuter's zone can be identified in the city.  The commuters' zone influences cost of products and services. This zone sets the level of competition thereby controlling purchasing power. 

References:

About Education. 2015."Key Models in Urban Geography Presict and Explain Land-Use." Accessed on April 10,2015. http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/Urban-Geography-Models.htm

Besson, Gerrad. 2011  "The Caribbean History Of Archives." Paria Publishing CO LTD Blog spot. August 12. http://caribbeanhistoryarchives.blogspot.com/2011/08/port-of-spains-early-city-life.html