Thank You for Viewing

The photo above is a personal favorite. It shows the city lit up at dusk. To me it speaks volumes about how far the city of Port of Spain has come in terms of development.

I would like to thank those who visit and enjoyed my blog, I hope that you did learn a lot about the city of Port of Spain and Urban Livelihood. I hope that it was enjoyable for you as it was for me. Thank you.

Reflection of Three Collegues Blogs

Reflection 1

Urban development has a lot to do with urban livelihood. It is urban development that influences the capabilities, assets, income and activities required to sustain the necessities of life within urban towns and cities. The link posted below will direct you to the blogs of a colleague of mine. His blog was done on Gasparillo; a town located in central Trinidad. Aspects of his work are similar to Port of Spain but on a different scale.

http://ubanblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2014-03-23T09:03:00-07:00&max-results=7

The town of Gasparillo previously consisted of a Plantation type society. Gasparillo now consists of an urban center where there is a high concentration of business activities and operates similar to that of a small scale city.

Development of the area has shaped it to what it has become today. In the process it has so influenced the activities by by which people partake in to earn a living. Due to the occurrence of urban development over the decades aspects such as traffic congestion in the 'heart' of the Gasparillo, pollution; make shift garbage dumps and the development of commercial centers has become part of the livelihood of persons who reside in the town of Gasparillo and its environs. The issues presented in the blog link above are quite similar to what was discussed in my urban livelihood blog.

Do have a look and tell me what you think....... Urban livelihood in Port of Spain vs Urban Livelihood in Gasparillo.

Reflection 2


‘Urbanization in Trinidad has fueled a new lifestyle, an urban lifestyle where trinis are no longer apart of the city, but rather the city has become the creation of our expression……With our fast pace lives evolving from urbanization, the way we eat has also altered with an increasing intake of fast food. We are seeing the emergence of "an urban diet".’

The excerpt above was taken from the blog of a colleague of mine. Her blog speaks about urban diet and its evolution in Trinidad and Tobago. Within recent times the culture of food has changed drastically. With urbanization taking its course, it is affecting the type of foods that we consume. It has been altered to accommodate an Urban Livelihood. In this little Caribbean island it’s no long what it used to be, it is now centered on convenience than taste.

In my opinion improved and resilient livelihoods needs to be promoted so that children, families and communities at large can experience fullness of life. Issues such as the production of food creating an ecological footprint should not be something that we take for granted. There should be sustainable strategies developed to improve the livelihood means involving food.

Based on you means of livelihood, do you think your consumption of food negatively impacts on the environment? Have you ever thought about that?

Click on the link to the blog to find out more about URBAN DIETS

http://anurbandiet.blogspot.com/

Reflection 3 

Illusions of an Urban Paradise, the title for this blog is quite fitting as the blog brings forward the relevant issues concerning urban development in the city of Port of Spain. It informs the reader of the pros and cons; the negative and positive consequences of urban development. Similar to the first reflection done I think that urban livelihood has a lot to do with the development of the city. It goes hand in hand. The livelihoods of urban residents are dynamic and as it changes it influences urban development decisions.

Issues such as land reclamation and ecosystem destruction, flooding, marginalization of green spaces, traffic and degradation are all consequences of development which occurred due to changes and demands of livelihood. In most instances the environment pays the toll for human actions. How much longer can the environment be the victim of out action? This blog addresses such concerns.

It’s very interesting and worth taking a look at. Click below for more.

http://theurbanparadise.blogspot.com/

Urban Exclusivity

Throughout the world most rural environment involves the exploitation and extraction of natural resources within the primary sector of the economy, for example fishing and agriculture. The primary economic sector plays a key role in developing the activities to which rural communities are centered, and it influences the types of jobs that are created and available. The urban environment on the other hand is mainly related to activities associated with secondary and tertiary sector of the economy, more so the tertiary sector than secondary in the city of Port of Spain, Trinidad. The city is saturated with white collar type employment. There is stark contrast between the activities of rural and urban areas. The urban city of Port of Spain displays evidence of both the wealthy minority and the lesser fortunate majority.  Certain parts of the city showcase material extravagance and are stigmatized as being upper-class, for example St. Claire and West-moorings.

Over time lifestyle expectations have changed drastically and alternately influenced the livelihood of many persons. The dominance of the secondary and tertiary sectors has led to the growth of urban gentrified communities. Within those communities what you tend to find is a culture of exclusivity exist due the abundance of wealthy influences (Hall and Barrett 1998). 

On the island, the majority of companies have their headquarters based in Port of Spain with smaller branches dispersed throughout the island. Consequently some of the highest paying jobs are concentrated within the city. The advantage of this is that it provides permanent well-paying jobs that persons can take advantage of. However it creates exclusivity and only the wealthy are able to afford the more extravagant things in life, the lesser fortunate doesn't get a slice of the pie. 

In an article by BBC on Trinidad and Tobago it states that:

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean, thanks to its large reserves of oil and gas, the exploitation of which dominates its economy.

The availability of oil and gas has paved the path for the great success and concentration of wealth that the country enjoys. Take a look at the photo below. 

The photo above shows a combination of different corporate companies that are located within the city of Port of Spain and provides enticing employment opportunities for the well-educated and advantaged population of the country. The Royal Bank of Canada, Tatil Insurance Co, UDECOTT, BHP Billiton, British Petroleum headquarters and Eric Williams Financial Complex. Employment with such or similar companies dispenses a more than satisfactory salary that allows people to afford the luxurious things that life has to offer.

 The photo above displays some of the material things that persons are able to obtain as a result of having high paying jobs. These material items have become part and parcel of the livelihood of rich urban dwellers. The photo illustrates a formal work outfit, an expensive executive range rover, the 12th floor of 'The Renaissance Tower' at Shorelands, Port of Spain, one of the most expensive but finest restaurants in Port of Spain 'Prime' and lastly a yacht sailing off the coast of Chaguaramas. Sadly they are available exclusively and not everyone are able to enjoy such luxuries. The urban life displays great disparity between the rich and poor. 

Reference

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 1998.Urban geography. London: Routledge.

"Trinidad and Tobago profile. 2007. " BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-20072231 (accessed April 8, 2014).

Urban Entertainment

Entertainment is referred to as any activity that holds the attention or interest of an audience. Over the years livelihood has evolved to include entertainment as an important component. It also serves as a mode of livelihood for worldwide. Just like the provision of any other service entertainment has become a wide and booming industry. Whether you are working within the entertainment industry or is a patron it has become part of the livelihood of people.

 Through entertainment the culture and arts of Trinidad and Tobago is portrayed and accepted globally. Within the past decade urban entertainment has become ever more prominent now than before. As Trinidad’s cosmopolitan population has grown more nightlife and entertainment choices have grown to meet its growing demand. The streets of the city of Port of Spain are saturated with bars, nightclubs, lounges, multi-storey clubs, theaters, and ‘fetes’ as Trinidadians like to call it.

The photo below displays one of Trinidad’s most prized performing theaters located within the city of Port of Spain. The photo displays the recently built National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA). The theater is equipped with state of the art technology and hosts some of the most prestigious and diplomatic functions and shows. 

The architectural design of the building was done to replicate that of the national flower; the Chaconia. The photo clearly displays the vision for the promotion of arts and entertainment in Trinidad.

One of the most famous entertainment places in Port of Spain is located along Ariapita Avenue dubbed ‘the Avenue’. The avenue can be described as a microcosm of bar/lounge night life experience in Trinidad.

The nightlife and entertainment experience within the city of Port of Spain and Trinidad at large is being promoted by the government and other local agencies to encourage urban tourism and are thus far have been very successful. Within urban economies urban tourism has been emerging as an important driver of urban development in cities all over the world and Trinidad and Tobago is no exception. (Hall and Barrett 1998)

The photo above displays a combination of different hotspots located at Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain. The photo to the top left hand corner shows the streets of the Avenue being saturated with people at night time, the photo to the right of it shows the famous Coco Lounge; a popular lounge for young adults. The two photos to the bottom are houses that were bought and converted into bars and restaurants, and are  very successful to date. It is these places such as these that people choose to spend their time and money or some may even work here to earn a living.

 The links below refers you to commended activities in promotion of urban tourism taking place on the Avenue. The second of the two links is an online website dedicated to activities taking place on the Avenue. Take a look. 

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Thousands-turn-out--for-Pan-on-D-Avenue-2-221109511.html

http://www.weavenue.com/index.php

Food for Thought

What do you think about gentrification of such places to promote entertainment and nightlife?

Reference

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 1998.Urban geography. London: Routledge. 

Crime

Crime can be defined as an act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it and for which punishment is imposed upon conviction. It is a phenomenon that exists within both rural and urban centers around the world, in some instances more frequently than others. According to Glaeser (1996) crime rates are much higher in big cities than in either small cities or rural areas and have been relatively pervasive for several centuries.

Why do people commit crime?

It is of the Marxist view that crimes are committed due to social class differences. Working class crime is the type of crime which is more common in the city of Port of Spain. The main reason for working class people attempt to commit crime is because they are not able to afford necessities or luxuries that they would like to have. Criminals then resort to violent crimes such as robbery and murder in an attempt to obtain money and material objects. To some it’s their way of livelihood and they chose the city to be its source of victims.

In Trinidad and Tobago within recent times there has been a spike in the amount of crime that takes place in the country. It is a problem that the state has been deal with since the drastic change. From the year 2000 crime had begun to increase and has continued in that trend until it peaked in 2008 with 550 murders, after which it showed a decline to date. The table in the link below can further enlighten you about crime statistic on the island.

http://www.ttcrime.com/stats.php

A lot of the criminal activity recorded above occurs in the city of Port of Spain and its environs. East Port of Spain is stigmatized by the occurrence of high crime rates. Murders, robberies, and gang activity is heavily associated with East Port of Spain namely streets such as Duncan Street, Picadilly Street, Besson Street. The newspaper article below highlights two of many crime incidents that have made headline on news. Click on the links to have a read.

https://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-08-15/five-killed-east-port-spain-gangs-warpath

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/90-arrested-in-East-Port-of-Spain-raid-220137741.html

The photo above display what is known as Besson Street police stations. It is one of the most overwhelmed police stations in the city of Port of Spain and the country at large. Besson Street police station has the task of dealing with some of the most heinous crimes within Port of Spain and its environs.




A jail in the middle of the city? Oh yes it is! It was built in 1812 and is commonly called the Royal Jail; shown in the photo above. It is located on the corner of Frederick Street and New Street in the city of Port of Spain. As a result of crime being conducted within the city and environs this a jail was built to keep criminals of the street. To date we see that the Royal Jail is still functional fulfilling its purpose. The high walls, security cameras and ‘lock down’ design of the area indicates to passers-by that it a jail and its purpose is detention. The Royal Jail is responsible for executing death penalties, the gallows platform is visible from the outside of the prison walls.

Reference

Achong , Derek. 2013. "Five Killed in East Port of Spain: Gangs on Warpath." The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. https://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-08-15/five-killed-east-port-spain-gangs-warpath (accessed March 7, 2014)

Glaeser, Edward L. and Bruce Sacerdote. 1999.  "Why Is There More Crime In Cities?."Journal of Political Economy 107, no. S6: S225-S258.

Gonzales , Gyasi. 2013. Trinidad Express Newspaper. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/90-arrested-in-East-Port-of-Spain-raid-220137741.html (accessed March 7, 2014).

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett.1998. Urban geography. London: Routledge.

"TT Crime - Crime Statistics Trinidad - Tobago." TT Crime - Crime Statistics Trinidad - Tobago. http://www.ttcrime.com/stats.php (accessed March 7, 2014).

Traffic Congestion

A typical commuter (one who drives a vehicle) to the city of Port of Spain spends at least 2-4 hours per day in traffic depending on where you’re coming from. That’s equivalent to 20 hours per working week; 80 hours per month; 960 hours per year which is equivalent to 40 days of our lives annually we spend in traffic? Scary isn't it.

Traffic congestion is a dilemma in cities around the world. It is a condition where road networks are saturated with vehicles resulting in slow movement and longer travelling times but people do it any way. The concentration of activities in one particular area encourages it and so decentralization might be a good idea to solve its problems.

In Trinidad and Tobago all major and important services are rendered within the city of Port of Spain making it a requirement that a large amount of persons visit the city for various activities. Persons who are living within the city and environs are not only the ones who are commuting to the city to work but persons from all corners of the nation. Spending wasted time in traffic has become routinely part of the lives of those living and working in Trinidad especially those in the city of Port of Spain; most persons endure the toil as it’s a means of securing a livelihood. 

The photo above shows a traffic congested road at midday along Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. On the day the photo was taken the traffic pile up seen here spanned as far as Aranguez Flyover. The photo the portrays the familiar experiences of drivers as they sit in their vehicles and patiently and some impatiently wait to get to where they want to go. As a driver who is always in traffic, sometimes I feel its best to park up the vehicle and walk. Walking most times gets you thee faster. 

Some persons believe that it’s simply a matter of having too much cars on the road. According to Hall and Barrett (1998) it is believed that social spaces of city life are affected by increasing dominance of vehicular use. In many cities it can be seen that a large proportion of urban land has been designated to vehicles. This is so true and relevant to not only foreign cities but also Port of Spain. The news paper articles will further inform you about the traffic situation in Port of Spain and the island at large. 

http://guardian.co.tt/editorial/2013-02-08/traffic-jamming-commuters-daily

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Simply_too_many_cars_on_the_nation_s_roads-170861001.html

In the view of  Hall and Barrett (1998) urban social life is degraded by the dominance of vehicles in cities. This could be valid as time spend driving reduces the amount of time that you interact with other persons, especially if you do not car pool. 

What do we do with the vehicles when we get to our destination? 

The photo above shows one of many car parks located at 44-58 Edward Street, Port of Spain owned and operated by Neal Co. Properties. In an attempt to reduce congestion along the streets of the city we have to now allocate valuable land spacing for vehicles for what could have been put to better use. For example at the International Waterfront Center millions of dollars was spent to construct a 7 storey car park for accommodation of 1200 vehicles. Do you think it’s a waste of resources?

Reference:

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett.1998. Urban geography. London: Routledge.

Guardian Newspaper. 2013. "Traffic jamming commuters daily." The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper. http://guardian.co.tt/editorial/2013-02-08/traffic-jamming-commuters-daily (accessed April 6, 2014).

Qunital , Joel . 2013.Trinidad Express Newspaper. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Simply_too_many_cars_on_the_nation_s_roads-170861001.html

Urban Pollution

Pollution is defined as ‘the introduction by man into the environment of substances or energy liable to cause hazards to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to structures or amenity, or interference with legitimate uses of the environment,’ ( Holdgate  1979)

Pollution has resulted in cities as a result of human consumption and expansion. It has grown to become an issue of threat to the environment. As a result of people trying to secure a livelihood within the urban city large amounts of pollution have been generated. NASA reports have shown that with urban expansion comes an increase in not only the amount of air pollution within the city but also land, noise and water pollution.  Livelihood needs must be met in ways that do not degrade or destroy the environment of the city; it must be done in a sustainable way.

Whilst once occupying only around two percent of the world’s land surface, cities now contain more than half of the world’s population and generate the majority of the world’s waste and pollution. This gluttony has occurred as a result of increasing urban growth rates in the Global South.

It has been proven that the environmental demands of city dwellers vary enormously between the Global North and Global South.  Global North dwellers typically generate about twice as much waste as those in the Global South but it is mainly within the Global South that you see rampant and uncontrolled pollution. (Hall 1988, 306)

In the city of Port of Spain all forms of pollution are prominent; they are more so evident in East Port of Spain than anywhere else in the city. Issues of land pollution, water quality, smog and noise pollution are endured by residents of the city on a frequent basis. The different forms of media used below will help to educate and inform you about the pollution issues that exist in the city of Port of Spain.

Photo A was taken along Picadilly Street in Port of Spain. The photo shows household waste being dumped along the side of the roadway. It is very distasteful to passers by and users of the areas as well as unhygienic. Photo B shows waste material both household and non household waste being thrown along the side of the Beetham Highway. The garbage seen in the photo has been there for days, residents who use the area are vulnerable to sanitation diseases and illness due to rotting garbage. The smell is extremely horrid. 

All the waste from the entire city and environs are deposited at the Beetham dump. It is one of the largest dumps in Trinidad and its horrid state poses threats to commuters and residents of the city. A lot of people who reside in Beetham gardens make their living from the Beetham dump. The video presented by Marcia Miranda below sheds some light on the operations and deplorable conditions of the Beetham dump. 

                                      

The dump is located to close to the city and the consequences of such actions are the cries of the users of the city on a daily basis. The newspaper article below talks about very recent SMOG problems that affected the entire city of Port of Spain. As fire burned at the Beetham dump the city was filled with smoke and a very offensive smell that resulted in mayhem in city; schools were closed, workers were sent home resulting in an inoperable city. The news paper article in the link below can further enlighten you about the Beetham fire and Smog. 

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,189928.html

Reference:

Hall, Tim, and Heather Barrett. 1998. Urban geography. London: Routledge.

Holdgate, Martin W. 1979. A perspective of environmental pollution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Robertson , Chris. 2013 .Trinidad Express Newspaper. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/PoS-dump-too-close-to-people-210012521.html (accessed April 6, 2014).