Final Reflections

Preparing blogs was a very tedious task this semester though I found them quite informative. It was a learning experience and I enjoyed reading some short and sweet ones while other were long and boring. I decided to have a look at social aspects of the urban area, especially that of Port of Spain. as a foreigner, my little island in the middle of the Caribbean is quite different from Trinidad and Tobago, not just in size but in cultural facets. The urban space as well is very different when it comes to entertainment, shopping and other forms of socializing that can be done here in the wink of an eye. However, the aspect of vagrancy (blog # 11) is a key aspect that exists in every urban space...like I said a city would not be such if they did not exist.
The three blogs that I really felt something toward were on crime, "Trinidad: a nation of Villains and Heroes, Victims and their Tormentors..." by Hannah Sammy; "Where do you feel Included: Exclusivity in Port of Spain" by Danielle Richards and "Prominent City Architecture" by Nicole Edgard.

Hannah's blog really caught my attention because crime is something I feel is an issue that requires urgent addressing especially in this country where it is getting out of hand. Hannah quoted the functionalist view that crime is necessary as it provides positive functions for social systems. I take this t mean that once there is crime, this means that the country is developing. It is deviance like these that pave the way for future careers as forensic scientists, lawyers, doctors, activist, that bring awareness to situations that lead up to criminal acts and therefore need reconsidering. It further went on to say that it is when these crime rates are abnormally high or low that a problem will surface. Low crime rates may mean there is little activity in terms of economic growth in an area while high ones may mean growth is extremely bias as others (usually the ones committing the crime) are ignored. I feel it can be linked to my blog on pollution as well as the blog on vagrancy because pollution is an issue that is dear to me like crime and vagrancy is a result of those who similarly to criminals may have been handed the shorter end of the stick.

Danielle's blog really caught  my attention because I thought it was similar to mine but in truth it was actually the opposite. (laugh out loud) I loved the part where she was doing her interview and got "dismissed" in the end. But one part really stood out where she mentioned that people were still walking or mingling in groups despite that this is a social setting. She reminded me of the pluralism theory that different ethnicities only tolerate each other in certain settings (e.g the market place) and that it may be so for a long time. Why I say it is opposite is because in my blog on parks and recreation, I mention that its role was for relaxation and socialization, a place to gather to establish and strengthen relationships. However, in certain urban spaces establishing friendships may something that I may be looking at through rose-colored glasses.

Finally, Nicole's blog was one that was quite similar to mine. One of her statements that what caught her attention was the similarity of Catholic Churches around the world. This was practically the same discovery I made in my blog on Catholic church architecture, that they were something distinctive in every urban space in every country. Another factor she mentioned that I found quite interesting was the atmosphere created by the church affects worship and belief. The whole theological aspect of cathedrals and chapels are so distinct that should they be built contrary to the Vatican rules, "die hard Christians" may oppose this  and protest it.

I felt all my colleagues did a terrific job and it is amazing to see how different people can have different approaches to situation in urban spaces even if it is somewhat contrary to what the literature says.

Until next year,

FAREWELL


Marcelle

Homelessness in Urban Areas

Sometimes, we walk into the city with the expectation to fulfill a purpose (s) and then return home. We never anticipated noticing the homeless man begging on the corner, or the one using an empty cardboard box as a bed along the way; not because we are ignorant that these inequalities exist but mostly because we forget about it or cast a blind eye toward it. I notice them, every time, and I feel for them, not judging in anyway their situation and how they got there. But quite frankly, I am of the firm belief that a city would not be such without a homeless person or two roaming the streets, sticking his hand out asking for some change, peeing on the side of old buildings or occasionally claiming to do a dance/act/ or trick for a dollar.

<For this blog I have no personal photo as it was very risky to take photos of homeless individuals on the streets>

Globally, the people who suit the profile for being homeless would have been, alcoholics/drug addicts, wandered from home, older and most times single, now even those who were once very affluent can join the vagrants on the streets.
In larger more developed countries homelessness seem to be creeping the income ladder as more and more people lose their homes and belongings to bankruptcy. Now it's almost impossible to tell who was once at the top of the social ladder and who was for a very long period living on the streets.

Thankfully there are a few good Samaritans left in the world that may provide some sort of help in the cities for these homeless people; be it the Church with the St. Vincent de Paul programme or the government or NGOs, there is always some form of hope for them. It is now their decision whether or not they wish to accept said help.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/How_to_deal_with_the_vagrants-105578318.html
Well this person seem to think he has the answers to the "issue" of vagrancy....what do you think?

Why Stay Home on a Sunday? A look at Catholic Churches in the city

 Growing up I've always thought that all Catholic churches, chapels etc looked so much a like.Then I realized, that was kind of the point. Another thing I came to realize was that all cathedrals were predominantly in the urban areas. Catholic schools, convents to be more precise had the chapel next door (see photo of St. Mary's girls below) while others had statues of the saints.

St. Mary's Girls

Chapel at St. Mary's girls

 One thing that allowed you to recognize what denomination the building of worship belonged to was the architecture. The frosted glass windows with painting of the story of Jesus, the beautifully tiled floors, gargantuous wooden doors and several arches in door frames and roofing. They look very similar to those of     15th century Europe particularly of those countries that colonized Trinidad.

I'm not a fan of church architecture but I understand why tourists stop a lot whenever they see a church. The massive structures are so captivating one of the many things brought to us by Europeans and can now be considered as part of our culture.
"Rather, it is truly the centerpiece — the soul — of one of the great cities of Christendom" (Rose 2002)

I heard this and I thought it was quite interesting on church architectural theology. Hope you enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PDWXMMgy9c

Retailing and Consumption..."Let's goooooo SHOOOOOPPPPIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!"

If anyone has told you they hated shopping....they lied. The fact that you can walk down a street and meet every store possible AT REASONABLE prices to suit your taste, that can be very heartwarming. Urban areas provide these amenities to individuals on a budget. It takes skilled planning to develop a retail area concentrated in a specific part of the city. 

Stores on Frederick street

Stores on Frederick Street

 "urban retail is clusters of stores, offering neighborhood goods and services, 

accessible by surrounding 

residential areas within walking 

distance and often drawing 

from a wider market area" (Griffin, 2011) 

The convenience of open air and short walking distances from store to store adds to the very local or neighborly feel which urban spaces usually lack, especially in the midst of goods that are generally foreign. Additionally, there are vendors along the roadside that engage in their share of retailing as part of the informal industry. Some sell mainstream goods such as clothes and shoes while others settle for something more local such as craft and jewelry.

Local craft (leather shoes above and jewelry below)

In any case, the urban zones cater for both formal AND informal industries of retailing though some informal businesses get shut down by the council for squatting.  In Port of Spain, this is usually concentrated in areas closer to the highway/city gate as further up is mostly government buildings. 

The issue in my opinion lies in overcrowding. How long will the city be able to keep up the growing numbers of stores and informal stalls that are now beginning to crowd up the sidewalk?

Entertainment in Urban Areas part 2

So last time we spoke about entertainment (blog #5)  in urban areas in Trinidad (Port of Spain in particular) I said that it has become 'victim' of place branding. As a result of this different areas of the capital are famous for different aspects of entertainment such as nightclubs, restaurants,  bars etc as well as the city of Port of Spain  itself thanks to Carnival and therefore have been named according to the aspect (s) of their fame.

In this blog I will be looking at entertainment from a different perspective. It is not only through 'feting' and parties that an individual is able to enjoy themselves. Other aspects cater to those who better appreciate the finer characteristics of culture-i.e. history, literature, art. The main cities of places often cater to these tastes. A fun fact to note is that in the cities of Caribbean islands these buildings which are used to showcase these arts are historical in architecture. Coincidence?

The national museum of Trinidad and Tobago on Frederick street Port of Spain is one such place that supports those who get a kick out of art and culture. The museum mostly depicts the history of the city and the country itself. I must say it was very exciting to see these old military uniforms and letters and models of homes from slavery to independence. This type of entertainment definitely suits my softer side.

National museum of Trinidad and Tobago


The library is another softer side to entertainment in an urban setting. For those who enjoy reading a good informative book, here is the place to be. 

The public library

There are certain individuals  whose preference of entertainment include activities such as shopping and there are a wide array of locations in which this can be made possible in cities. Whatever the choice, there is ALWAYS something to be done in the city.

"Policies such as the designation of cultural quarters have been designed to explicitly emphasize the cultural qualities and distinctiveness of cities or spaces therein" (Bell and Jayne 2004) It is through these qualities we are able to find meaning and enjoy what belongs to us. Now if that isn't entertaining, I don't know what is!

Here is the trailer to a movie that I've always wondered "how would I react if I was placed in a situation where I spent the night at a museum and all these props etc came to life." lol Now I think THAT would be entertaining.!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4QPA--XKVw

can you tell what building this is?

If you guessed NAPA you are correct

Urban Architecture...Colonial Designs restored.

"Our human past is reflected most notably in 
the rich array of buildings, structures, archaeological sites, historic landscapes, and 
traditional cultural properties that are a shared inheritance for all the people of the state" (Louisiana Office Of Cultural Development 2011).

Everyone knows or has some knowledge of the history of Caribbean islands...the conquests of the islands by the Spanish, usurped by the British, stolen by the French, retaken by the British and so on. But regardless of these exchanges of metropolitan powers even hundreds of years after they left, their influence can still be physically witnessed in the older parts of urban areas in Caribbean islands. Port of Spain has in no way escaped from this.

The northerly parts of Port of Spain where less hustle and bustle occurs you are greeted by many buildings  either made of some or entirely made of colonial architectural characteristics. Walking through the streets in these areas you almost feel as if in your imagination you are walking back in time to an era neither you nor the generation before you have even seen in this life.

St. Mary's Girls School

As a preservation attempt not just in Trinidad but also other Caribbean islands these old buildings are being refurbished and used for different purposes. They may be seized by the local government and put to uses such as the library building. (see below). The Museum as well takes on this colonial architectural look as a marketing strategy...and old colonial house perhaps, renovated but made to keep that 'old days' look to mirror the content inside of the building.

One of the Libraries in Port of Spain

Museum of Trinidad and Tobago

It is also noteworthy that residential areas in these northerly parts have also taken a similar built form depicting colonial influences. That just shows how old these houses may be.

Restoring these buildings do not interfere with the architectural growth of the cities. There are still areas further west that depict architectural designs synonymous with modernization. However, everyone understands the need to know where you came from so that you can strategically plan where to next.

Entertainment in Urban Areas

"PARTY OVER HERRRE!! WHOOP WHOOP!!!"

This is how my friends sound right before we are about to go out. But "party" does not necessarily mean just what it says. I would assume that everyone knows the term is just an expression for many actions such as socializing (lyiming) or plain out having a great time (even if it's by yourself) in any setting. It's as simple as a trek in the city to evoke that feeling of freedom to me.

While cities have always been sites of entertainment and pleasure- seeking, a central focus of recent rebranding has been the promotion of the night-time economy, much of which is characterised by the ritual descent of young adults into citycentre bars, pubs and clubs especially during the weekend (Hollands, 1995). 

Nightclubs next door to each other in Port of Spain

This is so in the case of areas of Port of Spain such as St. James which has been coined the "city that never sleeps". The city of Port of Spain in itself is often mentioned as the Carnival capital of the Caribbean. (see video below) This types of branding (cultural branding) owes its development to the growing importance of the cultural, leisure and entertainment industries within the contemporary economy, as much for tourists and other visitors, as for the local population (Mihalis 2005). Everyone, from every place who has heard of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival, comes to experience this wonder. (disclaimer: I am not a fan nor do I participate in Carnival celebrations :) ) see link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nidh5QRT1nU

The city has lent itself amicably to various social activities, gathering etc especially during carnival season. 

People  gather at Independence Square, during a carnival party promotion Event

But what further implications does place branding  have on city culture, economy and the environment? The transformation of areas(such as St. James) to become a more middle to upper class party/social spot can be seen as a method to revitalize the urban area and in extention the city economy (Mihalis 2005).With the influx of  varieties of restaurants and bars in areas such as Ariapeta Avenue, numerous night clubs that showcase many local, regional and international artistes, the city has done well for itself.   

Culture-wise, it appears to me that Trinidadians take full use of the fact that they are considered the "feters" of the Caribbean and live up to this each weekend evident in numerous activities advertised and promoted via signs, flyers and airwaves.

As far as the environment goes, you remember my blog #3 right??? If not, please visit on pollution in urban areas.

Stay tuned for part 2