Space, Place, Culture and Time.

National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA)

 From the eyes of the Morvant Hills, a panoramic view of the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago, the city of Port of Spain. At the centre of the photo is the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA). The architectural masterpiece of the city centre was designed to promote local culture in particular, the national musical instrument, the steel pan. Lewis Mumford (1938) {page 3} would call this an "...academy of learning..." where he viewed the city as..."the form and symbol of an integrated social relationship..." NAPA will be a hub of activity for the upcoming Carnival season. This institution will draw to it a diversification of peoples and with them their cultures in art and theatre. NAPA, architecture with design and purpose, in contrast to the chaotic arrangement of building structures surrounding it. Aesthetics in the making, perhaps! It is a new space in the city which transcends the past and exudes a status of power. Shrubbery and trees have been attempted to be preserved in the medley.... for how long, will be seen in the spatial dynamics of urban progress. The following link gives details of its design, usefulness and contact information.

http://www.udecott.com/index.php/cc/cc_project_item/national_academy_for_the_performing_arts_port_of_spain/




Housing for urban dwellers based on economic status

The distinction of spatial lines from afar, visually spells segregation of classes by housing in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The spatial arrangement of housing as seen above is expressive of income inequalities. The middle-class and poor on the outskirts and the wealthier upper-class closer to the core of the city centre. The type of housing varies as well; single family units, apartment buildings, condominiums, hotels as well as other types. Based on the spatial arrangement captured in the above photograph, Gideon Sjoberg (1960)'s Pre-industrial Society Urban Model reflects the same. The city of Port of Spain developed without much industrial influence and the elites are centred around their own Central Business Districts (CBD) (Alonso et al 1960). Based on the housing arrangements of neighbourhoods and property value, West Port of Spain are concentrated with the elites while East Port of Spain are cramped with the poor and unemployed. The following is a link to a newspaper article, highlighting recent politics at play, in dealing with unemployment and the types of neighbourhoods the unemployed were from. 

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business-magazine/_Fight_for_work__shows_unemployment_problem_-134371123.html



The Economics of Urban Space

The Eric Williams Financial Complex locally known as the twin towers of Port of Spain sit at the core of the city centre. Surrounded by commercial activity the administration of the country's economy is at the heart of this state institution. The distribution of resources for urban development have progressed haphazardly as state control have been inconsistent in the local democracy. The concept of urban planning is a new phenomenon being drafted into local policies for sustainable development in Trinidad and Tobago. A new government ministry have been set up for this: (http://www.planning.gov.tt/). Economic investment directs social patterns which translates into spatial arrangements. William Alonso's 1960's Monocentric City Model was centred on urban economics which focused on spatial relationships to understand the driving factors of city formation. Port of Spain's recent developments have been to attract the global audience for local tourism and investment; Carnival, The International Waterfront, Port Facilities, Inter-City Transportation, NAPA and Hotels to name a few.



The Power of the State

 Whether deliberate or not allowances by the state for developments of particular spaces in urban centres have seen such space become the "place" of different groups in society. The Jamaat-Al-Muslimeen occupying state lands in St James (http://guardian.co.tt/news/2012-04-30/muslimeen-member-claims-land-row-caused-attempted-coup), Movie Towne Shopping and Entertainment Complex, Zen Night Club, condominium apartments, parks and arenas. Society becomes constructed based on the segregation of people by religion, class, wealth, mobility and other such factors. Smith (1989) pointed out that such "development" leads to the exclusion of members of society. For the modernist such progress is championed as a new society and global culture infiltrates the locale, ebbing at the social rootedness and landscape continuity of the urban environment.

The Spatial Construction of Race

The above photograph is the famous "Library Corner" in the city of San Fernando, southern Trinidad, where a multiplicity of races cross paths. Historically marginalized groups have been socially excluded from institutions and welfare services. Trinidad and Tobago's colonial past has left a mentality along the same trend. Local political culture uses this divide to sway voters, gain power and imprint an image of racial segregation upon the urban population. The colour of one's skin or eyes and the texture of one's hair are unspoken determinants of one's place and ultimately the space in which they occupy. This may be through housing, work, recreation, leisure or transport, to name few. Susan J. Smith pointed out that already disadvantaged groups in society find themselves trapped in spaces, unable to progress with opportunities of urban growth. The racial divide is evident in construction design for conduct of social life in the urban. Take Port of Spain for instance the West has a clutter of parks and recreational grounds whereas the East has only the Queens Park Savannah to contend with for its leisure, recreation, entertainment and other socio-communal needs. (See the following map: http://www.undp.org.tt/TT-Today/images/maps/City-of-Port-of-Spain.jpg). The minority of elites: Whites, Syrians, Lebanese and fewer Asians of the West versus the majority of the East: the Black, poor, unemployed and middle-class, in terms of the Port of Spain population which urban development catered for.

Graffiti and Gang Warfare

 



Space becomes territorial when cultures and societal values clash. Graffiti is symbolic of identifying and creating territorial space. The graffiti depicted above is in Woodbrook, Port of Spain, and does not seem confrontational but serene and symbolic of local culture on a dilapidated building. If it was done on Hayes Street, St Clair, it might have been called art! Behind the design though is its true character; the "language of space for the street gang culture" (Ley 1974). Beyond this though the urbanization progress of Port of Spain have seen the growth of violent gangs moving from robberies and petty crime to a South American method of Warfare" (See the following article:

http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/trinidad_tobago_news/1076749.html#axzz2ycGwKXSh)

Rivalry between gangs for "turf" says the meaning of space changes, making its value assert behaviour. This urbanization phenomenon accounts for the majority of serious crimes in Trinidad and Tobago.

Spaces for Walking in an Urban Environment

Harris Promenade, San Fernando, a serene footpath to the alternative busy streets spanning the Library Corner to the San Fernando General Hospital. There are a number of shaded trees and benches utilized by commuters and vagrants alike. On alternate sides there are government institutions, the magistrates court, a police station, lawyers and other administrative services. Limited parking is available and an active wrecking service is in effect for the driving public willing to take chances. Jane Jacobs was an advocate for pedestrianized neighbourhoods in urban development. Parks, sidewalks and pavements are all public spaces important in maintaining the locale and continuity of the landscape for human social relations. Jacobs argued that streets were safer with more "eyes" on it when people walked to their destinations. Shorter streets with alternative routes was good she said for commercial businesses as well. The city of San Fernando is still somewhat a place of social rootedness, therefore preserving spaces for walking is an idea considered for reducing vehicular traffic into the city centre. Further to this attempts have been made to encourage the travelling public to utilize public transport however the idea has not embedded the minds of southerners just yet: (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/High-hopes-for-PTSC-Park-and-Ride-238979361.html).

 

Spaces for Parking in Urban Environments

Space is the abstraction of places into a grid or coordinate system. It is also thought of as commanded or controlled. Parking in urban environments can be challenging, competitive, stressful and costly. This street along Harris Promenade in San Fernando accommodates the working class of early morn. The culture of typical Trinidadians aspire to owning a motor vehicle. It speaks of independence, privacy and an upward move of one's status. There are over one million registered vehicles in Trinidad and Tobago (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business-magazine/Too-many-cars-226076551.html). The idea of multi-storey car parks are slowly being engineered in urban development in Trinidad. Such design transcends the past by demand. The landscape for parking must change or alternative means of transportation in and out of urban centres need urgent address.  Some first world nations have sought to develop strategies to ease traffic congestion in their urban environments which is worthy of note: http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/infrastructure/congestion/CongestionSummary.pdf.

 

The Commerce of Street Space

Street space for commercial activity whether it be clothes, fruits and vegetables, doubles, snow cones or cotton candy is flavourful to the Trinidadian culture. Pedestrian mall owners are always lobbying for the removal of street vendors in urban areas throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The above photograph is a hotspot for bargains on High Street, San Fernando. Rubenstein (1992) states that streetscapes and open urban spaces "create an image for the city in which they are located". He went further to add that "they are a meeting place and a centre for various activities that improve the physical and social environment". Such commercial activity adds to the competitiveness of business and affords consumers a variety of choice based on their spending powers. The mixed use of urban spaces in Trinidad is somewhat radical and accommodating to the working class or people on the go. The state is always at the centre of "turf" war between shop owners and street vendors. The street vendor is fighting for survival and gets public sympathy even though the shop owner is doing the same: (https://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-12-26/sando-businesses-being-strangled-street-vendors).

Green and Serene

Urban planners, more so in recent time have recognised the need for ecological preservation in urban development. The above photo was taken of the Queens Park Savannah in Port of Spain, Trinidad. A quiet time of day perhaps, it's usually abuzz with activity. The park offers relaxation and leisure; a get away from the chaos of the central business areas of work and activity. How sustainable is this space in aiding the rest of the city? On a global scale, not much! Rees (1992) work brings to the fore an understanding of the demands of urban environments on other geographical areas for sustenance exceeding the carrying capacity of the city itself. Through trade exploitation of poorer nations natural resources are capitalised upon. Striving for sustainability and natural resource preservation is the only assurance of the continuity of the human species. Trinidad and Tobago seem to still be planning their way forward in dealing with the global problem: http://www.planning.gov.tt/mediacentre/documents/working-sustainable-development-trinidad-and-tobago.

Reflection on other Blogs:

• http://caribbeancitydynamics.blogspot.com/ 

The above link's entry on the utilization of space for parking, walking and economic business serves to compound the dynamism of the changing urban environment as regard to the use of space. The picture is of a wide street, an exception by comparison to narrower streets in the grid design city with narrow pavements and no room for expansion of roads for driving. Changing the use of such space to a more pedestrianized environment perhaps, may be something to consider in the future!

 

•  http://issuesfacedbehindthecitylights.blogspot.com/

The above link's entry on pollution shows the ugly side of urbanization. Pollution is a health hazard to humans and an ecological problem as it degrades the environment and threatens existing natural resources. Underground aquifers in Port of Spain for instance are at high risk for contamination. The pictures of garbage and other pollutants are the responsibility of the state for collection, however the residents of such communities can secure their garbage, call in the Port of Spain City Corporation as well as be more proactive themselves instead of choosing to have their space in such squalor!

• http://commercialzonesintrinidad.blogspot.com/2014_04_01_archive.html

The above link's entry on "The Life of the Party" demonstrates how "space" becomes one's "place". Social relations are nurtured and one's culture becomes defined. Human interaction is important and entrepreneurs have recognised the importance of such. Clubs, bars, restaurants, public transport hubs and other such places of urban areas cater to the need for communal relation between people not necessarily familial in the traditional sense but in the modern world friends and acquaintances in a greater sense.

 

References:

• Alonso, W., Muth, R. and Mills, R. (1964), The Monocentric City Model.
• Cloke, P.; Crang, P.; Goodwin, M. (1999) Introducing Human Geographies. Oxford University Press Inc.
• Jacobs J. http://urbanspacegallery.ca/exhibits/jane-jacobs-urban-ideas/jane-jacobs-urban-ideas
• Ley, D. (1974)The black inner city as frontier outpost: images and behaviour of a Philadelphia neighbourhood. Association of American Geographers.
• Mumford, L. (1938) The culture of cities; Harcourt Brace and Company.
• Rees, W. E. (1992)SAGE Social Science Collections. Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 4, No. 2, October 1992.
• Rubenstein, H. M. (1992) Pedestrian Malls, Streetscapes, and Urban Spaces 1992 John Wiley and Sons Inc.
• Sjoberg, G. (1960): http://gideonsjoberg.weebly.com/pre-industrial-theory.html.
• Smith, S. J. (1989) The politics of race and residence. Cambridge: Polity Press.