Private? No Public? Private and Public?

In the 21st century, planning has become all about the look of a city; the skyscrapers, the extremely tall buildings, and structures to house the plethora of cars in the world today. Banerjee (2001) stated that little expansion of parks and open spaces has been taking place within recent times. The stock of open space has not kept up with population growth, especially in the older cities.

The Hyatt Regency Waterfront was a very successful economic venture. Not only does the establishment bring a world class, four star hotel to our shores but it has created a place with a very serene, warm aura. At night, many flock to the Waterfront to really observe and soak in a little piece of the beauty that is the Waterfront. At any given time you can find families, couples, little children enjoying the fountain, the night lights, the many high rise buildings, the ships you can see coming in. Must be very exciting as a little child to experience all those things in one place.

While this is true, the Hyatt Regency is still very much a public space; which brings me to my argument of how public is public? Banerjee (2001) continues to say that the owner of the land has all the legal prerogative to exclude someone from the space and often invisible property boundaries. The public is welcomed as long as they are patrons of shops and restaurants, office workers or clients of businesses located on the premise. But access to and use of the space is only a privilege not a right. Everyone assumes that these places are for the public and are open to everyone, but most times, these places can be referred to as "publicised" private places; where although it is a private space, I (the owner) will allow certain individuals the right to access to the land to trick you into thinking it's really a public space, but it isn't. it's private. Get it?

Another main problem associated with these private but public but private spaces is that many citizens no longer feel safe staying out after a certain time. Especially where within recent times, there has been a drastic increase in the crime rate in Trinidad. The Port of Spain area is not deemed safe as it is a harbour for theft, drug and sex related activities that many people do not want to be exposed to. Banerjee (2001) explained this beautifully, calling it the "broken window syndrome." There has been a definite decrease in the citizens visiting some of these public areas. According to Banerjee (2001), there has been a steady decline in not only the supply but the quality of public spaces due to the fact that there are many drug dealers, and homeless individuals that have made the city their home; and it is very true. The city has become the hub for these activities that many of the citizens do not want to be near.

This is our city. Our reality.

Banerjee, Tridib. The Future of Public Space: Beyond Invented Streets and Reinvented Places." Journal of the American Planning Association. 67, (2001): 9 - 13.

What Did This Area Look Like Before Again?

Does anyone really remember what this place looked like before this new highway went up? I mean really remember. Take time to see if you think you could force your brain to remember what this whole establishment looked like prior to this new fancy arrangement we have here. With no traffic lights to stop us (because we all know traffic lights cause traffic). Just the free, easy flow of traffic along the East West and West South and East South corridors. Does that make sense?

I chose this piece because it's amazing how when something changes, and we seem to be pleased with this change, it's almost like this is how it was all along. I remember complaining so much because coming from the East (Mount Hope to be exact) and trying to head West is not the easiest thing to do on this highway. But after a few times and some getting accustomed to the new arrangement, it comes like second nature to me. But this happens to me all the time (especially with highways it would seem). After I have gotten so accustomed to something, I just can't seem to go back to that point in time where it was not anything near to this. I pass there quite often and every single time I pass I am amazed by how much land there is. I always ask myself "Where in heaven's name did these people find all this land to build this new highway? I promise all this was not there before!" And that amazes me. That after something has changed and we've gotten so accustomed to the change, that the before seems to unimportant. 

I will not disclose my secret location where I took these shots, but you can see that the flyover directly in front of us, which is the newest instalment to the whole ordeal, and the long stretch in front of us is heading into Valsayn and then Curepe and it goes just deeper and deeper into the North-East of Trinidad. They did a pretty good job with the lighting huh?

Traditionally, the methods and modes of transportation have not been studied in as much depth as they are being studied today, but scientists are blaming the number of cars on the road and the many impacts that these cars and their exhaust have on the environment for the increase in their importance. The whole concept of mobility is no longer about getting to point A to point B, but is concerned with the many other journeys that are necessary for the day to day living of certain individuals. Mobility shapes cities. Their size and form throughout history and across the world are a reflection of the prevalence of different forms of transport.  The urban sprawl of many contemporary cities reflects, and helps perpetuate, the importance of the private car today but other forms of transport, such as the railway and carriage, have been equally important determinants of the shape and nature of cities. (Hall and Barrett 2013, 283.) 

The modern suburban period began in the 1920's and one of the main reasons for the suburban explosion was the widespread diffusion to the auto-mobile. In 1910 the U.S. has less than 1 million auto-mobiles, but by the early 1930's there was nearly 27 million (one for every five persons.) (Bourne, 1996) Cities have been experiencing new waves of decentralisation, initially of residential land use and later non-residential uses., one of the main reasons for the enhanced personal mobility. (Hall and Barrett 2013, 284). 

A Carless Future?
Video Explanation
Car Sales Rocket in ChinaChinese Company Gives Employees Gas Masks Due to Exhaust Fumes in Office

Tim Hall and Heather Barrett, Urban Geography, 4^th ed. (Abingdon: Routledge 2012) 283 - 284

De Savannah Food

The Queen's Park Savannah, or "de savannah" as it is very commonly known, is recorded as Port of Spain's largest open space - and is home to the largest roundabout in the world, occupying 260km2 of land. The savannah is definitely an area that belongs solely to Trinidad and Tobago. The savannah has been around for many many years and is something Trinidadians take pride in and take very good care of (one of the few things.) Very recently, The Savannah - a true open, public space - is being utilised for food and "hanging" out purposes. Anyone, at almost anytime is able to visit the savannah, grab a coconut water, take a job (great exercise arena) without being restricted. 

The Savannah is seen as a focal point of a budding business arena as well. The Northern End of the savannah you will find the Royal Botanical Gardens The Emperor Valley Zoo, The official residences of the President and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and the renowned Queen's Hall (used for many performances and shows.) On the Southern Side lies the grand stand used mainly for cultural events notably Carnival.  On a Saturday or Sunday evening, many young folks flock to the green grasses of the savannah to indulge in many different sporting activities; football, cricket, track and field etc. This vast urban structure has many many purposes.  

There are so many different things offered at the savannah. "Savannah Food" as we call it is one restaurant with a very extensive menu! And did I mention at great prices? One could pick up a tall glass of all natural juice ranging in many flavours, a gyro, a burger, some doubles, a delicious cup of homemade souse (a local dish), boiled corn, corn soup, bar-be-que wings and fries and this list literally goes on and on. 

When thinking of the savannah and most of the actives that take place during the night, one theory comes to mind; The Informal Economy. The informal economy is that part of the economy that is not taxed or heavily monitored by any form of government and or is not included in the GNP. It is used to describe employment or livelihood generation primarily within the developing world. The informal sector constitutes a significant component of the urban economy and employment market (Hall and Barrett 2012, 93). This is said to be prevalent in countries that have undergone a recent shift in political and economic structures. 

For Trinidadians, it means being able to showcase a skill, while being flexible at doing your job. Two main sub-sectors involved in the informal economy in Trinidad and Tobago are the subsistence sector, which deals with consumption for self and family and small scale producers who are involved in small arts and crafts or the retail of goods and services (Potter and Llyod-Evans, 1998). This sector of the economy is just a way for honest, maybe lower class individuals to make an honest dollar without being involved in anything underhand, while providing a good or service that is clearly needed by the public. 

The picture highlights the strip where most of the food is sold around the savannah. Apparently I went at a bad time because there are usually hundreds of people at a time gathered around for some personal time. 

Mumford (1938) said that the city is primarily a social emergent. The mark of the city is it purposive social complexity. It represents the maximum possibility of humanising the natural environment and of naturalising the human heritage: it gives a cultural shape to the first, and it externalises, in permanent collective forms, the second."

Jane Jacobs once said "cities love the capability of providing something for everyone, only because and only when they are created by everyone."

Tim Hall and Heather Barrett, Urban Geography, 4^th ed. (Abingdon: Routledge 2012) 93 - 94. 

Potter, Robert B., and Sally LLoyd-Evans. The City in a Developing World. Harlow, Essex, United Kingdom: Longman, 1998. Print.

Lewis Mumford. The Culture of Cities. 1938.

Urban Education

It's funny because every time I hear someone speak about The University of The West Indies, it's always a "steups" or a "sigh, that place yes!" The University of the West Indies St Augustine campus is one of three Campuses around the Caribbean. This campus was established in 1960, and the Trinidad and Tobago nationals have the privilege of enjoying free education at all levels (which is amazing by the way.) The university serves 18 English speaking countries and the aim of the university was to help "unlock the potential for economic and cultural growth" in the West Indies, thus allowing for improved regional autonomy.

In this post, I use UWI as a platform to speak about Urban Education, or the education system on the whole, as although the education at the university is free, many individuals do not reach that level in education. In a study done by University of Michigan, urban schools tend to at a disadvantage especially to the children that are attending the schools. Inequalities in education exist from the textbooks provided to the teacher qualifications which in turn affects the quality of education that inner-city children receive. People are being segregated by social class and the impoverished population is not getting the same educational opportunities as their more privileged counterparts.

Providing education that is both high in quality and fair to all is one of the greatest challenges facing cities today. This concentration prepares students for careers in educational policy and practice. One major problem with this is that low-income urban parents and families tend to not to see education as being extremely important and do not play an active role in helping their children acquire an education. An education takes away from the roles and responsibilities youths have to fulfil at home.

So while education is free in Trinidad and Tobago, many people do not get to that level.

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

I don't even think a blog is necessary for this picture. It is so self explanatory.

It's 10:08 PM on a Tuesday night, under some trees on the Promenade, sitting four to a table, these men are playing cards, smoking, talking and interacting. There's no laptop, there's no cellular phone, no technology. Just personal time spent with good friends. Maybe even strangers that have many things in common. This is the essence of the city. The picture speaks of the city and the culture of the city so well. 

Lewis Mumford (1938), in his study The Culture of Cities, speaks about the city being the form and symbol of an integrated social relationship: it is the seat of the temple, the market, the hall of justice and the academy of writing. Here in the city, the goods of civilisation are multiplied and manifolded, here is where human experience is transformed into visible signs, symbols, patterns of conduct, system of order. 

This picture says "I'm home. I'm comfortable." Public Space seems to inspire virtue in several forms: civic pride, social contact, especially form people of diverse backgrounds; a sense of freedom and finally, common sense."

Sharon Zukin (1995, 42) says "the city remains a theatre for 'mingling with strangers.'" The effect is the evolution of a shared citizenship across the urban spectrum - class, gender, ethnic and sexual - constructed around the everyday social confidence that comes from individuals and communities making use of the right to access a public space shared with others." 

Public Spaces are "the primary sites of public culture: they are the window into a city's soul... Public spaces are important because they are places where strangers mingle feely... As both site and sight, meeting place and social staging ground, public spaces enable us to conceptualise and represent the city - to make an ideology of its receptivity to strangers, tolerance of difference and opportunities to enter a fully socialised life, both civic and commercial." 

Everyday street life, different, simple interactions like this one makes up the shared public culture. Places where people are free and places we all can enjoy. 

Whether we like playing cards, smoking, or just enjoying the ambiance; it's ours to enjoy.

Zukin, Sharon. The Culture of Cities.  Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers, 1995. 

The Spaceship? Wait, that's NAPA.

I remember when this building first went into construction. I went to school opposite to the new construction site and everyday my friends and I would try to guess exactly what this 'structure' was going to be. It looked like a huge metal spider, or maybe it was supposed to be a spaceship. 

"But why build one? Don't those things just land somewhere?" I remember my best friend asking once :/  

It definitely looked like something straight out of a horror movie. Right in Trinidad and Tobago. Much to our disappointment, we were all wrong.

The National Academy of the Performing Arts or NAPA as we locals know it is the first of its kind in Trinidad. It is described as "the permanent home for the development of talent in the performing arts." The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDeCOTT). The architectural design is supposed to be reminiscent of the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago, the Chaconia. (Okay, so it isn't a spaceship.) Designed to fit 1500, with state of the art lighting and sound systems, NAPA also comes equipped with a hotel for visiting performers and students. 

Who even designs buildings like these? Apparently many people around the world do! 

An iconic design is usually one that is 'ground breaking' and one that sets new standards in its field. It is a design that other designers and manufactures follow, as it becomes a bench mark for other similar products. Furthermore, an iconic design is one that stands up to the test of time, remaining a good design, despite the passing of years, decades and even centuries.

I think that this theory is definitely applicable to Trinidad in terms of NAPA. We see that the architects and contractors behind this "spaceship" specifically designed NAPA to look like the national flower of Trinidad and Tobago. This does wonders for the locals (those that actually know what the design is supposed to be). This gives us a sense of feeling and belonging to the buildings. It is our own, designed specifically for us to enjoy, to utilise and to love. 

In my opinion NAPA can be classified as Iconic architecture; although we are yet to see the design withstand the test of many decades (but I have faith that my spaceship will). While NAPA may not be like anything we may see in London or Dubai or more economically developed countries, it can be classified as 'iconic' on our own scale. "The rising occurrences of these image-making and tourism attracting capacities of this iconic building may have been viewed as successful in transitioning the city's image from declining and de-industrialising to being a global tourism destination and cultural centre." (Barrett and Hall 2012, 205)

NAPA is definitely an essence. At night, the building illuminates so beautifully leaving all in awe. Our own iconic building that we love. 

Naturally, everyone would understand why I thought this was a spaceship of some sort.

PS. All photos taken by yours truly :)

The two articles below give a different side to the concept of "iconic architecture." Very interesting to read because it is a parallel view to what Hall and Barrett showed us. 

Trying to Hard?

Iconic Architecture Does Not Equal A Great City

Tim Hall and Heather Barrett, Urban Geography, 4th ed. (Abingdon: Routledge 2012) 204 - 206.

Why Cities Need Iconic Buildings? Michael Maltzan

The City Life.

View of The Twin Towers from Hyatt

Saturday the 22nd March 2014. It's a beautiful day in Port of Spain. The sun is shining, there is not a grey could in the sky. It's a perfect day. The normal hustle and bustle of the central business district is what I fully enjoy. It feels like 100 degrees outside and I love it. First stop: The Waterfront. Filled with palm trees, high rise buildings, so many tourists (still recovering from Carnival), it's a beautiful sight. Port of Spain has come such a long way. Especially this establishment that Trinidadians are extremely proud of. I honestly cannot even remember what here looked like before, nor do I want to imagine that. It's a beautiful mixture of public and private space. Looking out into the ocean's mystery, you can see the Tobago Ferry, Cruise ships coming to and fro our nation's waters. It is described by UDECOTT as "the new hallmark of an ever-evolving Port of Spain - a city already established as a significant regional centre for trade, commerce and industry." Home to the infamous Breakfast Shed, many people enjoy the amazing local dishes sold there on a daily basis, while being serenaded by the magnificent scenery that the Hyatt brings. Natural beauty infused with brilliant infrastructure.The Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre

After visiting the Hyatt, we left The Waterfront and ventured to the first known suburb in 

Port of Spain; Belmont, a city rich with history. We met with our tour guide, Mr. Elton Scanterberry, and he took us in and around Belmont. The name Belmont was given to an area close to the police station by governor Hislop (1802 - 1830) after his property in England. The name Belmont at the time meant absolutely nothing to the inhabitants of the area. African inhabitants referred to Belmont as  "Free Town."

As we walked through Belmont, a strong sense of community was felt, which many blame on the fact that the houses are so close together, so it is something you can't get away from. The first major stop we made was to visit the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, a community outreach theatre to encourage more young ones to get in touch with their artistic side and spend less time on the streets. There we met Tyker Phillip, who teaches classes at the Theatre workshop. She explained to us how beneficial it was living in Belmont as it was so close to Port of Spain. She said that everything with simply within her reach especially as she lived and worked there. She said that there are no community based facilities that the young (something she longed for) could use so they resort to the savannah. She mentioned that there are different areas in Belmont that are considered to be "high crime areas" but that not everyone is involved or exposed to these activities. Life in Belmont was pretty nice for Tyker although she knows about some people who did have it hard.

A Picture of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in Belmont

After leaving the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, we proceeded to a private cemetery site for the Rada religion. Radaism has been in Trinidad since 1668 and the bodies at the cemetery belong to those of the early Rada practitioners.  Brief History on Radaism in Trinidad

Our day exploring Port of Spain and Belmont was a success!