Conclusion

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANISATION-CONCLUSION

“What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need do is stroll about with our eyes open. Life swarms with innocent monsters.” 
― Charles Baudelaire

My blog focused on the negative effects of urbanization  I touched on overcrowding, traffic congestion, loss of culture, disparities in development, poverty, environmental degradation, urban sprawl, pollution/litter and unemployment. These are just a few of the issues associated with the vast development of cities. All these issues have serious effects on the functioning of urban spaces and the relationship between urban spaces and people. 

http://urbanizationdisparity.blogspot.com
 By Tammy was very interesting as it highlighted major disparities of development among various cities in Trinidad. She took a more holistic view where as I simple focused on the disparities in development within Port-of-Spain. I especially liked the post on Tabaquite because it was the most educational for me as I know nothing about that area.

http://tt-urban-safari.blogspot.com/
By Jainey. I loved this blog the pictures and the concepts discussed was very captivating.The entry on culture and urban living space best relates to my blog however my favorite blog was urban politics  Not much people know and understand the history of the university of Woodford Square so it was great to see you incorporate that in your blog. With respect to culture the clothing in the picture relates to my blog on loss of culture through globalization.

http://city-vibez.blogspot.com/
By Alyssa. This blog incorporated some of the negative effects of urbanisation similar to my blog however its purpose was to show how culture shapes urban spaces. I especially liked the post on acceptance of vagrants. That post shows exactly what I was talking about in terms of the mindsets people have towards the homeless in Trinidad.

environmental degradation

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANISATION- ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.-John Muir

For my last entry I would touch on environmental degradation. With urbanization it is clear that the environment has to suffer in order to facilitate this development. This picture shows a variety of different activities taking place that each depletes the environment in some form or fashion. Two of the pictures show construction, one shows the government buildings on the water front, the other shows garbage on the street and the big picture in the middle represents the Golf of Paria at Sea Lots.

With respect to development looking at the parliament buildings by the water front we must understand that the land there was once swamp. Therefore an ecosystem was destroyed killing many species that once resided there to facilitate this development  As with most of the western side of Port-of-Spain it is reclaimed land. Additionally these buildings because they are so tall must go deep into the ground. This distorts the water table making it rise therefore increasing the risk of flooding in the city.

Additionally there are no building laws with respect to replanting when constructing new buildings. Therefore the city just becomes a concrete jungle and the environment is depleted. This lack of greenery in the city results in warmer temperatures and fewer rainfall events.

 The construction pictures show no coverage of the construction site therefore dust particles enter the air having effects on the environment and on human health. The litter picture just shows the attitude Trinis have towards the environment- complete disregard. Lastly if any one passes by Sea Lots and looks at the water its is absolutely disgusting. It is almost black in color, engulfed with debris from the nearby residents as well as their sewage. 

Another environmental problem is traffic congestion, this results in emissions of greenhouse gases in high concentrations into the environment and because there is limited plants there is no carbon sink to absorb these gases there they remain in the air and add to global warming. 

To combat this issue leaders are leaning towards the establishment of sustainable cities. The question with sustainable cities is how feasible is this for developing countries? You can not tell a poor man about saving the environment if he has no food on the table to feed his family, or tell someone who has no access to water or education to save the environment. Social issues take rank and until that is fixed then conservation, sustainability and the environment are the bottom of the list in terms of priority.

I don't think we're going to save anything if we go around talking about saving plants and animals only; we've got to translate that into what's in it for us.-Jim Fowler

You will die but the carbon will not; its career does not end with you. It will return to the soil, and there a plant may take it up again in time, sending it once more on a cycle of plant and animal life.-Jacob Bronowski

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jacobbrono116984.html#tjayH5bKQxCwE1yt.99 

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimfowler254348.html#vvOxLOB1vU1xbKpG.99 

Extra Reading

http://saferenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/population-growth-and-environmental-degradation/

http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/10/13/bus11.asp

http://indiabudget.nic.in/es98-99/chap1104.pdf

 http://urbanpoverty.intellecap.com/?p=472

Poverty

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANIZATION-POVERTY

                                               

Poverty is hell and the angels are in paradise

Driving in their limousine where everything is nice and clean 

A poor man living in a teeny-weeny hut

The children hungry,nothing in the pot

He gone by the neighbour to beg for some rice

The neighbour under pressure,"boy things ent nice"

He gone in the big shot area to beg 

A police put a bullet in his teeny weeny leg

He gone in the courts and he lost the case

The prosecutor say he have a bandit face

POVERTY IS HELL !!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the lyrics to Shadows song Poverty is hell and it seemed the most appropriate for the picture above. This picture represents poverty within Port-of-Spain as it shows one of the poorest communities in the city-Sea Lots. It is located in southeastern Port-of- Spain. As seen in the picture people are literally living in huts made of either stolen material or frontage this is because they are mainly squatters. The picture is in black and white as it represents the lives of the people living there, dark, gloomy and hopeless.     

There lives are a constant battle as they fight up with issues such as unemployment,little or no access to clean water, food.electricity, housing or clothing, violent and unhealthy environments, little or no social protection and limited educational opportunities. Furthermore these residents are extremely vulnerable to environmental disasters as they are located right by the see and the materials and houses are not stable to prevent destruction of houses by flooding for example or an earthquake.It is heartbreaking that the rest of society does not recognize that these people suffering and are in dying need of our help. Instead of standing up with them and helping them fight for their rights we turn our backs and look down on them, we see them as lesser than ourselves, or lazy, incompetent government dependent citizens that refuse to work hard to earn a dollar.

Sealots, Laventille and Beetham are known for having poor Afro-Trinidadians that are 'ghetto" and criminal in nature. Most of the population is afraid to venture into those areas because of the perceived crime that has been blown out of proportion by the media creating a fear among citizens. It is absolutely ridiculous, I personally know many citizens living in one of those areas that do not conform to the perception however if after a while of continuously telling someone thing then they become it. I think that is the case with these areas they are constantly told that they are poor and lesser in society so therefore they become that although, there are a few that strive to change the attitudes of people and prove them wrong. Unfortunately the majority fall into the trap. Crime in these areas are due to the lack of employment opportunities and they too have families to feed and take of so income must come from somewhere and if obtaining a legitimate job is impossible then in their minds that is the best solution.  

Again I think it is best to not discriminate and brainwash the nation with all these negatives because these people are people nonetheless and we are all equal. They are just victims of uneven distribution of wealth, mental slavery,negative influences and no role models. 

crime doesn't follow poverty, it follows concentrations of poverty-Reuben Greenberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DSTZf1yRmvU

Disparities in Development

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANISATION-DISPARITIES IN DEVELOPMENT

There are fashions in building. Behind the fashions lie economic and technological reasons, and these fashions exclude all but a few genuinely different possibilities in city dwelling construction at any one time.” ― Jane Jacobs

   Is this the same city? What is happening? It is obvious that with urbanization comes disparities in development. The upper hand of the picture is eastern Port-of-Spain where as the bottom is the western side. It is very clear that architecture, design, building materials and functioning of the buildings has changed drastically. The eastern side of Port-of-Spain being the older was formed originally from the existence of the port. The building materials were mostly old wood, galvanize and concrete. Additionally we can see  a human in the East Dry River residing there which a clear sign of  poverty. With development of cities there is always disparities in  the distribution of wealth and certain areas are discriminated against and excluded from the developmental phase which can be seen with Port-of-Spain.
   
  What brings about the spatial developmental disparities within the city? This question can be addressed by drawing on the
economic geographer’s distinction between first nature and second nature geography. First nature says that some regions are favored by virtue of endowments or proximity to rivers, coasts, ports and borders. Second nature emphasizes the interactions between economic agents, and in particular the increasing returns to scale that can be created by dense interactions. Thus, cities tend to have
high productivity.

  First nature addresses the issue of the existence of Port-of-Spain however as urbanization continued the eastern side of the city was neglected and urban decay started taking place. This refers to an area within the city that falls into a state of disrepair and neglect. It is characterized by depopulation, economic restructuring,property abandonment, high unemployment,fragmented families,political disenfranchisement, crime and desolate urban landscapes. That is represented by the communities and economic activities that take place on that side of Port-of-Spain. Mainly the lower classes in society reside on Duke Street or George Street by the Plannings and the residents there are mainly Afro-Trinibagonians with mediocre jobs obtaining minimal wage if employed. Illegal street vending/ small parlours or selling market produce is the main form of economic activity on that side of the city.

  In comparison to the western side and even the upper areas of the city it is remarkably different. The buildings by the waterfront for example are high raised buildings made of glass with greenery and a more modern design. Globalization has infiltrated those areas with many foreign companies as well as the change in economic activity its no longer agricultural produce being sold or illegal street vending, its dominated by services and government buildings.  

I choose to show One Woodbrook place and it represents the future and the direction officials are taken with respect to the city. One Woodbrook place is a mega complex of different activities interacting with each other. It is a housing complex that consists of all needs (social, economic and industrial) therefore there is no reason to leave the compound unless absolutely necessary. Entertainment, restaurants and retail stores are located at the base of the complex. Services ,business and recreational facilities are also present. However this form of living caters for the very wealthy creating a bigger issue of marginalization within the city.

In my opinion I see no need for such drastic disparities in development within cities. I truly believe government officials and planners were simply lazy and instead of coming up with a plan for older parts of the city they just disregarded it, and discriminate against the people living there because they are poor and focus on creating new areas to attract the more affluent in society. 

Any city however small is in fact divided into two,one the city of the poor, the other of the rich.These are at constant war with one another- Plato

Urban Sprawl

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANIZATION-URBAN SPRAWL

We still object to the whole concept of waving the urban sprawl rule. We believe it serves a purpose.~ Janet Bowman

This picture illustrates the phenomena urban sprawl. It is a common trend with all growing cities  because as the city expands and the land space is constant urbanization spreads to nearby residential areas. This is seen well in Port-of-Spain as Woodbrook a once residential and slight commercial area is heavily populated with business and companies that simply can not fit in the heart of the city. Additionally Woodbrook has become the entertainment capital of Port-of-Spain as it houses all the popular night clubs and social bars that is located on the avenue. It is also home to many restaurants both local and of foreign nature showing how globalization has infiltrated the area. However Woodbrook entertainment attracts the more affluent in society in contrast to St James a next area suffering from urban sprawl whose entertainment is more bars and pubs and targeted for lower to middle class people.Additionally the restaurants there are mostly local.

Maraval and St Anns are also suffering from urban sprawl the side of Maraval that is closer to Port-of-Spain is becoming flooded with business where as upper parts are mostly residential or mixed residential and commercial. Similarly with St Anns, however  it is mainly residential. With this expansion of the city into ongoing residential areas it increases pollution from construction, increases population congestion , raises prices for land and housing and lastly increases traffic congestion in and out of the city. 

In my opinion I see nothing wrong with urban sprawl it just leads to the further development of residential areas however I believe it should be controlled with the use of laws. For example traffic laws to reduce the level of traffic congestion by enforcing car pooling or walking or bicycle riding or strictly walking zones. Additionally building codes and the amount of businesses should be controlled as well the night time entertainment noise pollution laws should be enforced and upheld. 

Sub-urbanization and sprawl are local issues. Urban development does not threaten the nation's food supply. Cost-of-development studies exaggerate the effects of sub-urbanization on local-government costs. Declining cities suffer from many 'push' factors. Air quality deteriorates as residential densities increase. Open space is increasingly protected through the private sector."-Sam Staley

Pollution/Litter

HE DARK SIDE OF URBANIZATION-POLLUTION/LITTER

“The living sinners on deadly ground.” ― Toba Beta

It is absolutely heart breaking and frustrating to witness this constant disregard for the environment in Port-of-Spain. Polluters range from children to the elderly and it makes me wonder what has the environment done to them that was so bad that they have to treat it this way. Its saddening because we live in a society where the environment is of least importance and we fail to recognize that the environment can live without us however we can not live without it. These pictures were taken on different streets in Port-of-Spain and as citizen I can not understand how it is the same city that we created we are destroying. 

   

Land pollution is a serious threat as toxic and greenhouse gases are emitted from it. Additionally odorous gases are also emitted and the city smells stink. Everyone knows this, Port-of-Spain is known to smell nasty and we create that scent yet still every time we enter the city we complain. Something is horribly wrong there. As Port-of-Spain is the capital city of Trinidad and undergoing intense urbanization it is expected that this would occur as with urbanization, by concentrating so many people in a concrete jungle where little aesthetic value is portrayed then solid waste would also be concentrated.

Although formerly the presence of bins in Port-of-Spain was scarce so people saw it fit to drop their litter any and everywhere it is still our city and we must treat it like that so we should have taken the incentive to clean the city ourselves if the government would not provide trash bins for us.However currently there are bins located all over Port-of-Spain some specifically for plastic and paper and other general bins and we still feel the need to litter. Our garage pick up system is also at fault here as it is not always running efficiently leaving a build up of waste for days. 

This build up of waste as well as when people throw their trash on the ground most of it ends up in our drains. Port-of-Spain being a flood plain and most of it being reclaimed land a clogged drain is a serious problem when it comes to heavy rainfall . As we have seen previously the city floods quickly with any long duration of heavy rainfall and the litter in the drains speeds up the flooding process.

Measures have been put in place to deal with this culture of littering that exists in Trinidad. Firstly the implementation of litter wardens whose job is to uphold the litter act and enforce the law. They can be identified on patrol by their environmentally friendly colours- an olive green pants/skirt, light green tops,green caps and black shoes. If found littering a fine of $500 must be within a 21 day period or the offenders are summoned to court where they are ordered to pay a fine of $1000. For corporate offenders the fine is $2000.

As of 2006 11 litter wardens were on patrol in Port-of-Spain and throughout the day they dealt with pedestrians,  vendors and business people, warned them to be careful of where and how they dump rubbish.  The wardens were regularly on the beat, many of the street vendors that  operated on George, Prince, Charlotte and Park Streets cleaned up their acts and started placing their garbage in boxes and bags instead of carelessly tossing them out on the streets.

It is our responsibility to keep our city clean no one else own because it belongs to each and everyone of us. This culture we as Trini's have for littering needs to end promptly because our environment is our home and we all want to live in a clean home. I do not think litter wardens still exists today however we should all act as  litter wardens for one another and our consciences should act as little wardens for ourselves and keep our city clean.

Extra Reading

http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/laws2/alphabetical_list/lawspdfs/30.52.pdf

Unemployment

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANIZATION-UNEMPLOYMENT

As legal slavery passed, we entered into a permanent period of unemployment and underemployment from which we have yet to emerge-Julian Bond

This picture was taken on Independence Square right in front Royal Castle. It is a disturbing trend in Port-of-Spain as more and more buildings are posting job wanted signs. Why is this happening ? This is the question we must ask ourselves.There are still many citizens living in poverty in Trinidad and can not get the education they deserve although it is free. This is where culture comes into play, many of the females living in poverty believe that a husband and child is the answer however it simply creates a cycle of poverty instead of a way out and they completely disregard education.Additionally Trinis are lazy and they do not want to work hard for no "small pay" so they sit at home and be unemployed. Apart from the laziness many lower income persons are discriminated against when applying for a job if they are from Sealots for example as apposed to Maraval further driving the unemployment rate.

Furthermore university students are graduating and there are no new jobs being created to facilitate this so they are either over qualified for a cashier job at royal castle for example or under qualified as they do not have the experience and hence obtain a jobless title. A serious analysis needs to be conducted to address this problem so that a plausible solution could be put forward. 

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Traffic Congestion

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANIZATION-TRAFFIC CONGESTION

“Nobody gives way to anybody. Everyone just angles, points, dives directly toward his destination, pretending it is an all-or-nothing gamble. People glare at one another and fight for maneuvering space. All parties are equally determined to get the right-of-way--insist on it. They swerve away at the last possible moment, giving scant inches to spare. The victor goes forwards, no time for a victory grin, already engaging in another contest of will.”― Andrew X. Pham, 

      

 Traffic Congestion is a serious urban problem. This picture was taken on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain as I was journeying out of the city towards Diego Martin. It was truly an uncomfortable, frustrating, time consuming venture. To think that people endure that everyday is honestly mind-boggling. In January 2004, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development stated that cities and traffic have developed hand-in-hand since the earliest large human settlements. The same forces that draw inhabitants to congregate in large urban areas also lead to sometimes intolerable levels of traffic congestion on urban streets.

    The many causes of traffic congestion in Port-of-Spain includes the fact that it is the central business district so many people work there and the road system is very narrow. The city does not promote walking so for example a no cars zone does not exist. Also there is a shortage in the availability of off street parking so people park in the streets blocking the roads creating traffic jam. With an increasing population more people own and use private vehicles and disregard public transportation as it is not as efficient as it should be. 

    Traffic congestion can have serious negative impacts. The most obvious one being a stressed and frustrated motorist as time is wasted and in this case may result in late arrivals to meetings or employment causing loss of jobs or disciplinary actions to be taken against them. Additionally it reduces regional economic health and results in a lost of the country's productivity. Furthermore the most detrimental impact is its effect on the environment. Vehicles are left idling for hours releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and increases air pollution. With the pressing issue of climate change and global warming we see how this can be a problem.  It can result in the wearing and tearing of vehicles due to idling and an increase chance of accidents because vehicles are in such close proximity and motorists get tired.

   There have been many failed attempts at curbing traffic congestion in Port-of-Spain. Just last year a new traffic plan was implemented by the Ministry of works and Transportation- whereby Aripita Avenue was made a  one way along with Tragerete Road. Certain streets in Woodbrook was also altered but eventually the traffic plan failed and was reverted to its original status. The water taxi was introduced and runs from San Fernando to Port-of-Spain, it was a good solution but however was not very efficient at times . The bus route which is located along the east-west corridor of Trinidad runs from Port-of-Spain to Arima. The problem with the bus route is that the maxis are limited so they simple cannot support the population of travelers and the buses can only hold a limited number of people. Additionally it is not always on time as it is  extremely sensitive to everything going on in the country. Prolonged rainfall,accidents , strikes, fires etc all disrupt the time schedule of the buses.

    To fix this problem a serious study must be done and the attitude of people must change.  An efficient and reliable public transportation system must exist. We must promote a walking society instead of a ' sit in our cars " society just to get to the grocery or down the road. Furthermore the city should be zoned so that private vehicles are not allowed in various parts. Car pooling should be promoted and citizens should be offered incentives for car pooling or riding their bicycles . But would Trini's ride their bikes to work ? No! because apparently you would be a laughing stock of your office . Trinibagonians like to boast and show off so why should I ride to work when I can drive in my brand new Range Rover or BMW? It is this mindset that we need to change in order to move forward and curb the problem. 

  Lastly, it is all good when said but when it comes time to enforce there is no one to set the example. The wealthy would refuse to use public transport with the poor, government officials would refuse to ride their bikes, or carpool or use public transport. By that the general public would ask " well if they not doing it then why do they want us to do ?" .This is a serious question posed by the public that government officials need to consider when implementing traffic congestion solutions.

    


EXTRA READING
http://www.mariavazphoto.com/curitiba_pages/curitiba_trans.html
A succesful solution to traffic congestion

http://www.newsday.co.tt/business/0,66452.html
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,70804.html

Homelessness

The Dark Side of Urbanisation- Homelessness

             "Like a man who has been dying for many days, a man in your city is numb to the stench.” 
                                                                                             ― Chief Seattle

This image shows two homeless males in the capital city of Trinidad, Port-of-Spain- the left resides on George street and the right Independence Square. The picture on the right specifically shows the mentally of many persons in Trinidad as she just walks by casually completely ignoring the guy. It is not surprising that this happens, our culture has become shifted from community based values to individualistic values whereby everyone cares for themselves. Homeless people are often discriminated against, victimized, frowned upon and severely rejected by the public. Societal issues is the major cause of homelessness as there is extreme disparities with respect to the distribution of wealth- cities become developed and the focus is on economic growth and political growth whilst social growth takes a back seat.

  Grant (2008) stated that homelessness in Trinidad is an urban problem , because the urban centers are where the financial exchange takes place and where the action is so therefore it is the place to be in order to survive. He also stated that homeless people are victims of poverty, adult abuse , mental illness, prisons, children's homes, child abuse, domestic abuse and drug abuse.. Gopie ( 2012) emphasized that mental illness is one of the main causes of homelessness in Trinidad. Many citizens that has some sort of mental illness is usually neglected by their family members as they become a burden to them and facilities in Trinidad are in the minority using old methods and are overcrowded. As a result these people are kicked out of their homes and have no where else to live but the streets.

  This is not a problem for Trinidad alone a report by the US Conference of Majors on 26 December 2012: showed that despite the dwindling resources, US cities are facing an increasing demand to provide emergency food and shelter to poor. In its annual report on hunger and homelessness, the US Conference of Mayors noted that in more than 64 per cent of cities homeless families were being turned away by emergency shelters because no beds were available. Additinally emergency kitchens and food pantries in many cities had to serve smaller meals to clients. In many instances the lack of resources meant people in need had to be turned away.This problem is not restricted to Trinidad it is worldwide and as urban centers continue to grow and expand homelessness would continue to thrive.

 Ones attitude needs to checked when dealing with the issue of homelessness. In Trinidad the stigma against vagrants is so strong and we as a  people fail to see human beings suffering on our streets. Instead we see helpless subhumans that bought this problem on themselves. Even though yes some of the vagrants in Trinidad are drug abusers and alcohol abusers there is no substantial help for them to cure them of their addiction. The saying goes you cannot help someone who does not to help themselves but, homeless people because of how they look and smell are denied access to health care and other basic needs therefore because we turn them away initially it is only natural that their response is to disregard us. It is truly sad and heartbreaking that we as people can ignore and watch blankly other human beings like ourselves suffer on the streets with broken bones, mentally illness and various illness and say comfortably that they put themselves there so why should I care.  Until our attitudes are changed and wealth is distributed evenly within a country then homelessness would continue to increase.


“For those who are lost, there will always be cities that feel
like home.”― Simon Van Booy
We are in danger of making cities places where business goes on but where life in its real sense is lost- Hurbert H. Humphery

Extra Reading 
http://www.catholicnews-tt.net/archives/08/08/03/viewpoint.htm
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Tackling_homelessness_in_T_T-160782245.html
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,75537.html

Loss of Culture

The Dark Side Of Urbanisation-Loss of Culture 

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody only because and when they are created by everybody-Jane Jacobs

     Mc Donalds, T.G.I. Fridays, Wendys and Pollo Tropical are all representatives of Transnational Co-operations. These are companies that operate in more than one country with its  headquarters in a main country like the U.S.A. or Japan for example and has been facilitated by globalisation. This picture shows how Trinidad and Tobago is being bombarded by these companies and losing its food one of our important cultural aspects. Subway, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Church's Chicken, Ruby Tuesdays, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Haagen Dazs, ColdStone and Yougart Land are some of the foreign entities destroying our local cuisine. It is extremely sad and frustrating to see the city being overcrowded by these foreign entities and has me wondering what is happening to our local dishes. These restaurants are mainly fast foods hence promoting an unhealthy lifestyle Additionally because they are abundant and easily accessible it promotes families to not cook food and eat out on a constant basis slowly but surely depleting their health . The creole food industry is under intense competition and owners are forced to make their restaurants meet the standards of these transnational co-operations and as a result the prices are ridiculous and locals could barely afford.

   
Apart from the local food industry the malls are being filled with foreign clothing companies such as Kenneth Cole and Guess just to name a few and brands such as Nike  Adidas  Puma, Aeropostale are the leading brands for men of this day. Everyone worldwide looks the same therefore killing individual identities. Furthermore local hotels and guest houses are being replaced by 5 star hotels such as Hyatt regency, Hilton and Marriott. Our festivals are also being influenced. Carnival- Trinidad and Tobago's biggest cultural festival is losing its originality and identity. 

  
   This festival is mainly celebrated in the capital city Port-of-Spain and comprises of many various elements from the steel pan to calypsonians, soca and costumes. The costumes are becoming more indecent following the style of Brazil,  local costume makers are going out of business as they are now being made in china, traditional carnival characters are scarce and the music has a pop sense to it . Although these mechanisms are putting carnival on the world map you can no longer look at the festival and say yes, that is from Trinidad when you are seeing distinct varying elements a clear sign of identity and culture loss.

  
 I am not saying no to globalisation or the idea of being influenced by other places and spaces however, the negative effects must be taken into consideration and its effects needs to be understood by policy makers, the government and the people. The New York state university asks if globalisation is the integration of economic,political and cultural systems across the globe or is it the dominance of developed countries in decision making at the expense of the poorer, less developed, less powerful nations ? Is it a force for economic growth, prosperity and democratic freedom or a force for environmental devastation and   exploitation of the developing world?  Lastly who really and truly benefits from globalisation ? 

 Unfortunately cities are losing their identity and the culture is being lost as more and people entertain the idea that the global north is supreme and disregard their own. Until that mentality is lost I believe that cities would continue to become Americanize and its original culture would be lost completely.

 “By its nature, the metropolis provides what otherwise could be given only by traveling; namely, the strange.” 
― Jane Jacobs

Overcrowding

THE DARK SIDE OF URBANISATION - OVERCROWDING

THE CITY IS NOT A CONCRETE JUNGLE IT IS A HUMAN ZOO-DESMOND MORRIS



   On a Friday afternoon upon walking towards the Queens Park Savannah this is the maze on Charlotte Street I must maneuver through to get to my final destination. It is a clear portrayal of the chaos and confusion that is Port-of-Spain with vendors on the street side as well as in the road and citizens buzzing through the town.  By looking at the picture ones brain is automatically turn on, so much activity is taking place it is difficult to focus on one aspect alone which is exactly how I felt as a pedestrian.  The side walk was like a race track with no distinct road lines as citizens sped along the street taking down anything in its pathway. Vendors yelled at the top of their voices as they tried to make a sale and they were everywhere selling everything from fruits to vegetables to clothes to shoes just to name a few.
    This phenomenon is known as overcrowding. In 2012  the population within Port-of-Spain is estimated to be 330,000 persons, this figure is so high because as a urban entity it provides housing for many of the country's commercial, government, administrative services, transportation network and residents. It is the ideal pull factor as City Gate the country's main transportation system is located in Port-of-Spain, the infrastructure uses recent technology as buildings and roads are well functioning. Entertainment centres such as Movie Towne and Clubs such as 51 degrees and Zen are all located in Port-of-Spain. The countrys' top primary and secondary schools are located there; government offices such as Parliament, the headquarters for banks and many utilitarian companies( T.S.T.T. or T&TEC) are present therefore with so many resources present it is an ideal space for human attention. Unfortunately the same space that is attractive is limited. As a result overcrowding occurs. The picture shows one small part of Charlotte street and look at how jumbled it is .
     Due to high rents and limited space the majority of the buildings in Port-of-Spain are literally joined at the hip and are mostly high raised. This is so to utilise space efficiently but, it creates problems as was seen in October of last year when one store on Charlotte street caught fire led to a ripple effect of near by stores leaving thirty persons jobless and businesses lost. Additionally the lack of space results in street vending as persons can not afford the rent for land or it is simply not available. The street vending on Charlotte street got so bad that vehicular traffic was not allowed on a Saturday morning and the streets were drowning with shoppers and vendors. The government however made it mandatory for vendors to get permits in an  attempt to curb the problem.
Apart from the issues mentioned above overcrowding results in increased temperatures in urban spaces. This occurs because there is an increase in the quantity of buildings and a decrease in the greenary hence the albedo effect is altered significantly resulting in an increase in the overall temperature of the city. Changes in the water cycle also occur again because of the reduction of greenary present . It also has detrimental effects on the environment such as land, air and water pollution.
   Overcrowding additionally leads to the phenomenom known as urban sprawl whereby the city is expanded to surrounding areas. This can be seen in Trinidad with ST Anns, Woodbrook and Belmont just to name a few. A few measures can be taken to reduce overcrowding in cities , these include; decentralisation, the creation and enforcement of laws pertaining particularly to street vendors, and the creation of new towns. This would reduce the rural to urban migration that occurs and provide the city with more free space so it can be utilised comfortably.

All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim.-Christopher Morley

http://www.thedailyherald.com/regional/2-news/21921-30-jobless-after-fire-hit-downtown-port-of-spain.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1260329/Worlds-largest-cities-morphing-overcrowded-mega-regions-defined-poverty-pollution-UN-report-warns.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19552480/Port-of-Spain-Case-Study

Introduction

 This blog focuses on the dark side of urbanisation , it looks at the negativity within and created by urban spaces such as crime( illegal vending) , pollution ( air, water and land), poverty, traffic congestion, use of space and overall frustration of citizens due to over population in the city . All my blog enteries would focus specifically on these elements and its prominence in  Port-of-Spain.