- INTERNATIONAL WATERFRONT CENTRE!
The International Waterfront Centre is now part of the newly transformed and revitalized coast bordering downtown Port of Spain. This 26 story skyscraper, is the genesis of the revitalization to occur in downtown Port of Spain. This revitalization process can be related to the case study of New Orleans, "Revitalising the Central Business District in the Face of Decline: The Case of New Orleans, 1973-1993" by Jane S. Brooks and Alma H. Young. As seen in the background of the photograph, is another high-rise building being constructed in the City. These transformations of the Urban portrays certain type of atmosphere or environment to suit and encourage only a certain class and lifestyle of citizens. The Waterfront is very calm and serene although it is located in the City and is usually opened to the public. It is therefore a privatized public space, as it is open to the public, however only a certain class of people, mainly the elite and upper class of society. People using the area seem to be of either upper class or of the extreme lower class as seen in the photograph below.
EITHER- THE HIGH CLASS, WEALTHY POPULATION,
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| High class population visiting the Hyatt. |
OR- THE HOMELESS, VAGRANTS OF THE CITY!
Although I like the fact that the Waterfront is open to the public, so that anyone, either working or visiting the City could have access to the quiet, clean and relaxing environment and get away from the noisy, unsanitary streets, it upsets me that there are absolutely no restrictions for who could use the area. I am speaking about the presence of the naked vagrant right outside the Hotel, where there are several security and policemen on the compound of the centre. Therefore when pedestrians are passing by or visitors of the Hotel step outside to view the ocean and enjoy the calming music, vagrants are waiting to greet them with "OPEN BUTT CHEEKS!!!"
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| Nude Vagrant exposing himself to the public at the Waterfront |
As a seafront hotel, the ocean should be protected from the disposal of the hotel's waste, so that the environment remains clean and serene. Walking along, the sidewalk, I only noticed just one warning sign on a whole stretch of the coast occupied by the hotel, therefore I would have liked to see more warning signs especially since there are kids playing around the water. There should definitely also be more security to restrict the street vagrants from entering the premises of the International Waterfront Centre!!!
BELMONT (Free Town)
Belmont or more commonly known as "Free Town" is the first emancipation village of Trinidad and Tobago. Free Town is the first suburb to emerge from the City of Port of Spain and it is located on the North-Eastern electoral district of the CBD. It is bounded by Port of Spain ‘proper’, Gonzales and the Northern Range. Free Town was and still is the home to the ex-slaves after emancipation and now is inhabited by their younger generations. Since the ex-slaves basically just scattered and wanted to find a place to settle and call "home" , they basically built their home without any sort of urban planning design. As you look up at the community from the lower grounds it may appear that the houses are built on top of one another. this was because the slaves were trying to build up on higher grounds as a means of protection right after the emancipation. Over the years they were basically forced to ascend higher into the hills as a result of the City Growth. The City still lacks any sort of urban planning and therefore the suburb fringing from the city also lacks planning. The houses in the community are tightly knitted along the narrow winding roads that seem to have no pattern. As one resident pointed out, "...people built their houses, then the roads came, then the drains and then the pavements"; therefore planning is lacking and I would definitely have liked to see more facilities and organisations like the Free Town Foundation, that could help preserve and restore the culture and closeness of this community.
As the houses are built so close to each other, it indicated that the community is very close. This idea gives true meaning to the saying, "it takes a community to raise a child". The community is filled with friendliness and togetherness as you walk through the streets. This quality stood out to me as there aren't many communities within Trinidad that are like this today. The community is also filled with heritage and culture of Trinidad. It is the birthplace of the whole Carnival culture of Trinidad and Tobago as the Ken Morris Mas Camp is located in the community as well as various Pan Yards. The community displays the drive and enthusiasm for learning as the community is said the have the highest concentration of schools. There was also the School for the Arts where even on a Saturday when the youth of the community are not at the government's school, there is still a community school in which the youths could go and express themselves culturally. I believe this could also help to reverse the negative stereotypes that has plagued the community for centuries. I am referring to the high crime rate of this community. With faculties like this and even the Queens Park Savannah on the outskirt of the community, the Youth could engage themselves in activities that will build the community and keep the connection between the youths.
Assessing "good neighbourhoods"
Mixed blocks with different buildings of different ages and conditions;
Streets with short blocks and numerous corners;
A dense concentration of people.
According to Jane's principles, Belmont displayed a better example of a good neighbourhood to me than the International Waterfront Centre. The Belmont community had many different functions as is serves more than one primary function by providing housing, religious institutions, shops, school and other services. The community also attracts a far wider range of people as they come from the outside to order their carnival costumes, while spreading out their activities over longer periods of time. Consequently, the streets and sidewalks of Belmont are more active and safer both day and night, while being less congested at peak periods. The CBD however was primarily economic activity with no or very little other activities.
The Belmont community however did not particularly have mixed blocks with different buildings of different ages and conditions as most of the buildings were built long ago and therefore had similar architecture and design as seen in the photograph below.
Part of the physical diversity of a healthy district, she argues, is the retention of old buildings mixed in with the new. There were a couple newer buildings however the older ones dominated the community. Old buildings offered cheap space for new businesses and low-cost housing. They also provided the visual and emotional landmarks that anchor a neighborhood in space and time.
The streets of Belmont were indeed very short as they formed blocks and numerous corners. The streets and sidewalks, as much as parks, did in fact prove to be the true public spaces of the community, whereas the Waterfront was really a privatized public space. Street traffic was a necessary part of community life as most people in Belmont walk to the nearer places as the buildings are close to each other. As a resident mentioned, "everything tight around the corner". Jacobs’s suggestion that streets should be redesigned to favour pedestrians over cars is a precursor to current techniques of “traffic calming." and was already being practiced in the community.
Belmont do in fact house a dense concentration of people however with variety. On the other hand, there were significantly less people at the Waterfront as there were mostly people of a higher class and therefore there wasn't any coupling with variety which isn't a good neighbourhood according to Jane's Principles.
BELMONT (Free Town)
Belmont or more commonly known as "Free Town" is the first emancipation village of Trinidad and Tobago. Free Town is the first suburb to emerge from the City of Port of Spain and it is located on the North-Eastern electoral district of the CBD. It is bounded by Port of Spain ‘proper’, Gonzales and the Northern Range. Free Town was and still is the home to the ex-slaves after emancipation and now is inhabited by their younger generations. Since the ex-slaves basically just scattered and wanted to find a place to settle and call "home" , they basically built their home without any sort of urban planning design. As you look up at the community from the lower grounds it may appear that the houses are built on top of one another. this was because the slaves were trying to build up on higher grounds as a means of protection right after the emancipation. Over the years they were basically forced to ascend higher into the hills as a result of the City Growth. The City still lacks any sort of urban planning and therefore the suburb fringing from the city also lacks planning. The houses in the community are tightly knitted along the narrow winding roads that seem to have no pattern. As one resident pointed out, "...people built their houses, then the roads came, then the drains and then the pavements"; therefore planning is lacking and I would definitely have liked to see more facilities and organisations like the Free Town Foundation, that could help preserve and restore the culture and closeness of this community.
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| Houses ascending into the hills appearing as if they are built on top each other. |
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| Narrow Streets with closely knit houses. |
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| Social Facility for the youths. Most buildings or faculties are designed similar to this one. |
Jane Jacob’s principles of good neighbourhoods:
Mixed use – different functions;Mixed blocks with different buildings of different ages and conditions;
Streets with short blocks and numerous corners;
A dense concentration of people.
According to Jane's principles, Belmont displayed a better example of a good neighbourhood to me than the International Waterfront Centre. The Belmont community had many different functions as is serves more than one primary function by providing housing, religious institutions, shops, school and other services. The community also attracts a far wider range of people as they come from the outside to order their carnival costumes, while spreading out their activities over longer periods of time. Consequently, the streets and sidewalks of Belmont are more active and safer both day and night, while being less congested at peak periods. The CBD however was primarily economic activity with no or very little other activities.
The Belmont community however did not particularly have mixed blocks with different buildings of different ages and conditions as most of the buildings were built long ago and therefore had similar architecture and design as seen in the photograph below.
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| Typical design of Belmont buildings. |
The streets of Belmont were indeed very short as they formed blocks and numerous corners. The streets and sidewalks, as much as parks, did in fact prove to be the true public spaces of the community, whereas the Waterfront was really a privatized public space. Street traffic was a necessary part of community life as most people in Belmont walk to the nearer places as the buildings are close to each other. As a resident mentioned, "everything tight around the corner". Jacobs’s suggestion that streets should be redesigned to favour pedestrians over cars is a precursor to current techniques of “traffic calming." and was already being practiced in the community.
Belmont do in fact house a dense concentration of people however with variety. On the other hand, there were significantly less people at the Waterfront as there were mostly people of a higher class and therefore there wasn't any coupling with variety which isn't a good neighbourhood according to Jane's Principles.
