Reflection

REFLECTION

Before viewing my other colleagues post it became clear to me that urban housing in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad was linked in place and space with both economic and social dynamics of the city.  Firstly, we will consider the history and architecture of housing in Port-of-Spain.  It is the uniqueness of each period in history and home design which help us move from colonial period of very English type plantation homes, to government low and high rises towards today’s very contemporary dwellings. Housing and its type of architecture also helps us to understand why the processes of neglect or decay, gentrification and revivalism are occuring.

 http://urbanarchitecture-pos.blogspot.com/

Today’s very diverse urban structure has lead to definite spatial locations of specific economic and social practices.  For example the spatial distinction of the East from the West, with the West boasting of wealth and economic growth and revitalization projects, the emergency of new housing types and other modern amenities.  The East on the other hand seems to be on its way down, stuck in place, a dismal place where no one wants to enter.  Those who reside here are stuck in time and space.  A place of  great historical significance, whose ambitions have been hidden behind economic and social trama.  Today, the social dynamics, as expressed by Gideon Sjoberg (1960), in his pre-industrial model, is true in the city of Port-of-Spain. For greater detail follow the link provided:

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

http://spatialdynamicsofanurbanenvironment.blogspot.com/

Government hosing initiatives of both low and high rise apartments are seen as a double-edge sword.  It’s use to accommodated large numbers of low income individual has gained it merit. Yet, on the other hand it, has been associated with congestion, crime and gang related violence.  The emergency of this subculture seeks to perpetuate poverty.  Also, with increased urbanization especially in the developing world, this problem will be further exasperated.  It, is clear that urban spaces are dynamic and a neighborhoods place in an urban space is important in surviving modern processes. In order for residential neighborhoods within  urban spaces to survive, this disorganized phase, they will not only need economic strength but governmental backing and social capital in order to survive.

http://urbancongestion.blogspot.com/

Under-utilised Spaces

Under-utilised Spaces

The above photograph is a picture of an abandoned house in the neighborhood of St. Clair.  On closer inspection the place appears to be vandalized and a location for unwanted waste. 

Empty Lots, overgrown grass and trees, areas for dumping refuse and vandalism are common when places are left abandoned.  In Port-of-Spain, empty lots are a common feature.  Empty lots can be seen everywhere.  The picture above shows an abandoned house nestled in the business district of St.Clair.  It can be conclude that this negative phenomenon is not immune to any particular community.  Both West and East Port-of-Spain have many of these “Under-utilized spaces”.  It has been estimated that Port-of-Spain has over “400 under-utilised spaces”, which comprise mainly of abandoned lots, dilapidated buildings and homes.  (Dickson 2012)

It is clear that empty spaces need to be turned into spaces of opportunity.   With the ever increasing retail prices of city land, wasting space is not an option.  The government therefore needs to tackle this increasing problem of empty space.  In many developed countries governments have programs that give home owners options, for example to rent, sell or refurbish the units.  For instance the “City of York” , is an empty property loan, “Empty Property Loan”, provided by the government of  England. (Local Government Association n.d., 6)  See the following link to get further information on the “City of York” loan.     www.york.gov.uk/housing/private_housing/Empty_properties/

Similar, to England the island of Trinidad needs to revitalize abandoned spaces.  Spaces can be used for parking to help curb the parking problem, for vending, recreation spaces  or even housing.  For Trinidad legislation is the way forward, we must legislate in order to amerliorate.

Biblography

Dickson, Dixie- Ann. "Broken Port-of-Spain." Guardian Media. 06 14, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.tt (accessed 05 06, 2014).

Local Government Association. Council Action to tackle empty homes. Google.tt. London.(accessed 05 06, 2014).

Voluntary Segregation

After the colonial period, the city of Port-of-Spain continued to exhibited high levels of segregation.  The colonials and ex-enslaved continued to reside in separate niches.

In the twentieth century, like most of the contemporary world the processes of exclusion and segregation continue to strive. The processes of exclusion and segregation have been further bolstered in Port-of-Spain, with the advent of globalization. This can be seen in the trend towards gated communities by the urban elites and middle class.  These compounds represent a particular type of lifestyle, an elite identity a part of social different ion. (Erten 2013)  “Gated communities have become global commodities and cultural icons, which are readily consumed by the urban elite world-wide”  (Genis 2007)

Gated communities emerged in the US in the 1980’s, in an attempt to house the growing urban population.  By the twentieth century, these neighborhoods became popular as a contributor to inequality and differentiation.  This type of New Urbanism is underpinned by socio-economic polarization of a particular group. (Hall 2012):

The growing trend locally:

•           Elite communities, lifestyle of prestige and exclusion
•           Increased numbers cropping up in the inner city and outskirts
•           Attracts young professionals
•           Self- Contained
•           Increased security (guards, security intercoms and high walls)

Today, gated communities can be equated to designer labels.  Very costly and are increasing in popularity as time space compression speeds up the circulation of knowledge and trends.  [(Murray 2006) (Hall 2012)]   One can expected to see more and more communities like these in Trinidad as more individual seek this type of “voluntary segregation”.

Bibliography

Erten, Erdem. "Global Image Hegemony:Istanbul's Gated Communities as the New International Journal of Architectural Reasearch." Archnet-IJAR, Vol.7(2), 2013: 251.

Genis, Serife. "Producing Elite Localities: The rise of Gated Communties in Istanbul." Urban Studies: Sage , 2007: 771.

Hall, Tim and Heat Barrett. Urban Geography. London andNew York: Routledge, 2012.

Laventille, East Port-Spain

Laventille is one of the oldest residential communities in East Port-of-Spain. It is located at the rim of the city on the foothills of the Northern Range.  This unplanned development is a mixture of ad hoc houses and government low income high rises.  Like most of East Port-of-Spain, Laventille is deeply embedded in the cultural history of Trinidad. (Steel pan, calypso, and carnival)  Today, however the community echoes a different tune, the famous Caribbean writer and poet Derek Walcott described the community in his poem, “The middle passage never guessed its end” as: (Baldeosingh 2008)

“This is the height of poverty,

for the desperate and black....Derek Walcott.

Revitalizing Laventille

According to the Major of Port-of-Spain Louis Lee Sing, change is on the way.  The Inter-America Development Bank (IDB) in partnership with the government of Trinidad and Tobago are embarking on a plan under the “Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative”, to redevelop Laventille.  Redevelopment is usually seen as the removal of blight, be it social, economic of physical deficices whilst achieving a new image for the community.  The plan is to turn the residences of East Port-of-Spain into business, in an attempt to eradicate intergenerational poverty and crime. (Guardian Media 2012)  The hope is to reconnect East Port-of –Spain with the city.

Revitalizing poverty stricken communities by creating economic opportunity and fighting poverty have become common government initiatives in both the developed world and developing world.  Governments and scholars alike believe that the war must be fought, through the use of a “place based strategy”.  (Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative- The White House n.d.)   The United States President,  Barack Obama, July 18, 2007, declared:

“If poverty is a disease that infects an entire community in the form of unemployment and violence; failing schools and broken homes, then we can’t just treat those symptoms in isolation. We have to heal that entire community” - Barack Obama (Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative- The White House n.d.)

Another key factor that is common in most of these communities are strong community bonds and high levels of social capital.  Some academics are of the view that these bonds can be capitalized with the injection of increased resources and help to counter debilitating trends.  

Biblography

Baldeosingh, Kevin. "Laventille then is now." 08 08, 2008. www.newsday.co.tt (accessed 04 06, 2014).

Guardian Media. "East P.O.S: Decaying." Guardian Media Limited. 11 04, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.tt (accessed 04 05, 2014).

Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative- The White House. Report, Washington: White House.

North-East Port-of-Spain:  Belmont or “Freetown”

Belmont’s housing developments are deeply entwined within Port-of-Spain’s history.  Belmont was Port-of-Spain’s first suburb.   After emancipation settlement began in two forms.

(1)    1840-50’s – Africans rescued by the British from illegal slaving ships.  The chief of the Rada community bought land within Belmont and today, his descendants still reside on the land he purchased.

(2)    1840-90’s – Formally enslaved Africans seeking employment

Initially, shacks and settlements sprang up haphazardly. Today, the area is still characterized by narrow roads, lanes and crisscrossed curving roads. By 1970 Belmont was developed as a poor and working class community.[ (Dickman 1992) (Polese 1992)].  The area became known as “the Black St.Clair” as many persons of the black professional’s class resided there (Trinidad and Tobago Finder n.d.).  These professional were victims of racial residential segregation.  Nevertheless, with them came the introduction of large homes in Belmont.   Today, many of the gingerbread homes have been converted into concrete homes or business. Yet, some housing have remained in the hands of family. The area is currently a lower to middle class residential neighborhood.

The community is approximately a five minute walk from all of Port-of-Spain’s services and the urban experience.  Yet, from looking at the picture one might conclude that the area is serene.  Cars parked idly at the side of the road, lots of greenery, a man walking to the neighborhood parlor in the most nonchalant manner, with a gas tank on his head.  Definitely, the atmosphere is not representative of the usually urban hectic lifestyle.

Today, Belmont is viewed in a negative light.  Crime and gang violence have surface, which is common in very high density low income communities. Muhammad Muwakil, an upcoming Trinidadian poet expressed the change in Belmont, with his poem, “4 am in Belmont”. (Muller 2013-14)

“Reel at images of over-educated cocaine dealers under streetlamps,

and the sound of gunshots that usher souls away from the realm of men”

“Buy a dream from a crack head and stitch it to the fabric of your being,

to begin to understand the meaning of mayhem”. (Muhammad Muwaki)l

                                                                                                   (Muller 2013-14)

Bibliography

Muller, Nazma. Muhammad Muwakil: A world to change. 2013-14. http://caribbean-beat.com/issue-117 (accessed 04 06, 2014).

Polese, Mario and Sylvain Mendard. "Is down town on the way down?" Montreal: Montreal Interuniversity Group, 1992. 12.

Trinidad and Tobago Finder. Google.tt. www.tntfinder.com (accessed 04 06, 2014).

Residential Differentiation

 Residential differentiation in Port-of-Spain can be observed quite easily.  As with most countries the poor reside to the east and the rich to the west.  The photo above was taken off Lady Chancellor Hill, the houses viewed in these neighborhoods are usually large, modern and are very costly thus only the rich are able to purchase said residences. The occupants are usually White (French creole our local term), foreigners and a few Indians, quite a contrast to the Negro dominated neighborhoods of Belmont and the Inner city.  Hence housing in Port-of-Spain has long been associated with specific ethnic and economic groups clustering together over time. This has decreased the chances of racial change in that area.  Massey and Denton have conined the term “hyper segregation” in an attempt to explain the clustering of particular groups.

The arena of residential segration and its measurability has been debated widely.  Some researchers are of the view that the spatial outcomes of either "unevenness", "exposure", "clustering" or "centralization" have created “segregation". (Massey 2006) Urban spatial structure is multidimensional. [(Timms 1987),(Massey 2006)]The process of residential process stems from numerous process.  It can be viewed as an interplay between many economic and social processes.

In previous post it is clear that some of our Port-of-Spain’s housing inequalities have been inherited from our colonial past which has encouraged differentiation.  Today however, privatization, rental housing and less public investment in urban housing has also helped to increased differentiation.  Port-of-Spain similar to the American cities , spoken of by White 1988, in his book  the “American Neighborhoods and Residential Differentiation”  the characteristics of poverty, income, education and ethnicity have contribute to a high concentration of certain groups in certain geographical niches.  Thus like all cities Port-of-Spain exhibits some degree residential differentiation.

Bibliography

Massey, Douglas S., Nancy A. Denton. "Google Scholar." The Dimensions of Residential Segregation, 2006: 281-315

 White, Michael J.. American neighborhoods and residential differentiation. New York: Russell Sage Foundation for the National Committee for Research on the 1980 Census, 1987.

How we house our urban Homeless

Homelessness and housing for the socially displaced is one of the major urban problems that continue to plague the world.  The legal definition and perceptions of homelessness differs worldwide.  In Trinidad for instance the general view of the homeless are individuals who have no place to live and no permanent job.

The centre for the socially displaced –Riverside Car park

Similar to the definition of homelessness the sources of homelessness are varied and many.  Some people are of the view that individuals are responsible for their personal success and failures. If this were true we should find the same type of and proportion of homeless in cities worldwide. This is not the case.

Dr. L Trevor conducted a study in an attempt to understand the islands homeless population in Trinidad and Tobago.  In his study he found that many homeless persons did not choose to become homeless.  He found that 40%, had nowhere to reside, 25% lost their caregiver, due to death, 21% had drug and alcohol issues,  and the remaining 14% live in hospitals/ prison/ or unemployed. (Grant 2008). The fore mentioned study indicates that homelessness in Trinidad is not merely due to a housing shortage but a myriad of issues.

The above photo which shows the use of a car park to house the homeless is a clear indication that the homeless are not only victims of poverty but also victims’ of inadequate social development.  The remedy of housing the homeless in a car park is mostly cosmetic and pays very little attention to the people plight of the homeless. Similar to many countries, the islands must first confront our structural, social, political and cultural issues regarding the homeless and housing the homeless.  

The director of statistics of the Central Statistical Office (CSO) revealed at a press conference held by  the Ministry of Planning and the Economy revealed that Port-of-Spain’s homeless population has grown ” by 13.4 per cent between the 2000-2011”. He also revealed that the “major of growth is concentrated in Port-of-Spain”. The 2011 census showed that there was approximately, 307 street-dwellers in Port-of –Spain, and 93 per cent are males. (These statistics exclude persons who live in shelters) (Kowlessar 2012)

The burden of change cannot be placed on the government; homelessness must be tackled at the individual level. It is clear that there is a need for a change in our perception of the homeless and how we treat our homeless and the methods used to house them. 

Bibliography

"CatholicNews::Viewpoint."CatholicNews:Viewpoint.http://www.catholicnews.tt.net/archives/08/08/03/viewpoint.htm (accessed April 8, 2014).

Kowlessar, Geisha. "Guardian Media." Guardian Media Ltd. 06 19, 2012. https://guardian.co.tt (accessed 02 27, 2014).

Living Similarily in Varying Geographical Locations

Interested in Upscale Condo Living, One Woodbrook Place offers:  All the “commodities and convinces under the sun” including the sun.

 Amazing gardens, garden patios, excellent views, pool, fitness centre, courtyard, lobby, elevators, secure parking, downstairs shopping, restaurants, accessibility to the city and its nightlife.

No, I’m not advertizing for “One Woodbrook Palace” but my list could go on and on describing this “all inclusive housing arrangement”.  It is quite a contrast to the remaining residential neighborhoods in Woodbrook.  (Humble gingerbread type, one storey, middle income residences). These highrise represent the ultra-modern Woodbrook, a neighborhood of style and class. A one bedroom studio apartment cost approximately $1.6 million TT. The complex is home some of Port-of-Spain’s wealthy elites, professionals and foreigners. Today, developers and occupants alike use the term ‘apartment’, to avoid being stigmatized with the high rise developments of East Port-of-Spain.

What can be attributed to this new chic urban housing culture in Pot-of-Spain?

This trend towards chic urban high rise housing in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad rings a similar tune to the rest of the contemporary world.  Today, with the advent of globalization, many theorists have postulated the local and global are “inextricably bound together in the current phase” a type of “no place space”. [(Featherstone, 2003, p.343) (MUSICINDEVELOPMENT 2011)].  This “current phase” in the arena of housing is dominated and expressed as an extension of Western culture. This ‘global culture’ promotes a specific lifestyle and consumption patterns.  Consumption in this instance relates directly to a type of self expression and “satisfaction” (Baudrillard, 1981).  Globally, this has led to a type of consumption based on the “experience” (Featherstone 2008).  In this case the ability to afford and reside in an elite apartment with other individuals of similar status. Thus, as more and more of Trinidad’s elite and young professionals buy into this trend, we are expected to see an increase in the popularity of these chic high rise apartments. Hence, it can be said that globally numerous individuals are seeking to live similarly in diverse cities in varying geographical locations.

As Featherstone declared:

‘Our experiences and means of orientation necessarily become divorced from the physical locations in which we live’ [(Featherstone, 2003, p. 342) (MUSICINDEVELOPMENT 2011)]

Biblography

Featherstone, Mike. "City Cultures and Post-Modern Lifestyles." In Post-Fordist: Areader, by Ash Amin, 389. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.

MUSICINDEVELOPMENT. Google Scholar. 12 11, 2011. http://musicindevelopment.com/ (accessed 03 11, 2014).

Port-of-Spain Field Trip

Port-of-Spain Field Excursion

March 22^nd, 2014

PART 1

ST. CLAIR

What do we like? What needs protecting? What would we like more of?

Security Systems observed in St. Clair   St. Clair is an upscale, affluent neighbourhood of North-West Port-of-Spain. This community is stepped in history (The Magnificent Seven) and also has the modern luxuries of wide roads, upscale shop restaurants, private clubs, schools and numerous parks.  On the residential side the atmosphere is very safe, serene and very green. Large homes are pushed back on enormous well-manicured lots. Both the commercial side and the residential side of the neighbourhood are very inviting.        The large trees and parks and remaining wildlife (Birds, iguanas etc.) need to be protected.        The community is surrounded by numerous parks (tennis court, cricket pitch, walking pathways etc.)  Yet, when we ask the users of the facilities if they resided in the St. Clair many did not.  More residents should utilise thecommunity areas which they have been allotted.

What don’t we Like?  What needs changing now?  What is getting worse?

The neighbourhood is exclusionist in character. It seems uninhabited by humans on the residential side. The community is not immune from litter and graffiti.  The litter problem became more apparent on the commercial side. Another refuse issue was the remaining bottles, cups and rejected pieces of carnival costumes. (In drains and sidewalks, two weeks after carnival). The litter problem raises questions about the cities oversight regarding carnival refuse.  One of the down sides of the community would be abandoned plots and derelict houses.  This is representative of wasted space and also encourages dumping of waste and unwanted occupation.

What needs to be improved?  E.g facilities for young people, parking, security

On the commercial side of the community parking problems are evident.  Solutions like park and shuttle may easy the situation.  The greater problem would be to encourage people who work and live within these neighbourhoods to walk, bike or travel instead of bringing their vehicles into the city.

(Conducting a placecheck of any one area PLUS BELMONT 2014)

BELMONT

What do we like? What needs protecting? What would we like more of?

Neslted in Belmont, Trinidad threatre workshop The community of Belmont is deeply embeddedand integrated in the history, culture and socio-economic heart of the city of Port-of-Spain.  The community today incorporates both commercial and residential space.  It is the cities first suburb. It is the birthplace of many carnival bands, bandleaders, calypso singers and many of the countries athletes. Today as you walk through the neighbourhoods there are many pan yards.(Casablanca, Belmont Symphony, Belmont City Kids, Dem Boys and many more.  There seems to still exist a tight knit community.  Neighbours not only greet each other, but actually know each other.(Names)  The socializing and community type living needs to be protected.  The few facilities that exist (pan yards, theatre) need to be preserved.

What don’t we Like?  What needs changing now?  What is getting worse?

Graffiti in Belmont Similar to St. Clair, litter is also a problem which is has been further exasperated by a regular waste disposal problem. Under many do not dump signs regular waste is piled high.  Many walls display graffiti expressions, some political and others gang related. The continued display of the symbols makes one very uneasy.  A more efficient waste removal system is needed.  Residents need to also take responsibility for their waste.  The removal of graffiti should be tackled.  The mentality that Belmont is criminal hot spot and cannot be changed.  Increased crime continues to plague the community.

What needs to be improved?  E.g facilities for young people, parking, security

There is a clear need for facilities for young people; parking is representative of some of the major problems in the community.  It was observed that many streets had unoccupied dilapidated homes and even empty lots which can be redevelopment for community purposes. The area is known for drugs and gang violence.  This type of behaviour must be challenged and stopped.

(Conducting a placecheck of any one area PLUS BELMONT 2014)

2. What distinguishes a ” good neighbourhoods”?

Jane Jacobs is a known twenty century urban critic.  In her seminal work, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, in her work she created principals of good neighbourhoods.(Jacobs 1961). The communities of St.Clair and Belmont will be assessed below according to Jane Jacobs’s principals of mixed use, mixed blocks, streets with short blocks and many corners and high density neighbourhoods.

Belmont, Port-of-Spain

The idea of mixed use has been partially incorporated within the communities of St. Clair and Belmont.   Jane Jacobs has expressed the view that “good neighbourhoods” should exhibit a blend of commercial and residential which functionally integrates the social. The observed communities do have thriving commercial and residential areas yet both neighbourhoods have not been able to integrate their social components.  In St. Clair for example, it close proximity to the city has reduced the distance between work (if you work in the city) and home. The communities’ history can be seen as different building types (colonial, modern, Brazilian) and ages do still exist. The streets are characterized by large roads with short blocks and multiple corners.  The communities’ commercial and residential areas have been integrated successfully.  Yet, on the other had this exclusionist upscale type neighbourhood does not encourage compact development. The common house type trends are mansions that sprawl out over two lots of land.  Also many business places are one-story or two story building. Affordable homes or lots are not realistic.  In this community the prices are exceptionally high. It has been observed that that the residents of St. Clair do not command a visual presence within their community.  Upon questioning patrons who were utilizing St. George the 5^th Park many were not from St.Clair.  In the area of community closeness and social integration I cannot say how successful the community of St. Clair fears.

A street in St.Clair

The community of Belmont like the community of St. Clair does exhibit some of Jane Jacobs principals of a “good neighbourhood”.  Many of the residents boost that they walk everywhere to work, to shop and even to recreate. They view most of their neighbourhood as ‘walkable’. Both homes and business are tightly place next to each other, this does not necessarily imply compact densities, for the major of homes and businesses are either one or two storey developments.  Indeed the principal of mixed blocks is evident.  New modern homes stand tall besides colonial gingerbread homes.  Though resides see view the neighbourhood as ‘walkable’, sidewalks are only evident on the major roads. (Belmont Circular Rd.) The streets can be described as numerous interconnecting pavement less wining lanes and unplanned networks.  However, it must be noted that the Belmont developed before the influx of cars to the island of Trinidad. Indeed, it has been observed that the Belmont community blatantly shows their communal strength. Yet, the community is plagued with crime which is indicative of a lack of proper intergration of the social component of the community's functioning.

3. What makes a successful residential neighbourhood?

A successful neighbourhood should incorporate everything from a good design, mixed use and elements that encourage interaction between residents.  Thus the ideal neighbourhood would exhibit a sense of place. It encompasses public spaces for example parks, boardwalks, community pool, and sidewalks.  Like Belmont its unique history and culture should stand out, the area should be rich in social capital.  (Steel pan heritage)  The community should be well connected to the inner city.  Access to public transport, commercial shops and services must be available.  The community should be green, picturesque and sustainable. Upon reflection of my list it seems to trend towards the theories of ‘New Urbanism’, ‘Smart Growth’ and ‘Sustainable Development’.  This trend is currently being included into many urban designs by planners.  The need to balance the economic with the social is therefore a reoccurring issue that many communities face, which will only be fixed through the absorption of the techniques of  sustainable development.

Bibliography

UN-Habitat. State of the World’s Cities: Globalization and Urban Culture. United Nations Human Settlements Programme; Nairobi, Kenya, 2004.

"Conducting a placecheck of any one area PLUS BELMONT." Port-of-Spain Field Excursion-URBAN GEOGRAPHY, DR. KISSOON. Port-of-Spain, 03 22, 2014.

Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York, NY: Random House, 1961.

Gentrification

Is gentrification a good or bad thing?

Has the process of gentrification taken place in the districts of Woodbrook/Victoria?

Yes.

Is gentrification a good or bad thing?

Now it gets complicated.

Firstly let’s establish what is gentrification .

Gentrification occurs when wealthier people purchase or rent properties in low/middle income communities, they transforming these neighborhoods into “middle class residential and or commercial” zones. (Lees et al. 2008:xv.).  Gentrification has been linked to “economic processes, the role of human agency and consumer preferences”. (Hall 2012).

Gentrification = Movement

 The neighborhoods of Woodbrook/Victoria has been transforming mainly through human influence and consumer preferences. Researcher David Levy (1996) has linked the role of an emerging middle class to the growth of more service oriented businesses and cultural activities.  Some theorists have termed this emerging middle class as the new “creative class” (Florida 2004)(Hall2012).  These individuals choose to locate within these neighborhoods as they are drawn to the diversity and life of the city. 

 Woodbrook/Victoria was first planned as a working class suburb, by 1930 business started to emerge between residences.  By 1980’s private pioneer gentrifies or the ‘new middle class’ began opening pubs, restaurants, casino’s and ‘mas’ camps and other businesses in a very visual way. By 1990, service businesses and financial institutions began entering into the Woodbrook/Victoria districts backed by urban policies.  As seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Shows the, distribution of employment within the Woodbrook/Victoria district, between the years of 1970-1990. The table gives a clear indication and helps to explain the movement from a purely residential area to today’s mixed residential/commercial neighborhood. (Polese 1993)

TABLE 1:  Distribution of Employment (%) within the Woodbrook/Victoria districts, between the years of 1970-1990.

	FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS								BUSINESS SERVICES					TRAVEL SERVICES
Area	Commercial Banks				Holding Companies	Legal Services				Accounting			Advertising	Hotels		Airline Reservations
Woodbrook/ Victoria	1970
	-		-				-			-		-		0.6			-
	1981
	-		1.4				-			6.9		-		1.1
		1990
		12.96		-				6.99			14.7		10.3		1.41

                                                                                                     Source: Central Statistical Office of Trinidad and Tobago (Polese 1993)

This movement has both positive and negative effects on the resident population. On the positive side the area has experienced increased development and an increase in property values. However the  increase in property values,  has equated to a decline in affordable housing.  Butler and Lees (2006) indicate that “socio-economic divisions” usually increases alongside gentrification (Hall 2012). Indeed, “socio-economic divisions” do exist, to what extent it is caused by gentrification in Woodbrook/Victoria I am not sure.

I ask again, is gentrification good or bad thing?

In the neighborhood of Woodbrook/Victoria we are yet to see. Like Hoxton and Barnsbury London and Brooklyn in New York we wait, as we evolve with the hope of a better tomorrow.

Bibliography

Hall, Tim and Heather Barrett. "Urban Geography." 264. London and New York: Routledge, 2012.

Polese, Mario and Sylvain Menard. Is Downtown onthe way down? Documenting the movement of 

office activity in central Port-of-Spain. Research Paper, Montreal: Montreal Interuniversity Group, 1993.