Port-of-Spain Field Excursion
March 22nd, 2014
PART 1
ST.
CLAIR
BELMONT
What do we like? What needs protecting? What would
we like more of?
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What don’t we Like?
What needs changing now? What
is getting worse?
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What needs to be improved? E.g facilities for young people, parking,
security
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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.
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 5th 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.
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