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| Chinese Embassy, St Clair |
Even though both St Clair and Belmont are close in proximity
to each other and Port of Spain there are differences in socioeconomics, power regimes
and opportunities. St Clair is seen as a postmodern type of neighbourhood. This
is characterized by the modern architecture, homogenous streets, segregation
and where residents see the street as a mere transport route. There is lack of
conviviality, no sign of third spaces or social integration (Banerjee 2001). There is also an absence of the appreciation
of cultural and historical values. The only sites of history in this area
consist of few paintings around the oval.
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| picture on the wall of the oval in St Clair |
There are also highly politicized
spaces with embassies, high end educational institutions and government offices
exerting their presence of power and authority.
In contrast Belmont is rich in history and
culture which has shaped their urban planning and lifestyles. Having being
established as the first suburban area from the establishment of villages such
as Freetown from emancipated slaves and villages such as Radar village add
depth and texture to the various layers of Belmont.
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| mass camp in Belmont |
Even though Belmont has
been one of the pioneers of urban spaces and the development of culture with
mass and pan, it has been neglected and stigmatized by those in authority. However, the interaction between these two
places is an uneven struggle of the powerless, lower class and neglected
against the powerful, upper class and recognized. A interaction which as lead
the people of Belmont to find value within the uniqueness of their space , a uniqueness
that people of St Clair may never understand or appreciate.
http://www.bestoftrinidad.com/communities/belmont.html
One of the things I like about St Clair is that it is very
clean and it also has a lot of open spaces. However, I think there can be
facilities to encourage community cohesion such as outside cafes, community
centres, the creation of close third spaces. On the other hand I don’t like the
distinct segregation of the neighbourhood, one of the downsides of modernity.
This segregation based on socioeconomic status is increasing. In order to curb
this phenomenon what can be done is to encourage the mixing of classes by
offering affordable lots to low income persons. However, I don’t think this
will be happening, or at least for any time soon. The reason for this
assumption is that the presence of these different foreign embassies and
political places has led to a top down structure of the neighbourhood, one that
has to be pristine, well secured and modern.
On the other hand, there are so many things about Belmont that I like
simply because it reminds me so much of home. The short streets, mixed
buildings and diverse population allows for a vivacious neighbourhood rich in
heritage and the development of a sense of security due to the close knit
community relationship. The historical and cultural aspects of Belmont needs
protecting, it is what makes this place unique; it is also what instills that
pride within the residents. One of the
things that can be done to improve Belmont is the proper disposal of garbage
and also improved facilities for young people to express their creative sides.
Jane Jacobs contributed greatly to urban planning, even thought
she had no formal training in planning. Her ideas and theory were simple often
referring to one’s observations of the interactions and what she referred to as
an unrehearsed choreography of cities. She stated that cities have a “ballet of
activities:” and said that real cities are those that confirmed to the
following criteria (Kaldeway 2011);
ü
Mixed uses
ü
Mixed blocks with different buildings of
different ages and conditions
ü
Streets with short blocks and numerous corners
ü
A dense concentration of people
While walking through the streets of St Clair and Belmont, I
observed how contrasting they are in each of these characteristics put forward
by Jane.
Mixed Uses
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| Sign on the Brazilian Embassy's Wall |
When walking along the streets of St Clair I asked myself,
why is it so empty when it is in such close proximity to the savannah, an open
space which can foster community spirit and social capital? The streets of St
Clair lack diversity in uses.
As a result it seems as though the streets are
only used as a corridor for passersby on their daily commute. There is clear
segregation between residential, political and business districts. This
segregation is also facilitated through the quiet policing observed in this
neighborhood. An array of endless signs and structures instructing what can and
cannot be done within particular spaces in the neighborhood.
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| German Embassy, St Clair |
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| Prime Minister's Office, St Clair |
As an outsider
having come to this neighbourhood for the first ti me, I was amazed that
numerous embassies were all located along a particular street within this
neighbourhood. Also the addition of the Prime
Minister’s office, labels this part of St Clair as heavily politicized and a
clear central region of power.
On the other hand Belmont was the complete opposite. There
were bars, supermarkets, schools, shops, churches, businesses and residential
dwellings all aligned in no particular order along the streets. There was also
diversity in the age of the buildings, architecture and colours. These mixed
uses depict how this space has changed through time, from the inception of
emancipation to present. Jane argues that neighbourhoods that are varied in
nature highlight complexity in their order. Thus, due to its many uses, the
streets act as a binder of the cultural, historical and architectural aspects
of Belmont. Unlike St Clair there were
people on the sidewalks “liming”, various characters bidding greetings as they
pass along, a lady even stopped in her car to thank us for coming into Belmont
and exploring its unseen treasures. This
variation in Belmont gives a sense of the daily operations of the people within
different spaces in this place, Belmont (Kaldeway 2011).
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| Belmont |
Mixed blocks with buildings of different ages and condition
Buildings in St Clair were very modern in nature in their
architectural structure. In fact most buildings were homogenous in nature.
Jacobs argues that neighbourhoods containing a lot of fancy buildings lead to a
specific class of persons living there, reducing diversity in the people. Only
those who can afford construction costs would occupy those nighbourhoods as in
St Clair.
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| St Clair |
The typical residential
property observed in St Clair was characterized by high surrounding walls with
barb wires, gates, well-trimmed hedges and green evenly cut lawns. This typical
design of housing may be attributed to the cultural cannibalism of the American
ideal image of a home (Lara 201). This homogeneity is preferred by modern
architectures as variation is seen as hodgepodge. However in St Clair there were some variation
in the age of the homes but they are mixed in their localities. Thus, most
homes seen in St Clair are newly built modern homes.
In Belmont there is a clear variation in houses of different
ages and styles. It is evident that persons living in Belmont see these spaces
as connections to important historical happenings which they see worth
preserving. In addition to these historical buildings, the hillsides are dotted
with mostly poorly built squatter homes. However, there are also newly built
modern homes within Belmont.
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| Belmont |
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| Belmont |
Thus, due to this intermingling of variation of
the characteristics of these spaces, there is a variety of persons living in
Belmont. This variation between new and old, modern and historical allows
businesses of different sizes to thrive, as the there is a mixed market.
Streets with short blocks and numerous corners
The presence and interaction between persons in a
neighbourhood is definitely connected to the length of blocks and presence of
street corners. The long streets of St Clair were isolated and stagnant, no
activity nor interaction between residents, in fact there were no signs of
residence unless they passed in their high end vehicles.
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| Streets in St Clair |
It was rather monotonous walking through the
streets of St Clair. However, in Belmont the presence of these short blocks and
frequent corners creates a space that is filled with excitement and spontaneity
as one may encounter someone who they may engage in “a little old talk” with.
A dense concentration of people
St Clair is not densely populated, as a result I noticed
while we were walking along that there were no supermarkets or shops that were
nearby. The low density doesn’t provide the need to have these facilities in
close proximity. On the other hand, in Belmont the densely populated area is
catered to many shops, bars and food stalls. A more densely populated space
creates more varied niches for residents. However it is important to note that
even though St Clair is not as densely populated as Belmont they are provided
with a water hydrant, while along the streets that I walked in Belmont I
observed one dilapidated hydrant (Kaldeway 2011).
I must admit that I agree with Jane Jacobs to a great extent
to what a good neighbourhood should be like. The characteristics she has
described are the characteristics I grew up with in my neighbor and what is
present in many neighbourhoods in the little tiny island of Bequia. These sorts
of neighbourhoods in my opinion truly reflect “a Caribbean upbringing”. This
sort of interaction between people and the spaces around them and how they
value these unique species display that sort of Caribbean neighbourly
hospitality and grounded values that is unique to all corners of the world.
References
Banerjee, Tribid, 2001. “The Future of Public Spaces- Beyond
Invented Streets and Reinvented Places.” Journal of American Planning
Association 67:1.
Kaldeway,
Heather. 2011.“Jane Jacobs: Urban Ideas.” Accessed March 22, 2014. http://urbanspacegallery.ca/exhibits/jane-jacobs-urban-ideas/jane-jacobs-urban-ideas.
Lara, Fernando.
2011. “New (Sub)Urbanism and Old Inequalities in Brazilian Central Communities.”
Journal of Urban Design 16:3,
369-380.
