Place Check:
Port-of-Spain Central Business District
POS is the capital of Trinidad and it
represents the CBD where there is a high level of economic activity, the centre
of trade and commerce. Commonly referred to as “town” pronounced “tong” by
locals the heart of POS is the evergreen Woodford Square. THE CBD is bounded by
several well known areas such as Independence Square Brain Lara Promenade, Charlotte Street, Henry
Street and Frederick Street. However what captures my attention is the
way in which the culture and diversity of our people is seen throughout the
CBD. The CBD shows our past history and current development through its architecture
of historical buildings and new high rise designed buildings. Our old historical
buildings reflect our history and need protecting. Restoration and renovation
of such building are currently being done and there need to be constant upkeep
of them e.g. Magnificent Seven, Museum, Churches, Red House, and City Hall etc.
For anyone who is familiar with POS, they
will know the streets are packed with vendors. The congestion of the streets
and walk ways is very unpleasant and frustrating. There is also the issue of
illegal parking and polluted drains and streets as it is clogged with garbage. More
facilities needs to put into place to accommodate these vendors as it is also
dangerous to be selling on the streets as vehicles are always passing up and
down. Another issue is that of homelessness of the many people within the CBD.
At almost every turn on every street you can see several vagrants on the
sidewalks. I would like to see a heavier police presence in the area patrolling
the streets to ensure safety and more effort put into maintaining clean and hygienic
streets. The criminal activities are increasing
in our CDB which will deter many people and leave a negative stereotype of the
city. Security and the aesthetic of our CDB need to be improved and help provided
to the homeless to ensure their safety. More parking areas need to be
constructed to alleviate the situation of illegal parking and crowded streets.
“ASSESSING GOOD NEIGHBORHOODS”
Jane Jacobs, : “Urban Goddess” Principles of good neighborhoods include:
·
Mixed Use-Different functions
“The district must serve more than one primary
function; preferably, more than two.”
Mixed-use districts that provide housing, offices, shops, and other services,
attract a far wider range of people, while spreading out their activities over
longer periods of time. Consequently, the streets and sidewalks of mixed-use
districts are more active and safer both day and night, while being less
congested at peak periods.
·
Mixed blocks with different buildings of different ages and conditions
Part of the physical diversity of a healthy district, she argues, is the
retention of old buildings mixed in with
the new. Old buildings offer cheap space for
new businesses and low-cost housing.
They also provide the visual and emotional landmarks that anchor a neighborhood
in space and time.
·
Streets with short blocks and numerous corners
A significant contribution to urban planning is her understanding that
streets and sidewalks, as much as parks, are the true public spaces of a city.
Street traffic is a necessary part of city life, she concludes, so long as one
manages the use of those streets to favour buses, taxis, trucks, and
pedestrians over private automobiles.
Jacobs’s suggestion that streets should be redesigned to favour pedestrians
over cars is a precursor to current techniques of “traffic calming.
·
A dense concentration of people.
Population density is a positive factor in urban
residential neighborhoods, as well as in commercial downtown, but density
must be coupled with variety.
Here’s a link to more information and explanation and analysis of JJ’s
Principles
By applying the JJ Principles when comparing
POS CBD and the area of Belmont, we can see that Belmont has different land use
functions. Belmont is more of a neighborhood with some businesses i.e. a
community/housing area where as the CBD is mainly concerned with economic
activities. Both areas as accessible via
road ways that is well developed and paved. The streets in the CBD are long, wide
and straight and can accommodate one-way traffic and streets are well paved and
tend to be parallel and perpendicular in relation to other streets which is
common is developed commercial business areas. In Belmont we find many short, narrow,
winding roads with many corners and blocks that are once again common to
community areas allowing for socialization and communication of community
members.
Building type and structure vary in both
areas. Belmont comprises of building which are mostly residential, some of
which are old reflecting the colonial times and some new housing designs. In the
CBD we have a mix of historical architectural designs and new high rise
building designs. Both areas possess buildings with many years of age some in
good conditions while other are falling apart, and where restoration is taking
place, however appearance of building are quite different as they serve
different functions such as shops, markets, offices, etc. In terms of
population density and concentration, the CDB generally has as higher
concentration of people which varies day to day as more people visit the area
for work, school and the goods and services provided, however the concentration
of people in Belmont in fairly the same and much less than that of POS CBD.
What makes a successful CBD?
- Retains the CBD and the city’s history and reflects the culture and diversity of its people
- Well developed easily accessible road ways (well paved, wide)
- Centre of commerce and trade providing a wide range goods and services
- Room for further and future growth and development
- Properly designed buildings up to safety code standards
- Built in pedestrian walk ways to ensure safety (pedestrian friendly)
- · Able to accommodate: residential housing, retail, commercial, schooling/universities, entertainment/recreation, governmental functions, medical care, malls/shopping plaza
- · Managed traffic, crime, illegal activities and pollution
- · Generates revenue and a large portion of the GDP for the country
- · Low levels of unemployment and underemployment
- · Low levels of overcrowding and over population (high population concentration/density)
- · Effective management of homelessness
