Special Post: Field Trip Reflection

For our class field trip, Port of Spain and its environs were selected for our study. We were required to survey one area  in addition to the suburb of Belmont and share our thoughts on this. This is my personal account of the field trip.

Part 1:The Port of Spain Waterfront Complex 

Upon our disembarkation from the maxi taxi our group decided to walk about the area and snap a few photographs. There were quite a few interesting sites in and around the waterfront complex. The first thing that caught my eye though was the departing car carrier vessel, "The Grand Sapphire." Seen in the photograph below being assisted out of port by a pair of tugs. 
I could not help but wonder how many vehicles she had unloaded and whether or not they'd contribute to nightmarish the traffic congestion problem in the capital city. A small sample of this phenomena is seen in the picture below with the financial centre in the background.

While on the topic of the Eric Williams Financial Centre, one can certainly get a feel for the imposing monolith that is the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. I felt rather small, insignificant and powerless standing in the complex's shadow. I felt as though they were forcing me to accept my place as a single cog in the machination of capitalism. Then I turned left and my eyes fell upon this structure.

I liked the architecture of the building, it reminded me a little of an airplane's wing, the structure was built with a taper facing into the prevailing winds, a smart decision to lessen the wind loading on the building. Of course it was a bit ironic that a building this innovative in design could house the birthplace of many of our country's problems.

At least they honoured our national heroes  on the side in metalwork sculptures.

Moving on from that dreadful place, we continued our walk westward along the front of the complex.  The busy street to our right and the modern building to our left certainly gave us the typical, "Urban," feeling. An instant eye catching feature were the beautiful metalwork sculptures depicting our nation's history. 

I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride seeing all that we had accomplished as a tiny island nation on the vast global stage. Continuing along the pathway on the side of the building, we happened to glance another skyscraper under construction.

Yet another modernist monument glorifying capitalism. One has to wonder if the resources spent on building this building could be better applied elsewhere, like the impoverished communities of East Port-of Spain for example.  To the west of the new building we passed a hallmark of the Port-of-Spain skyline. The Capital Plaza as it is now called has been a fixed point on the skyline for decades with its iconic rotating restaurant on the top.

I have fond memories of driving into Port-of-Spain as a child and passing this building bringing up a slight sense of nostalgia. Continuing along the pathway, we passed the western wall of the building which was covered in greenery. A very post-modern attempt at adding some greenery to the otherwise star facade of glass, steel and concrete. 

Additionally, this greenery would help offset some of the carbon emissions from the city. At the end of our Hyatt sector we came across a part of waterfront walkway which was blocked off by a chain.

This attempt at restriction indicated that the area was not a pure public space and that there were restrictions imposed on it's use. There was also a sign posting guidelines on the use of the waterfront. Further imposing restrictions on its use. 

We passed by the water taxi dock, which provided a shelter for young fish to breed. 

However just to the east of this surprising marine sanctuary was a collection of derelict vessels which created a huge eyesore. 

In summary, the waterfront complex is an attempt to create a public recreational space in the middle of a busy city. In this respect it is somewhat successful in that it created a relatively unrestricted space for the citizens to use. The placement of greenery and the area creating a sanctuary for fish has some positive connotations for the environment. Also the post-modern architecture employed in the area breaks the monotony of the Port-of-Spain skyline and adds a sense of disequilibrium to the area.

Jane Jacob's View The area is of mixed use, with the parliament building, port, Hyatt hotel and Breakfast Shed all within close proximity to each other an item on her checklist. However, all of the buildings seem to be relatively new construction within the area, the streets wide open and straight and the population density is not as dense when compared to the rest of the city. So by her standards, the area is a resounding failure in terms of a, "good neighborhood.

My View
The ideal urban area in my view would be one in which the space is efficiently utilized and is uniformed and ordered in a strict, controlled pattern of development. Skyscrapers should be used as much as possible because they maximise the use of landspace and pedestrian and cycle paths should be present with access to hydrocarbon burning vehicles limited. The area should also be fueled by green energy sources such as wind or solar power and have a zero-landfill fully-recycled method of waste disposal. This makes the city of Port-of-Spain a failure in my book as none of these factors are present.

Part 2: Belmont
After our escapade on the waterfront, we proceeded to the suburb of Belmont. Located at the north-eastern point of the city, the settlement is an unplanned colonial-style area establish by freed slaves. The area is dripping with historical significance and was a stark contrast to the glass and steel skyscrapers. The area certainly gave off a different vibe than downtown Port of Spain.

Our first stop on our Belmont tour was the bridge over the Belmont River. The river was used as an escape route by slaves during the Canboulay riots. Now a shadow of its historical self, the river was constrained by concrete and heavily polluted. Despite this pollution, schools of tiny fish were seen swimming in the water, nature's resistance to man's intrusion. 

 Continuing on our journey, we began to pass into the inner area of the suburb. One noticeable feature was that there was no clear distinction in use. There were residential buildings mixed in with commercial ones.

This showed a clear lack of urban planning hinting at the areas past as a slave settlement. One of things I did take notice of were the area's narrow streets. Some were barely able to fit a single mid-sized vehicle and driving through them on maxi-taxis proved to be a bit of a skill test for our drivers. It was obvious that these roads were merely paved over from the the standard dirt tracks that were used by horses and carriages during colonial times.

We also walked past a somewhat upscale residential complex called, "Norfolk Court."

This was an example of gentrification taking place within the community. Moving on on our tour, I noticed a KFC advertisement posted in the neighborhood. This was a blatant sign (no pun intended) of American cultural imperialism.

As we are on the topic of signs, there appeared to be a high degree of illiteracy within the community as evidenced by scenes like this.

Seriously though, the people of Belmont need to take more pride in their community than this. Having piles of garbage on the street creates an eyesore and is a health hazard.
Moving on, we stopped at the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, a cultural centre of the community which was established in 1959.

Upon entrance to the workshop, we were treated to a very animated and interactive lecture on the history of the workshop and about Belmont itself. Quite interesting indeed.

 Upon leaving the workshop, we headed over to another cultural anchor of the community embodied in the form of ] the Glendon Morris Copper Works and Mas camps.

Here we were again relegated with stories of the past glory of the Mas camp and got a chance to view some of their historic costumes. The camp's owner lamented the fact that the art of Mas making was degenerating to a, "Bikini and Bead," fest with little of the splendor it once had.
We left the Mas camp and headed to the Rada community cemetery where we were given an introduction into the belief system known as Radaism, started by the African community in the area. Out of respect for the people's privacy, I refrained from picture taking within this area.
In summary Belmont offered a glimpse into Trinidad's past as well as a first hand perspective of the community. Having done this I must say that the community is radically different from the crime ridden hellhole often portrayed by the local media outlets.

Jane Jacob's View The suburb of Belmont has met all four of JJ's criteria for a, "good neighbourhood. There are buildings of mixed use, mixed blocks with different buildings of different ages and conditions, streets with short blocks and numerous corners and a dense concentration of people. This makes the area a resounding pass by her standards.

My View
While I believe the cultural aspect of the area needs to be preserved, Belmont is a nightmare from a planning perspective. There is little or no organisational structure, no order and little in the way of uniformity. The suburb needs to be rebuilt from scratch in my honest opinion. Keep the people's culture but give it a new, properly planned and laid out home.