My theme Urban Tourism has been interlinked with many of my course colleagues' blogs such as 'The Art of Urban' by Denique Sammy, 'Trini urban Insomnia' by Surya Khudan and 'The Urban Cultural Dimension' by C. A Maloney.
Urban Toursim was made up of different components of Art, Recreation/ Nightlife and Urban Culture. Tourism in the city was reflective of Urban Art such as Grafitti, Urban Nightlife and recreation and urban culture. These other themes captured the essence of Urban Tourism as D. Sammy spoke about Art being 'evolutionary' and representative of many urban issues such as Politics. She stressed on these Urban art pieces being reflective of one self and culture of the city, a topic that i also linked Urban Tourism too.
The Blog 'Urban Cultural Dimension' emphasized on the cultural aspect of tourism in which culture in the city was used to promote urban tourism. Similar blogs such as the post on the Church indicated that there was a link between our themes as culture is part of tourism in the urban city of Port of Spain. C. A Maloney focused on both the physical and social aspect of the city while i emphasized more on the physical structures and architecture in addition to the culture.
Lastly, 'Trini Urban Insomnia' further explored recreation in the city where S. Khudan looked at the Night life of Port of Spain, an area where i was a bit skeptical of exploring. Her blog focused more on the night time recreation of the city which is also very significant to Urban Tourism as many tourists in the city look for recreation not only during the day but the night time.
These 3 blogs did show a relationship with my core theme of Urban Tourism as their posts were sub components as they further explored each component of art, recreation/ nightlife and culture.
For a proper sequence of my blog please read my posts in the order in which they were posted! Thank you!
Friday 11 April 2014
Entertainment in the city!
Movie Towne Port of Spain
The above photo shows a multi-million dollar cinema complex built in the urban city to accommodate the recreational needs of the people and tourists of urban area. Movie Towne is well known for its entertainment and complex shopping areas and has a major role to play in the lives of many who look forward to watching a movie, getting something to eat or shopping for an item.
Currently, we have reached the 'Creative Age' where leisure and recreation is changing and people are now working in new ventures such as the creative industries (Florida 2002). Therefore, places such as these bring in economic value to a city as it caters for both foreigners and tourists. Located next to Movie towne is the Marriott Hotel and this itself indicates that Movie Towne caters for Marriott's guests contributing to the idea of Urban Tourism.
References
Florida R. 2002. The Rise of the Creative Class and How it's Transforming Work, Leisure and Everyday Life. New York: Basic Books.
Artwork in the City!
Beautifying the city!- Paintings along Wrightson Road, POS
While driving along Wrightson Road in Port of Spain, these master pieces caught my attention immediately. The paintings placed along the road in the urban city definitely mirrors the diverse culture of the country in addition to showcasing the talent of the youths in the country.
The paintings which displays one of the themes of preserving the
environment can very much be associated with caring for the city and the
environment around us. These paintings are not only an attraction but they
promote sustainability in the city and being environmentally conscious about
our surroundings (Hall 2012).
References
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York: Routledge.
Rees, E. William. 1992. “Ecological Footprints and
appropriated Carrying Capacity: What Urban
Economics Leaves Out.” Environment
and Urbanization 4, 2.
The Museum!- Traditional Tourism
The National Museum and Art Gallery!
The photo shows the outside structure of the museum of
Trinidad and Tobago that was taken on an urban geography field trip to the
city.
A museum is symbolic of integrating culture within a city as
it portrays the heritage of a city and its people (Hall 2012). In more
developed countries in the Global North, Museums are a major attraction in the
city as it usually stores the rich heritage and history of the country and its
people. In Trinidad however, museums are not considered popular tourist attractions
for foreigners as they are more intrigued by the sun sand and sea. However,
tourists that are interested in the heritage and culture of the country will
visit to learn more about the country and Port of Spain in particular. Major
cities around the globe are known to have these museums and are the homes to
these cultural attractions.
The National Museum, originally established as the Royal
Victoria Institute was originally built to display the culture of Trinidad and Tobago
and was built in commemoration of Queen Victoria. The Museum is representative
of the architecture in the early 1900’s and culture of the city during Colonial
times. Therefore, the Museum is rich with culture and artefacts that would be
informative to both locals and foreigners and is traditional to many cities
around the world. This structure has played a major role in relating heritage and culture of the twin island to
others and being an iconic feature of the urban city.
For more information on the National Museum you can visit:
http://www.nmag.gov.tt/content/national-museum-trinidad-tobago-0
References
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York:
Routledge.
The National
Museum and Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago. Accessed April 8, 2014. http://www.nmag.gov.tt/content/national-museum-trinidad-tobago-0
More recreation in the City- Green Spaces!
The Botanical Gardens
In the photo, a group of women are seen strolling in the
botanical gardens enjoying the serenity of the environment in this urban area
of Port of Spain. In this case, urbanization did not only result in the
construction and expansion of businesses and workplaces but the creation of
green spaces within the city. Bordering the Queen’s Park Savannah, lies the
Emperor Valley Zoo and the Botanical Gardens where many go to have leisure in
the city.
In the photo, the lush vegetation and trees does indeed give
the idea of a ‘green space’ and the concept of ‘greening the city’. The trees
and plants grown here play an important role in “moderating the impacts of
human activities” (Haughton and Hunter 1994, 118). The Botanical gardens
represent a planned type of green space as this was part of the city plan and
did not happen naturally as many of the greenery were put there. However, these
planned spaces can be condemned as some theorists see this as a way of
suppressing plant diversity and not letting nature happens on its own (Hough
1995). Nevertheless, I see the botanical gardens as a valued green space in the
city that should remain as it is as still provides a green, peaceful atmosphere
in which one can go and enjoy the hassle free environment. This has contributed
to Urban Tourism positively as many tourists both local and foreign can visit
and see a diverse amount of tree species that gives aesthetic value to the
city. This is indeed an asset to city planning as it provides hassle free zone
in the urban area where the trees can provide a peaceful environment and also
take away from the negative impacts of urbanization as the trees provide
ecosystem services for the city.
For more information on green spaces you can visit: http://youtu.be/Y332SeVd-F0
For more information on green spaces you can visit: http://youtu.be/Y332SeVd-F0
References
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York:
Routledge.
Haughton, G and Hunter, C. 1994. Sustainable Cities. London: Regional Studies Association.
Hough, M. 1995. Cities and Natural processes. London: Routledge.
Hotels in the City!
Hotels in the City!
Hotels functions as one of the main components of urban
tourism. Without these where would the tourists stay? Hotels provide
accommodation for both leisure and business tourists. However, in the city
there will more likely be the influx of many co-operate tourists entering the
city to conduct business. In this image is one of Port of Spain’s largest
hotels, the Hyatt Regency. As one can see, this is one high rise modern structure
with contemporary design and architecture, a feature that makes it unique to
the city and Urban Tourism!
The architecture of these hotels as well as other businesses
and offices in the city can be seen as a good reflection of a country’s
economy. The architecture and structure of these buildings indicate the state
of the economy as many modernized and newly renovated/built structures indicate
a healthy and striving economy (Hall 2012). In comparison to the buildings that
were constructed in P.O.S in the early 1900’s, the design and architecture have
changed significantly in terms of materials and workmanship.
In the photo, glass was seen to be the prominent material used
in constructing the hotel and so has a very modernised ‘urban’ look to it. When
P.O.S was now being developed, the main material used was timber to the current
use of steel, glass and concrete. With the city being greatly affected by the
globalization movement, architecture is ‘used as a tool for economic
development within the city’ (Harvey 1989).
Here is a link to view more Urban designed Hotels in the U.S.A
References
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York:
Routledge.
Harvey, D. 1989. The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Blackwell: Oxford
Monday 24 March 2014
Field trip to Port-of-Spain & Belmont
On our walk about to Port of Spain and Belmont, both the
city and suburban area were speculated and place checks were done on the two
locations. Using this method, everyone was able to have their own opinions on
the place check areas and look at both positive and negative aspects of the
areas.
Place Check:
CBD of Port of Spain
The Central Business District (CBD) of Port-of- Spain is definitely
the heart of the city where all the action takes place and most businesses are
concentrated. When walking around in the CBD area, a lot of good aspects of the
city were seen. There were the presence of many food places, clothing stores
and the Brian Lara Promenade which provided benches and a place to relax. However,
lot of issues were also noted such as problems of pollution, homelessness, the negligence
of buildings and disparities in the city was a major concern.
The Brian Lara Promenade was one of the good aspects of the city as it provided a sense of community as there were available benches, tables with chequered boards, music and vendors in and outside of the promenade. The atmosphere was quite cooler than on the streets and the trees provided a more relaxing environment. What I also liked about the city was the vast availability of food places especially the local restaurants and this was seen alongside the streets of P.O.S where a wide variety of local cuisine was sold.
The Brian Lara Promenade was one of the good aspects of the city as it provided a sense of community as there were available benches, tables with chequered boards, music and vendors in and outside of the promenade. The atmosphere was quite cooler than on the streets and the trees provided a more relaxing environment. What I also liked about the city was the vast availability of food places especially the local restaurants and this was seen alongside the streets of P.O.S where a wide variety of local cuisine was sold.
The image below shows the Brian Lara Promenade and a man
walking his bird in the midst of the hustle and bustle. This gives the idea that people still come out in the city for leisure purposes despite the busy atmosphere and uses this area for leisurely purposes.
The image below shows a comparison of buildings in the CBD
and outside of the CBD Area.
One of the major issues seen in POS is the disparities within
the city in terms neglected parts of the town and areas that are given too much
emphasis by the governments. These two photos are juxtapositioned side by side
to each other to show a comparison between two parts of the city that lies approximately
no more than 1km of each other. Image 1 shows the waterfront area and its high
rise buildings that cater for the elite and wealthy in the city. Image 2 was
taken in the Central Business District (CBD) of POS where the building looks dilapidated
and run down and this clearly shows that development is only focused on exclusive
areas of the city where business and diplomatic operations are put on the fore
front.
Pollution was also a major eye sore in the city as many streets
and drains were filled with garbage. In addition, homelessness was rampant with
many vagrants lying on the streets making it uncomfortable for pedestrians and
shoppers to walk on the streets.
In the CBD of P.O.S, the recreational areas and activities are a great benefit to the people of the city as they can relax on the benches in the Promenade while taking a shopping break or even just to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. This is a commodity to the city and should be maintained whereas the problems of pollution and homelessness in the city need to be dealt with as these issues can be a turnoff for businesses and shoppers coming in to the city. Therefore, the city co-operation can do more to alleviate this issues of garbage on the streets and social services can help to get the homeless persons off the roads and pavements.
Place Check: Belmont
Belmont,
the suburbs of POS is filled with history and many significant village
landmarks. We were fortunate to tour the area visiting these places that are
currently being preserved. What I really liked about Belmont was the historical
aspect as it is originally known as Freetown, the first emancipation village in
Trinidad. Therefore, the area was full of heritage and culture that was brought
down from the African Slaves. A taste of Belmont’s culture was gathered from
the visits to the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, the Ken Morris Mas Camp and the Rada Community.
The image below shows the Trinidad Theatre Workshop located in Belmont.
During the walk about in Belmont, the area seemed very old
fashioned with narrow roads and houses built close to each other. In comparison
to the city of P.O.S not much development in relation to infrastructure was
seen. This community has grown since the Emancipation of slaves and so a lot of
culture is still embedded within the area. However, villagers argued that the
culture is being slowly erased as Glendon Morris, from the Ken Morris Mas Camp pointed
out when we visited the camp. A lot of his work is now being lost in today’s Carnival
as the camp specialises in copper work and traditional costumes which is now
being replaced by the other ‘modern’ concepts.
Cultural Erasure was the major issue in Belmont in addition to the poor infrastructure such as the dilapidated houses and small roads. Urban planning needs to be put into place for this Suburban area as there are also emerging businesses in the area and the people of Belmont needs to feel like they have not been left behind in terms of development in their neighbourhood.
Sunday 23 March 2014
Carnival in the City!
Carnival is definitely one of the main attractions of
Trinidad and Tobago generating a great amount of revenue for the country’s
tourism industry. This event took place on the 3rd and 4th
March of this year and is celebrated nationwide with the main action occurring
in the City of Port of Spain (P.O.S). However, this photo shows carnival in the
City of San Fernando, the 2nd largest city in Trinidad and Tobago. (As
unfortunately I was unable to attend carnival in P.O.S)
Nevertheless, Carnival
in both cities are celebrated with the same concept of the usual masqueraders
revelling the streets while party goers and spectators are enjoying the show. Trinidad
and Tobago is a multicultural/ cosmopolitan society where there is the mixture
of people of many races and ethnicities. On this occasion everyone gathers and
partake in this cultural event that takes place on a large scale in the major
cities.
Through the years, culture has played a major part in the economy of the city as it has become 'increasingly central to economic change in the city.' Therefore culture is being used to generate revenue and a prime example of this is Carnival (Hall 2012).
This has been a major contribution to urban tourism in the
city as it attracts people from around the globe as they come to experience one
of the ‘greatest shows on earth’. Thus, in the city of P.O.S, a certain
standard of development is required as there is a great influx of
international tourists. Therefore, Carnival has played a major role in some of the
infrastructure in the city as prime hotels such as Capital Plaza and Hyatt
Regency were built to accommodate these tourists as well as business tourists
in the city and this will be looked at further in depth in another entry.
Here is a link for a better insight of Modern day Carnival in P.O.S
Here is a link for a better insight of Modern day Carnival in P.O.S
References
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York:
Routledge.
Saturday 15 March 2014
The Queen's Park Savannah! - Recreation in the City
The Queen’s Park Savannah is another great attraction of the
city as it hosts many activities such as recreational sports, military events
and carnival festivities. In addition, it helps to promote the informal sector
of the city where vendors make a living around the park area. The photo above
captures the essence of the park as a man is seen exercising making use of the
public space available to him. There are also many cars parked around the
savannah and this indicates that the area is indeed a busy one and the savannah
area breaks the monotony of the busy city life as it offers a green and
leisurely environment.
This area together
with the botanical gardens can be seen as the urban green space of the city
promoting eco-tourism in the mitts of the hustle and bustle of the urban area
(Hall 2012). The savannah is also known as being the largest roundabout in the
world with a circumference of 3.5km and is Port-of- Spain’s largest public
space, a very important component in an urban area. The benches seen in the
photo conveys the public space that is openly accessible to citizens as it they
were placed there to facilitate recreational purposes. These urban green spaces
can be seen in many major cities around the world as open public spaces where a lot of social interactions
occur and so is a major component to a city.
According to Banerjee 2001, historically, these parks were
originally placed in the urban city to serve the upper elite as ‘pleasure
grounds’ in the early 19th century as they resided around the city. As
the savannah is located opposite the Magnificent 7, this statement was seen to
be somewhat true as only the elites and wealthy persons lived around the
savannah area. However, presently in the city this space can be used by everyone
as there is no particular restriction to the area and anyone from any social
status can enjoy the space.
References
Banerjee, Tridib. 2001. “The future of public space: Beyond
invented streets and reinvented places.”
Journal of the American Planning Association
(67): 9-24
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York:
Routledge.
The Magnificent 7!
A collage of all the Magnificent 7 buildings was made to
show all 7 structures combined as a tourist attraction. I chose to include these
Majestic Buildings located along the Queen’s Park Savannah because it represents
the era of the Capital City during the late 1800’s to early 1900’s when
Trinidad and Tobago was under political control of the English. This gives
reason as to why the architecture of these buildings are of European design. This
unique and vintage style of these landmarks serves as an attraction to many as
it is reflective to the country’s rich history and also these were some of the
first buildings to still be standing to this present day. Furthermore, these
buildings reflect the city planning that was used by the Europeans as cities in
newly colonized land followed the strategic city planning of the colonizers
(Hall 2012). The functions of these buildings ranged from being the homes of
the elite and religious leaders to schooling the children of the wealthy.
A Glimpse into
the History of these Landmarks!
The first grid is a photo of Hayes court, which was named
after Bishop Thomas Hayes and built in 1910 to house the Anglican Bishops of
Trinidad and Tobago. The second, The Queens Royal College was constructed in
1902 and designed by architect Daniel M. Hahn in a German renaissance style (citizensforconservationtt.org).
This was the first boys’ college to be built in Trinidad and only the upper
class persons could have afforded to send their children for an education.
The 3rd grid, the deteriorated Mille Fleurs which
was once the most “gracious and architecturally refined structures of the
magnificent seven” according to (citizensforconservationtt.org) was also built
in 1902. This home was built for the elite scholar Dr. Enrique Prada and his
wife in a French style. The 4th grid, the Archbishop’s palace was
also built around the same time in 1903 and designed by an Irish architect.
The buildings in the 5th, 6th and 7th
grids were homes of the elite. The 5th grid, White hall which
remains to be one of the most well-known of the seven buildings was built in
1904 by cocoa planter Joseph Leon Agostini. The 6th, the Ambard’s
house was constructed in 1904 by a French architect with materials originating
from Scotland, France and Italy.
The last and final grid is the Killarny or Stollmeyer’s
Castle also built in 1904 by Charles Fourier Stollmeyer was designed in a
Scottish Baronial style as a mini replica of a wing of Balmoral Castle which
was Queen’s Elizabeth summer home (macocaribbean.com). This was the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Stollmeyer as well as other elites after they left the house.
These milestone structures serve as a major component of urban
tourism in Port of Spain and is an attraction to both locals and foreigners as
it displays Urban Heritage. According to (Hall 2012) these buildings are
conserved so that their ‘artistic, architectural or historical qualities can
illuminate the achievements of society’. This was the case for the religious
and state owned buildings which are currently being retained as many showed
European architecture in the 20th century with its Spanish, German
and French designs seen in buildings such as the beautiful Ambard’s House with
its intricate patterns and workmanship.
Despite the fact that Mile Fleurs (3rd grid) is
presently being renovated and may not be as attractive as the others, its
current renovations shows the current process of the restoration of these
historic urban structures and the importance of their existence in the Capital
city of Port-of- Spain as a lot of investment are now being put towards these
buildings and preserving its beauty.
References
Citizens for conservation Trinidad and Tobago. 2010.
“Magnifcent
seven.” Accessed February 26, 2014.
http://citizensforconservationtt.org/main/index.php/builtherit/magnificent-seven
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New york:
Routledge.
Maco Caribbean.
“Trinidad
Activities”. Accessed February 15, 2014
http://www.macocaribbean.com/trinidad/activities/port-of-spains-magnificent-seven-six-five/
Monday 10 February 2014
The Beginning: The origin of religious monumental attractions!
My first
entry will show how historical religious monuments that are presently seen as
an urban attraction in the city were once an integral part of society when the
city was now being formed. According to Hall 2012, landmark buildings are
usually ‘key markers of a city’s identity’ and so the church in this photo
represents Port of Spain of once being somewhat a pre-industrial city in which it was dominated by Christianity.
As the city
progressed from historical times, religious monuments such as the Roman
Catholic and Anglican churches which were built in the early 1800’s were kept
and preserved in the city as a representation of history. Through this
preservation, their significance in the urban area at that time was seen as
there are many old churches still in existence in Port of Spain. In addition,
these elaborate designed churches also symbolised the rich architecture that
was introduced to the Caribbean by the Europeans. These churches represented
their culture and so was brought to the region as they took control of their
‘new lands.’ Going back to the date of Colonialism, Christianity once played a
fundamental role in society and was the first religion to have such a great
impact on the city’s culture as these churches were the first set of religious
centres built.
This photo
of the Holy Trinity Cathedral located in Port of Spain represented the need and
importance of having religious monuments in the city in the 1800’s. This ideology can be supported by pre-industrial
theorist Gideon Sjöberg who believed that pre-industrial cities were dominated by
these shrines such as Churches as this was the focal point for community
living. He viewed the city as being ‘the seat of the key religious
functionaries whose actions set standards for the rest of society’. (Hatt,
1951) Sjöberg also emphasised on the city having one dominating religion. In
this case, Christianity was the religious system influencing the city’s
structure. Trinidad in the 1800’s was indeed a pre-industrial colony and so was
influenced by the eurocentric culture imposed by the Europeans.
In Sjöberg’s
pre-industrial model, he also stated that the rich elite lived in the heart of
the city and this was also the case with Port-of-Spain in the early 1800’s –
1900’s as this was where the plantation owners and business men lived. They were
responsible for religious and political control and many functions of the city
in which they themselves were responsible for the institutions being
constructed.
Follow my blog and stay tuned for my next entry in which we will further explore
historical building landmarks that were built by these Elites in the city!
References
Hall, T.
2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New York: Routledge.
Hatt, Paul
K. 1951. Cities and society: The revised reader in urban sociology. Glencoe: Free Press
Sunday 9 February 2014
Welcome!
Welcome to
the city of Port-of-Spain! As one make their way into the city they will first
encounter the sight of many modern high rise buildings from afar. However, when
getting into the heart of the city you will definitely see more modern and
historical aspects of Port-Of-Spain and buildings that are as old as the city!
On this
blog, everyone is treated as a tourist, both locals and foreigners, as I guide
you through the Capital of Trinidad and Tobago! We will explore tourism in the
city and in some cases the history of certain landmarks. In addition, we will look
at how tourism is promoted in the urban area for example, whether it’s through
the construction of recreational facilities and upscale buildings or the
preservation/ restoration of old ones. We will also delve into the reasons why
certain attractions are signature to the urban town and why urban tourism is
seen as this new outlook to boosting economic activity in the city and its
country. (Hall, 2012)
References
Hall,T. 2012. Urban Geography 4th Edition. New york: Routledge.
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