All The World's A Stage

                The following is a reflective piece on how we as people who represent actors on this world stage should experience the urban; not just as an environment with which we interact, but as a conscious decision making process where "what and how" we interact with certain urban features determines numerous things about the urban environment, future urban construction and within ourselves.

1. The top picture depicts the Majestically constructed NAPA, which is intended to house and display multicultural arts produced in Trinidad and Tobago. It has borrowed designs from numerous buildings in the global North, and is intended to revolutionize the arts and creative sectors within the country. This building is bordered by an equally known landmark, the Queens Park Savannah, which historically has been the epitome of cultural events. Has NAPA been built to alleviate pressures on the Queens Park Savannah, and related events such as Carnival Village etc.? Or is it contributing to the erasure of certain cultural practices in terms of architecture and what is considered art? Is such an erasure a bad thing or is it just a shift into something different and fresh with respect to artistic expression. If this seems a bit confusing, lets take it into the perspective of a local calypso artiste, who shall be called "Lord Irie Star".

NAPA v.s. De Savannah

They book me for a gig, on Saturday Night

The paycheck almost make me die of fright!

Savannah "art" they say, come down and show them how to spray;

Dread lyrics, i ready to mash up the place, doh mind the pay is a disgrace to meh face.

The Crowd gather there, vybzing real nice, but oh how it looking like 2-3 grain of rice;

 in a big pot

People so scarce and the time getting late, they start to slow clap, i awaiting my fate. 

The first missile they throw hit me in my ear, i say oh gawd, lemme get out of here!
Next place i play better be one of class, where they ready on time and people not my pelting my; Ass-umption i make, that NAPA crowd more civil, they go treat me right and i could actually make a living.

My agent, also known as me, call NAPA, beg them and beg them to accept this performer!

 Almost had to give them bribe, they finally tell me i could sing! Only during intermission Lord Irie Star could do he thing. 

They pay not much better, but it go work, to prance on that fancy stage looking like all the rage. 

Well first song i sing and the crowd dead dead, maybe my notes off, i feeling a sense of dread. 

 You see, the problem i had was thinking that NAPA was better than in Savannah.

But the truth is, they made for different  types of culture. Not better or worse, but just of a different type, to each his own, to a zebra his own stripe.

2. The consumption value of certain cultural stages and avenues is related greatly to patronage. What we as consumers frequent with respect to cultural events will dictate heavily what is presented and how it is presented. Every musician will say that his music is heavily influenced by his fans, and often what the fans want, they get, even if it is not the message that the performer agrees with. Similarly, if we view the world, or on a smaller scale, the urban, as a stage, and the builders and planners as performers, we can dictate and influence what future construction projects and planning projects are implemented. If we embrace the Queens Park Savannah as a cultural beacon, then it will remain a viable landmark, and will complement NAPA in addition to being treated better in terms of resource allocation and prestige status. Instead, therefore of just carrying about our lives and going with the motions, we should consciously think about how our interactions shape the urban landscape and use this knowledge to generate our own "architecture", simply based off of what is idealized as positive, playful, fun etc.      

   

Of Green Spaces, Aqua and "Counter-Urban" Aesthetics features

                      Picture a field of grass, pristine and shining with green life. Within this plushy meadow of sorts is a fountain, not of youth but of concrete and water pumped through the mouth of a concrete mermaid. Look beyond this man made spectacle to the trees planted there, more for their flowers and aesthetic beauty than for any fruit they could possibly offer; trimmed on a weekly basis and kept clean, free of litter and any other debris. As we zoom further out, a sense of gloom is imparted, as the circular meadow is shadowed by immense corporate towers and urban features of wealth and power. Imagine this, that such an oasis was intentionally constructed to both oppose and accentuate these buildings, as a sort of safe haven for the working class and elite. Maybe not even to occupy this green space, but to look down upon it every once in a while, to dream of lying in the meadow and of smelling the air which surely must be purer than that within the air conditioned towers. Similarly too we can view the construction of a boardwalk, and the view of an ocean blue. Psychologically there must be a reason for this, cynically we can highlight potential increased productivity and calmness of workers etc. but certainly, these green meadows and aquatic horizons offer a necessary sense of escape from what can be a seemingly gloomy urban lifestyle of industry. Can we ask ourselves, are we willing to accept such a rare and minute oasis or boardwalk view while concomitantly neglecting other aspects of environment for the construction of urban centers and buildings? Do we prize the aesthetics of constructed urban buildings on an equal scale or at an even greater scale over those provided by natural landforms?

1. These pictures taken represent, to me, an attempt to provide an aesthetically pleasing setting within an urban center. These features are designed to encourage both "play" in a city, which is a key aspect of everyday human life, as well as being "nostalgia" provokers, infusing emotion and memories of  citizens and which encourages enhanced mood, and consequently productivity of the workforce. Personally, if i was working in such a huge corporate tower, with a view of the ocean on a daily basis, there would be an added motivation for me to show up to work every morning; or at least to play hooky and sit on the benches all day.

2. Green spaces and similar features which are constructed within an urban city are often done so for a myriad of reasons. Recently, in Trinidad, we have experienced a resurgence of sorts of these types of architectural features, which enhance the "natural". This can be attributed partially to the effect that urbanization has on cities such as Port of Spain, where corporate towers and urban buildings sometimes clutter the landscape and concrete removes the green. Aesthetically intended green areas not only serve to increase motivation, reduce depression and encourage playfulness, but also positively contribute to the environment in the provision of certain services. Not only that, but they serve as an appealing lure to tourists, and even citizens, encouraging consumption in and near these areas. Hyatt's boardwalk is an example of such a feature, where it becomes beneficial to the hotelier to provide such a space. The Garden City, as described in Hall and Barrett, gives an idea as to the importance that such green spaces may have for locals, foreigners and most importantly to many, investment and increased interest. Studies conducted by Van Den Burg determined that green spaces somewhat attenuated negative impacts of stress in life and in work, improving the health of those involved. The perceived relationship with the growing number of cities (increased urbanization) and the subsequent separation and isolation from nature has fueled the construction of these urban green-spaces geared towards both mental and physical benefits for the populace.

                  
3. The following links describe the psychological effect that green spaces (and associated biodiversity) may have, and how they improve productivity as well as more importantly in mental health.

http://www.opengreenspace.com/opportunities-and-challenges/health/psychological/
http://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/Thm_Mental.html

Traffic- An unintended consequence of Urban Form

This post aims to tackle the aspect of traffic generated from heavy prioritization of some urban cities as work-centers and centers of play. Some of the methods used to alleviate such traffic are highlighted, as well as the consequences of traffic on a personal and general scale. In large, Traffic refers to the transport route and efficiency of mobility within cities. It affects both privately transported citizens and those who use public transport. Cities are often described as having an urban form very closely and intimately related to modes of transport and mobility, but less attention is paid to the reverse of this; i.e. how do cities hinder transport and mobility in the form of traffic generated through overuse and overloading in densities of those who travel from one place to another.

 Some cities aim to alleviate the traffic menace through the use of certain incentives and deterrents. These include facilitating the flow of non-vehicular movement, such as bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, as well as the promotion of an adequately functioning public transport system of buses and taxis. Deterrents to private vehicular flow include strict clamping and towing laws, and even a network of roads which are routinely blocked off and converted to one-way lanes.

The Bottleneck Effect

The flow of traffic eased as the SUV entered the newly constructed four lane overpass highway. Such an invention enabled cars to space out, to unleash the hidden horsepower below the hood and to provide the brakes with a reprieve from the constant stopping and starting which plagued the drive thus far. The vehicle gaining and gaining speed, pushing the needle further upwards, with the man behind the wheel venting his frustration caused by the aforementioned traffic on the accelerator pedal. This sensation lasted  a full five minutes. That was all, until he reached the entrance to the urban city, where the four lanes miraculously merged into two, and the innumerable number of cars which had entered the mega-highway now became squeezed into two lanes, a bottleneck effect of sorts, and the traffic resumed, even worse than before and twice as difficult to maneuver through due to the layout of the streets within the city. 

1.  The top picture, taken at West-Moorings, shows an example of traffic conjured by too many persons needing to venture into an urban space for their daily activities of work, consumption and play. The picture below it depicts an overpass constructed which attempts to alleviate traffic that is leaving the city. While this overpass is a good idea, it does not solve the real problem, which lies in the cities themselves as hubs of activity that involve a large number of persons who rely on private transport due to the unreliability of a properly functioning public transport system, as well as the convenience that private vehicles afford.


2.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2011/11/30/new-traffic-plans-next-monday

The link above relates to one of numerous attempts made by the government in their fight against traffic, and the lack of productivity and other negative effects which it brings.

Urban Commerce, Chic and Perceptions of Want

                     The idea of an urban city as a commercial hotspot of activity has been one of the foundation principles of past and recent studies. Many hold a view that some cities are majorly influenced by, and also exert influence on economic and commercial agendas of individuals. City economies are described in great detail within the textbook Urban Geography by Tim Hall and Heather Barrett. They outline not just a basic view of commercially driven cities, but give examples as to how such commercial functions have transitioned over the course of history. This blog entry is one of two which aims to tackle the issue of economic centers in urban cities- firstly from my standpoint as an individual who encounters these centers first-hand; while the second post will focus on the broader view of multiple economic centers within a city, how they are related to one another and those of other cities, and what their influence is upon a grander scale as opposed to singular individuals.

                   The concept of Urban Chic relates to something that is viewed to be "trendy". It does not simply apply to articles of clothing, but instead to anything that can represent oneself (even building form) and signify something about a person. In recent times, Urban chic has fulfilled differing roles; the primary role, as a symbol of self expression, and a somewhat more cynical role, where "consumerism" has encouraged some purchasing of "Urban Chic" goods to improve self image. This is where the Perceptions Of Want come into play: Systems of consumerism allow for the establishment of urban commercial centers which peddle goods to individuals who believe that they need the goods, when in actuality, the goods represent only wants. This paradoxical relationship also causes wants to become a need, whereby those who do not own such goods can often be overlooked or stigmatized. Confusing certainly, but quintessentially a feature of society which replicates over time in new but familiar forms.

The Shopping Plaza

      People shuffled past the moonlit plaza, its neon signs giving fierce competition to the naturalness of the starry night light. All the stores closed, but lights inside, electricity burning, burning like the desire of the window shoppers to obtain that new winter coat (Trinidad temperatures of 32 degrees celcius on average, but never mind, the Air conditioning was freezing, the remote didn't have any batteries) , that new pair of shoes (number twenty in the closet, heels like moko-jumbie stilts) , a new suede suit and a new lambskin belt (different from the regular belt in that its texture was sublime, as if the goal of the belt was not to hold up the new "trousers" but instead to be felt and enjoyed). The plaza exhibited its wares gallantly, each article and item carried with it a promise of confidence for the next day, at a price of course. The want machines that are human beings continued to shuffle past, some ambling, some leisurely walking, others flat out sprinting so as to avoid the call of the next best fashionable want. 
     The game played by the urban shopping plaza was one of comfort and enticement, its architecture itself as a lure, then the lure shrunk into storefronts, neon lights and smiling shopkeepers. Make no mistake, the goods were good, but how good could a good actually be for the good of a consumer?



1. The above picture, and the two below, were taken in the Valpark Shopping Plaza at night. It represents just one of numerous urban commercial centers that are established within Trinidad. While the outer building form is common of commercial centers, the inner structure (two below pictures) is a bit more differential, and the overall aesthetics aim to attract the majority of consumers. While Valpark is not the most major of commercial centers with respect to number of stores and variety of wares, it is indicative of a central area of activity, with its parking lots almost always full. Many of the goods on display are geared towards urban consumers, as well as those who are wealthy. Neighbouring settlements in Valsayn are highly urban and residents frequent this center.

2. Perceptions of want are the driving force for the profitability of these urban commercial centers. The need for newer and more encourage sales, as well as when items become more popular and are associated with the wealthy, urban elite which leads to the  purchasing of such goods to enhance image and status.
 While the tendency is to associate "wants" negatively, this is not at all the case. While there are some wants that can be seen to be somewhat pointless and purely to please others, often wants can improve quality of life, and also make life more enjoyable; wants only become a problem when they extend past a person's realistic budget and financial means.
  The integration of urban commercial centers within an urban community serves to increase city status, the wealth generated by certain individuals of the city, and such wealth may even be used in the betterment of the city. In some instances, the urban commercial center is the focal point and is often more recognized than the city.








3.  
     These links reflects one of the ideas of Consumerism; The first is a more analytical viewpoint, whereas the second is a satirical musical video on Consumerism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ29DQvopZo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGaOQKJik-s