Creeping Upon Us: Where dat Building Come Out From?

Urbanization is a gradual process, which we often take for granted. Whether the effects of this process is positive or negative lies wholly in the position of the person involved; i.e. perceptions can and will differ due to numerous factors shaping actors. The idea of the urban as a "creep" can be presented, slow and steady at times, and at other times we might ask ourselves, "Since when dat build up so?!". This expansion of sorts is a key component in urbanization, and concerns both Urban Sprawl, as well as Gentrification. The former describes the tendency of urban communities not to remain within a specified boundary, but to expand over time aided by wealth creation, roadways, infrastructure and other catalysts. The latter, Gentrification, is described by Hall and Barrett as  how urbanization can convert working-class or vacant land within an already urban city, into urban features of middle class and/or commercial use . Eventually, the promise of wealth creation, coupled with the potential that such land would have, will cause the land to be "urbanized" for whatever means. Agents of Gentrification or pioneer gentrifiers can be represented by a "hip" generation that make these initial non-urban areas seem more and more attractive and often romantic (think coffee-shops, cozy areas).

Urban Sprawl is depicted within these pictures, and is indicative of not just the capital city Port of Spain, but also areas which are fast becoming centers of commerce and activity such as Chaguanas and San-Fernando. The houses on the hillside are a common feature and could be both squatter and also higher income persons, depending on the type of housing and structure of the houses. Squatters reside on the outskirts of urban hotspots such as hills, while the "rich elite" choose to construct on the hillside to potentially improve security and privacy. In addition, with prices of land at a premium within the city, it may be more cost effective to build on its outskirts. With this theory in mind, we can see how urbanization will cause an area to constantly expand, and also somewhat reflects components of Burgess' Model as well as the Sector Model, where a transitional movement of residents to the outer part of an urban commercial center is desirable and attractive. Imagine that there will ALWAYS be an outer area, obviously, and so there will be multiple outer areas over time, if that makes any sense. Lets say you build-up exactly on the boundary line, and then someone builds up behind you, outside the line. As a result of this, the line shifts and your neighbour becomes the outer. And then this process continues. This is also part of the reason why urban space in general is almost impossible to define within a boundary; it is ever shifting.

Pioneer Gentrifier at My Own Expense

We rented the old apartment for cheap change, 
At the time being run-down was all the rage
Seemed so hip, so cool , to invite all our friends
To paint on the walls, smoke joints, to live life like it would never end
The coffee shop down the road, it felt the same as home
Finally a reason to slow down our roam

The place became transformed, of romance and art
Then "they" came to tear us apart
Dollars in their eyes, New apartments reaching up to the skies
Rent on the rise,   What a surprise!
We started this revolution, changed perception,
Improved opinion and  Cultural recogniton
Now we've been forced out, the rent too high
The Urbanites take over,  They've come in on the sly

Pioneer Gentrifier at my own expense
Now they keep us out with cold bars and iron fences