Transport and its Artistic effect on the city!

Transport in the city. This blog is dedicated to the well known water taxi in Port of Spain. The water taxi is proven to be much faster than a car in terms of time when travelling from San Fernando (located in the south of Trinidad) to Port of Spain (located in the north) . This strategy of transport greatly affects the congestion in the city as there are less cars in and around the roadways and as a result traffic is drastically reduced. The effect of global warming is taking a great toll on the world and even the smallest things can help reduce the effects of global warming. Car pooling saves gas and reduces the amount of carbon monoxide emitted from these vehicles. The water taxi greatly cuts the amount of cars coming into and out of the city on a daily basis. Those who live in the south and work in Port of Spain can find quick and easy access into the city via transport provided by the water taxi. For safety, there is secure parking for those who come to the terminal with their private cars which they would use to return home after taking the water taxi from work. This transport mechanism is also an attraction to the citizens as well as tourists as not much Caribbean islands have this type of transport available to them. Urban geography is related to this as it shows that there are many ways to reduce the congestion of traffic within cities that may be located near coasts. According to Hall and Barret, " Mobility, the ability to move around cities, is a fundamental and increasingly complex dimenstion of everday life." It goes on to say that mobility shapes cities. The size and shapes of cities form throughout history and across the world are a reflection of the prevalence of different forms of transport. The urban sprawl of many contemporary cities reflects, and helps perpetuate, the importance of the private car today but other forms of transport, such as they railway and carriage, have been equally important determinants of the shape and nature of cities. As a result, the increase in technology and implementation of the water taxi may have a great impact on the city and it's future formation. To add to this, there is also breakfast shed as seen in the photo which may be of great convenience to business people arriving into Port of Spain and even those leaving to San Fernando. The area is located across the road from the famous Brian Lara Promenade, near the Hyatt hotel as well as The Parliament Of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and they all work together to form an aesthetically pleasing landscape. Below is a video to show you more information about the water taxi!

Reference: Hall and Barret. Urban Geography. London and New York, Routledge Publishing. 2012 (page 282).

Art Of Relations

This picture above is a picture I took recently. You may ask why is it here and how is it even related to the city? Well, it in fact can be related to the city. Every city has buildings. Each building is connected to one another through some mutual relationship. The art of interconnectivity and relations between each building makes the city a city. Look at the Port in Port of Spain for example. The port is related to multiple buildings located in the city. There are the banks for transaction of money. There is the police station for security. The Fire station constructed for protection of the people in the vicinity if there were to be a fire. The multiple health services throughout the city also show how the links are made. Every building made within the city is related to one another and work for the betterment of each other. As in the picture I posted, friends are interconnected with one another. One person is linked to another and so another relationship is made. If a link is broken and nothing works for the betterment of the city then fragmentation can occur.  The fire service saves people from the fires, and then the health service takes care of them. Ambulances serve the city in a way for quick transport of injured people to the health centers. If an ambulance were to ignore an accident they were to encounter on the route throughout the city, say near to the port (if there were to be one) and not give any assistance for excuses such as not being called upon, they were on a lunch break or they just did not like the type of people in the accident for example, this would be counter productive. This is bad judgment on the part of the person driving the ambulance, if they do not work together then there would not be any way in forming relations within the city and would lead to the downfall of society on the whole.  People have to put first, their humanity and proper thinking to ensure peace in the society. There is the police force which maintains a level of order in the area but cannot change people’s way of thinking. The port allows for people to have connections to the greater world and allows for commercial activity. According to Ullman and Harris' Multiple Nuclei Model, a city forms from one main CBD and it's smaller various centers. This is the same as people, one friend may have various friends and each may have mutual friends and as a result the interconnections grow. In fact, each city center causes a growth around that area and when the areas grow large enough, they all interconnect and expand forming a wider commercial center. The end result is a linking of all the cities through their interrelations. They all work together for one goal, the betterment of the society and it’s advancement in the developing world. To ensure this growth, people must work together in harmony and form connections. These connections may not be personal but on the basis that what needs to be done is done. It goes beyond race and color, greed and pride, and appeals to the humane side of people.

Below is a video entitled One love by Bob Marley. It's lyrics go out to being one and working together.

Reference: Hall and Barret, Urban Geography. London and New York, Routledge Publishing. 2012 (page 40).

Art In The Form Of Building Sculptures!

The photograph above was taken at The Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre. The sculpture was one of the many portraits on the walls of one of the buildings. The reason i chose to start my 1st blog with this picture is because it displays everything about the country's past and the video you see below will show how the country's past affected it's present. This picture illustrates as wonderfully as it can "The First Peoples & Colonisation". It shows that there was an influence from a diverse amount of groups from around the world which made Trinidad, what some would call it today as an, 'Island Paradise'. The myriad of people from various races and ethnicities makes the island what it is as can be seen from the culture found here in this tropical island. The picture shows the Amerindians, also called the First People who inhabited Trinidad and Tobago for thousands of years! There was then the arrival of the Spanish in the late 1400's, followed by the French in the mid 1700's and the British in the late 1700's. Each group brought with them, their own unique culture which added to the evolving diverse Trinidad and Tobago.

According to Hall and Barret, "Representations do more than merely convey information and impressions about places. They are also implicated in struggles over notions of identity and the material development of places." The identity of Trinidad and Tobago is somewhat portrayed in this image as it shows how the culture of the country became what it is presently. You may wonder how is art related to the urban development of the city but as can be seen here, the art is found in the form of a sculpture on the building. This consequently, with respect to what Hall and Barret suggested, implies that people who view this whether it be tourists or locals will have acknowledged some sort of information, impression and understanding of the identity of Trinidad and Tobago. The influence of art in the buildings within the city by this form also aids in the aesthetic beauty of the area and makes it all the more interactive with the people who visit there.

Curious?!?! Continue to the video below which is guaranteed to capture your attention, appeal to your senses and blow your mind!!!! It features Trinidad with a focus on the island's leisure activities, festivals, celebrations, attractions, entertainment, cuisine, eco-tourism activities and much more! Listen and view the amazing spectacles that make my country truly a paradise!!!

Reference: Hall and Barrett, Urban Geography. London and New York, Routledge Publishing. 2012 (page 224)

SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME MY ART ENTHUSIASTS!!!! And remember! "A picture is worth a thousand words." - Napoleon Bonaparte