City Planning and Policy continued

The built form of the city and the planning and policies that go along with it can shape lives in a positive light and then it can shape lives in a negative light. One way is by excluding certain groups of urban participants. Designers, planners, policy makers, architects etc have the main influence on the built environment of a city and should put measures in place to ensure that it reflects various practical and aesthetic designs (Hall & Barrett, 2012). This is to guarantee that all needs are met. However, researchers have outlined the issues faced “in the built environment by those whose needs appear to not have been considered in the design of those spaces.” (Hall and Barrett, 2012, p. 189) Therefore it seems that built environments embodies divisions which casts light on the urban planning and policies employed. This may be due to traditional ideologies and conventional ways of designing built environments. The urban environment is mostly ‘man-made’ which means its use and layouts reflect that of man. Moreover, the architectural design is built around the able-bodied individual. Therefore, groups such as women, the elderly and individuals with disabilities, are excluded because their roles and activities within a city have not been considered. At present, modifications have been made to planning designs and policies due to changing societies. However limits still remain especially with respect to individuals with disabilities.

This is also a reflection in the era in which the country is in such as industrial, modern, post-modern etc. Urban areas in Trinidad and Tobago are mostly modern or post-industrial depending on the urban space and the perspective. A modern city is characterised by its high rise buildings which are seen as economic in nature. The modern city movement occurred in the 19^th and 20^th century and during this time Trinidad and Tobago’s main urban developments were taking place. During this time much consideration was not given to certain groups as their roles within urban areas were limited and as such they were not considered in the design, as mentioned above. These traditional perspectives remained within the modern culture and design and as time elapsed and such groups demanded rights, changes were made. Presently most of the inclusive infrastructure can be seen in post-modern societies.(Prince, 2008) Therefore as Mumford (1938) stated ‘cities are a product of time’ and the transition and progress if nations influences the Urban form and culture.  

The pictures that follow show general built environment in Port of Spain and San Fernando. 

Image 1 showing High Street, San Fernando (click to enlarge)
Source: Jonathan E. Ramnarine 

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Image 2 showing Lower High Street, San Fernando (click to enlarge)
Source: Jonathan E. Ramnarine.

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Image 3 corner of Queen and Henry Street, showing Port of Spain (click to enlarge)
Source: P. D'andra Nanda

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According to Michael J. Prince (2008) there are different perspectives to analyse urban life in cities. In his article he outlines four perspectives; two disregarded or did not consider individuals with disabilities while the other two highlighted the need for inclusivity. Perspective three and four, Excluded Others and Diverse Civic Publics, notes that it recognizes the needs and rights of social groups which include people with disabilities in urban areas. These perspectives are both post-modernists approaches as compared to the first two perspectives which are more classic approaches that ignore these social groups. Said approaches reflect a change in discourse in urban planning and development where technical establishment of infrastructure in cites are encouraged to promote equality and social harmony to all groups especially persons with disabilities.

References:

Hall, T. & Barrett, H. (2012). Architecture. In D. Bell & S. W. Williams (Eds.), Urban Geography (189-214). Abingdon, OX: Routledge.

Mumford, L. (1938). The culture of Cities. Harcourt, Bruce and Company. 

Prince, M. J. (2008). Inclusive City Life: Persons with Disabilities and the Politics of Difference. Disability Studies Quarterly, 28(1), Retrieved from http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/65/65