Study area

The focus here is merely to highlight and study the changes influenced by gentrification along a single stretch of road approximately 5.5 km long, moving in a Westerly direction, mainly the beginning of Wrightson Road till the end of Wrightson Road, along a standard topography, and parallel to the Gulf of Paria. 

The following is a video that would lead and take you along the route of Wrightson Road, from Sea Lots to the start of the Audrey Jeffers highway illustrating the area of study.

LINK: view via YOUTUBE 

SONG: I SEA LOTS

Mainly for entertainment, but it also really touches the heart. Here Machel Montano together with Morgan Heritage expresses their view on Sea Lots through their eyes. It highlights issues of neglect, political and governing inequalities, high levels of pollution etc….. MUST WATCH!... enjoy

LINK: View via YOUTUBE 

CNC 3 NEWS CLIP

A news broadcast via CNC3 where two neighbouring communities at East Port-of-Spain is at war between gangs. Mr David Muhammad explains the originating source of the problem which stems from forced gentrification…. Identifies the influence of politics and governance

Fllow on youtube 

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

There are two major cities in Trinidad which includes Port of Spain and San Fernando. Port of Spain is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the Northwest coast of the island. The city has a municipal population of 36,963. Within the last decade the city of Port of Spain has undergone a vast amount of developing which includes the establishment of many new high raised buildings and the rebuilding of old deteriorating ones. In these ever-changing zones there is intense competition for space resulting in a lack of room for drastic expansion. This act of “refurbishing” the city is known as Gentrification.

According to Dictionary.com, Gentrification is the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses. These lower income families and small businesses are “pushed” to the outskirts of the city suffering unemployment and social deprivation and the conditions gets worse when the situation continues to go downhill becoming the poorest part of the city and can then be termed the “urban ghetto.”

With respect to this research, the focus is on the gate way into the dynamic capital city, Port of Spain. The area of study is along the Wrightson Road which is the main entrance into the “heart” of the city, linking the Beetham Highway and the Audrey Jeffers Highway via down town Port of Spain.

Throughout this page, problems, challenges, complaints and misfortunes would be highlighted from this said area, which ranges from Sea Lots to the start of the Audrey Jeffers Highway.

 

Satellite image showing area of study 

IMAGE # 1

This photo reveals the forefront or the gateway to the city of Port- of- Spain. Sea Lots is poverty ridden residential area that is located in the city. The result of gentrification is highly evident in these “run down” and dilapidated infrastructures that houses the residents. 

The fact that the spread of housing is jutting towards the sea rather than along the main access road into the city, is really amazing yet heartbreaking, in that it shows the risk these dwellers would endure in order to make a home for them and their families. This settlement is in close proximity to the edge of the Gulf of Paria. According to the youths of the area, the sea is used for various purposes such as fishing as a form of recreation and food source, transport routes and waste disposal. Improper drainage is visible through the structure of the pipes that dispose toilet waste into the sea.

“The theorization of the development and location of increasingly downgraded working class areas in close proximity to gentrifying neighborhoods and which belie a picture of progressive homogenization of inner city and suburbs” this is visible in the suburbs of Port of Spain in the study area of Sea Lots.” (Michal Lyons, 1996)

IMAGE # 2

Housing and infrastructure within the Sea Lots “settlement or community” appears to be very much derelict and rundown. The houses are built extremely close to each other and evidently incomplete. This illustrates the quality of life that exists in this displacement due to the gentrified areas that are in close proximity has a lot of development occurring. The structure of the houses lack basic construction elements such as proper doors and windows that are means of protection to the members of the house. The roads are also in poor condition and structure which can imply these householders cannot afford a vehicle. The standard of living is very low in this area in that it is clear that the houses can only facilitate minimum living space as result additional large appliance are to be left outdoors. Eg washing machine

“While high status households have been displaced form a neighborhood which continues to gentrify may move relatively long distances to satisfy their housing preferences, low status households are very much more restricted in terms of access to employment, housing, and services, as well as to assistance from local government.” (Michal Lyons, 1996)