Sprawl: 'Artefactual' Genius or a Manufactured Catastrophe

The culture and planning within urban sprawls..

With the continuous rise of urbanisation and with the rate of urban sprawl, it would make the average person believe that the equilibrium and the ecological existence in these multiple urban cities is not possible and that it contradicts that very essences of sustainability. Yet, persons live there every day, raising families and commuting to and from these areas, so how awful are they and how can the effects of urban sprawl be diminished?

        Degraded house located in the prominent sprawl occuring in Caroni, but why is this person living here? Why did this person or family choose to build in this area or allow their house to degrade in such manner? Is this a controlled environement were the owners planned to live here to gain social benefits, did they move to escape the 'problems of the city'? Is this intentional or unintentional? Artefactual genius or manufactured catastrophe?

From the literatures related to urbanisation, the urban writer and activist, Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), confidently and often boldly gave her viewpoints on which greatly promoted traditional inner city neighbourhoods and no overcrowding (Hall and Barrett 2004, 141). Jacobs approached urban cities as living creatures and bionetworks. She proposed that over time, buildings, streets and neighbourhoods operate as dynamic organisms, fluctuating in response to how people interact with them. She explained how each element of a city, including sidewalks, parks, neighbourhoods, government and economy functioned together synergistically, in the same manner as a natural ecosystem.

 

She was not on-board with strict and structured urbanisation and urban sprawl stating, “The hell with art and scale models”. Jacobs believed cities worked because they were self-organised by their citizens (Horwell 2006).
            These ideas have been influential in the development of ‘new urbanism’ and approach to planning that is opposed to the growth patterns of cities exemplified by urban sprawl and restrictive residential enclaves (Hall and Barrett 2004, 141).
            But, don’t the sidewalk, buildings, streets and people function as an ecosystem as well? However, I believe it was not the idea of urban sprawl she was against; it was the concept and cultural make up. Urban sprawl often has a top-down approach, promotes homogeneity, lack mix use development and entailed inorganic societies.

So how can one change the general arrangement of life in these urban centres that often spreads to the suburban areas and then under-develop area thus creating the phenomenon of sprawl?
http://www.glogster.com/ichigolove9/glog-urban-sprawl/

             
                   With urban sprawl being so prevalent in many under-developed areas in Trinidad, would there even be a possibility of balance? Is there freedom to move around, can persons sustain their health, access proper educational institutions and have the same human rights as someone who resides in Millennium Park, Trincity or West Moorings, Trinidad? Do these persons have a place where they can disclose and apply their intellectual and creative potential to help benefit the country economically?

From an outsider ‘s view, they would like to believe such things as equality and human rights, while actually living in Trinidad and observing many levels of corruption, it conflicts the suspected view of equal opportunity and egalitarianism for every creed and race. Persons living in the suburbs of the capital city of Trinidad often would not have a chance or get the time of day from persons in a higher class, just because of where they reside.

Fig 1) Pyramid showing some examples of the hierarchy of areas within Trinidad

 

So what is the most sensible way to disperse people over the area? How do governments  try to rearrange their living spaces that would improve standard of living and not inflect a wound of discrimination that has been punctured time and time again cause a prolong healing period.

 

                   One can assume that a suitable projection of a settlement would help decrease the effect of sprawl. These 2-D plans would show a potential layout of the life styles of these inhabitants. It would directly reflect the ideas and priorities of the given society; its woes and behavioural logic, the nature of their needs and the general management of all its flaws and irregularities.
          However, when these cities are created how does culture retention remain? The diversity of these inorganic areas is superficial and culture degradation would begin to occur in spite of the appropriateness of the planning. Is that a bad thing for areas such as Laventille or Maloney where the loss of a sense of identity would be eminent? This feature of the planning process is fairly similar in most places, making cultural degradation inevitable and possible reconstruction of the values of these areas can help improve the overall depending on the bottom-up or top-down approach employed.

References

Hall, T. and H. Barrett. 2012. Urban Geography. 4th ed. London/ New York: Routledge.

Horwell, Veronica. 2006. "Jane Jacobs: Urban philosopher and activist with an intimate interest in   how things work". The Guardian, UK. Accessed March 8th 2013.                                       
                   http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2006/apr/28/communities.guardianobituaries