Life in a concrete jungle is mystifying: As Ants on a carcass, so is the urban sprawl that stretches towards the Northern Range
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| Figure 1.Panoramic view of Port Of Spain ,Trinidad and Tobago ,West Indies |
In lay terms, the
phrase Urban Sprawl calls two things to mind:
- The development of the country, is moving at a pace which involves rural communities and lands are converted to urban centers.
- There is a urban to rural migration movement away from the busy, noisy and polluted city. To the quiet, more relaxed and clean air of the rural spaces. The migration leads to small pockets of urbanization.
Definition
Urban
sprawl: Is the spreading of a city or its suburbs; it often
involves the construction of residential and commercial buildings in
rural areas or in otherwise undeveloped land at the outskirts of a
city (www.wisegeek.com 2013).
Panoramic image (Figure 1) shows Port of Spain and Diego Martin as
it stretches along the coast. Leaving the Central Business District (CBD) skyscrapers, the city expands to the hills
and show the slow encroachment of rural hill and undeveloped land being swallowed by urban sprawl.
Currently, the urban
sprawl in Trinidad and Tobago is growing at a steady pace. There is
an increase in the number of formal housing projects and squatters on the hills
of Northern Range as more persons look to leave the city. Trinidadians
are leaving the city for many reasons most popular of which are: crime,
job opportunities, social mobility and also for health reasons.
Trinidad and Tobago can reduce the spread of urban sprawl by using
"Green belts" to stop the intrusion and preserve the rural areas.
Faced with a similar crisis in 1938, the city of London successfully
implemented the green belt as a means of controlling its urban sprawl. If Trinidad and Tobago were to implement the green
belt approach for the Northern Range and Caroni areas. The rate of urban sprawl may be slowed down or halted.
Ultimately, urban sprawls is inevitable; however, cities can exercise control over the rate at which it happens.
Ultimately, urban sprawls is inevitable; however, cities can exercise control over the rate at which it happens.
It would be interesting to look at urban sprawl in a historical context: how did these settlements get to this state? were they always marginalized and deviant? why do people perpetuate the sprawl by continued building? Does sprawl have positive aspects, maybe to its inhabitants? all things to think about, thanks for highlighting this problem in Port of Spain..p.s. i like your title, very good imagery!
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