Very sorry for the long delay, but thanks for all the comments and i will try to answer within due time. Renuka

Reflection

        Hi, my name is Renuka Sookram and i would just like to thank every one who visited my blog, and please feedback is always welcome. I began with Urban Culture because i taught that cities are filled with culture and norms that cannot be found elsewhere. Urban In sites focus on everyday sites in the city, problems you might find and solutions. 
       When i visited other blogs i was very impressed, a lot  of them was related with what i had to say, for instance Kelly Bhim's blog Urbanmorphologh.blogspot.com had a post for San Fernando. In this post she spoke about a new high rise building which serves as a teaching hospital. This relates to my post with Le Corbusier, who proposed that high rise buildings occupied less space but still functioned well.
       Another blogger David Quamina caught my attention with his forsaken buildings post. His blog Urbancries.blogspot.com said that old buildings are only conserved if they are perceived to have worth. My post on ghostly spaces directly relates to this, buildings should be preserved and maybe even restores and reused even though it does not belong to a majority group. This is because its architecture may be unique and it would add greatly to the city's history and richness.
      Finally Karen Bally of the blog Karrenballyconcretecity.blogspot.com, posted about traffic. I also posted about traffic, we both had interesting ideas as to solutions. However the most intriguing solution came from Karen, she had a video of Tax collection in Sweden where people would pay to enter the city. It would encourage individuals to carpool and studies showed a significant reduction in traffic. Very cool idea.
       Although i did not get to review everyone's blog i will try to do so. I hope you all enjoy reading, and until another time. Bye. 

Vertical or Horizontal?

                  Source : author's Photo (Febeau Government School)

              We have spoken about vertical streets and architecture of buildings and also space. This three story building is being used as a Primary School in Tunupuna. There is even a car-park under the building for teachers and staff, it doubles as a play area for students as well, as there is limited space. It is amazing how we fit so many things into a very small space in urban areas. The kids here seem to be okay with it, as they usually run about and play on the concrete surface during their brakes. 
      Modern is what some may say, because if it didn't have a sign and kids in uniform i would have said "hai what a nice place for a shopping mall." Concrete and steel structures take up mush of our urban cities, there is hardly any room for movement, as this building has so many functions. Would you like to go to a school without a playground?

 This is Madras Government Primary School, in the village of Madras where i live. Look at the space, Photo number one shows only part of  a in school savannah, trees can be seen. Photo two shows a huge parking lot, while three shows an orchard full of fruit and shade trees, lastly number four shows a side view of the orchard. I have four pictures because i was difficult to capture the size of the compound form just one picture. This is so very different from the above building which is green but has no trees. However, the building may lack trees and space but it just goes to show what can be done in a small 

 Photo one

space in an urban area. With the right architecture and design you can have it all in just one lot. High rise buildings provides all that can be found in horizontal construction, the only difference is that they go up.

 Photo two

photo three











                                                                                       photo four.

Less Traffic = More Mobility.

Source : author's photograph (traffic in Chagaunas)

      "We have moved into an era where we are not simply concerned with a trip to work and back but with the multiple journeys that have become not just desirable but necessary in order to sustain our lifestyles each and every day. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that much of our life in cities is bound up with issues of how to get somewhere." (Jarvis et al. 2001:2).
      What does this statement mean, simply put it means, that there is so much traffic which is a barrier to mobility, that people choose where to go depending on the traffic. Some areas in the city may be impacted negatively because of this, consumers will refrain from traveling to cities. Mobility and free movement is what makes the city appealing, if this is removed it makes the city or certain parts inaccessible to consumers, potential investors etc. Traffic also causes air pollution and in some cases noise pollution. Basically, less traffic means more mobility.
      A solution to the reduction in traffic was examined previously in my blog, please be sure to look it up.

Another barrier to mobility and another culprit to traffic is the 'traffic light'. Although meant for good sometimes they cause more harm. Broken or malfunctioning lights confuse drivers causing even more of a pileup. Cities should have better response time to fixing broken lights. But then even when there are working lights there are Officers who direct the traffic in their own way. Do you think the officers help or make a bad situation even worse?










Photo showing traffic light.: Limited Mobility


Photo showing lots of mobility




Sources:

•  Barrett, H. and Hall, T. (2012) Urban Geography (4th edition). Oxon : Routledge. pg 283.

• Jarvis, H. , Pratt, A.C. and Cheng-Chong, P. (2001) The secret life of Cities: The social Reproduction of Everyday Life , Harlow:Prentice Hall.
• http://www.artie.com/20030826/arg_race_car.html

Hidden Identity.

Source: author's photo (street vending in Chagaunas).

    "Globalization: The increasing integration of national economies through international flows of trade, investment and financial capital," (Guinness and Nagle 2002). We know when globalization has hit when you see all the brand name fast food restaurants around every corner, when clothing stores are all brand name. What then happens to our  local retailers who can't afford high priced stores to sell in, does this make their product less valuable.
    In Chagaunas, vendors used to set up on the side of the streets and sell their goods, not any more. All local vendors were told to pack up and set up their shop in the old car-park of the old Health Center. The white tents that you see are vendors who are now blocked off from the 'walking consumer', their new location is some what out of the way, this then takes away from the values of their goods and services.
     Each vendor may have the same as most stores or even better, but their location, their stature in society  and the way they are labeled, sends a message to the public that they themselves and their product is less valuable. This has always been a part of our culture, street vending, but they say that the vendors don't fit in. But i say it is the vendors who adds identity to the city, without them every city would just be tall buildings and traffic. Don't you think? 
     Below is a link to a you tube video about vendor rivalry, funny, but i think it shows how vendors now have to compete for their own space.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm1VHXkN18g

Sources

• Guinness, P. and Nagle, G. (2002) Advanced Geography: Concepts and Cases (Revised edition) Oxon: Hodder Murray, Pg 136.

A House Of Cars.

Source: Author's Photograph (Multi story car park in Chagaunas).

      According to the website WWW.scalloway.org.UK,  " There are two main problems that modern day cities face, namely urban decay where part's of the city become run down and undesirable to live in, and traffic congestion." Now, going back to our Swiss architect Le Corbusier, who taught that cities should have wide boulevards to accommodate traffic. WWW.scalloway.org.UK however suggests that where wide streets do not exists in cities, then multi story car-parks should be put in place.
       I think that in some way they both propose the same thing, as Le Corbusier talks about high rise units and the site talks about high rise car-parks. Their common denominator, vertical expansion. In urban cities where open space is  rear thing, you learn to work with what you've got. Many cities have vertical streets with high rise buildings for commercial, residential and even cultural purposes, so why not for parking.
    This building has improved, greatly, the shopping experience for me in Chagaunas, you no longer have to worry about security or wreckers or even parking tickets. The consumers must be trilled for this and i am sure that sales and business in the area has improved due to the construction of a public multi story car-park. Do you think sales and business has improved, or has your experience improved? Let me know. I found a photo online that shows that most places have no public parking, so the addition of the car-park is a good solution to traffic as people no longer park at the side of streets, so the streets are open for traffic.



Sources:

• H. Barrett, T. Hall (2012) Urban Geography (4th edition) . Oxon: Routledge. Pg 136-137
• http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/n/no_parking_zone.asp, accessed on 17th April, 2013.
• http://www.scalloway.org.uk/sett16.htm , accessed on 16th April, 2013.

Wasting Away.

Source: author's photograph (Garbage at roadside in Chagaunas).

     (Getis, Getis and Fellmann 2008), state that "solid waste will never cease to be a problem, but its impact on the environment can be lessened by reducing the volume of waste that is generated, eliminating or reducing the production of toxic residues, halting irresponsible dumping, and finding ways to reuse the resources that waste contains. Until then, current methods of waste disposal will continue to pollute soil, air and water."
      Sunday morning in Chagaunas, and there is garbage along the roadside. If i am not mistaken, garbage collection takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Since the store in front of which was this display was closed then i would think they put the garbage out on Saturday evening when they closed. Right?
So then this will just sit here until collection Monday morning, agreeing with the above statement, i would also like to add that the disposal method used here will turn the heads of potential customers. It removes from the natural gist of the area. This is the mentality of people today, it has probably become a norn for this business to leave its garbage out on Saturday for Mondays collection, and since they are closed on Sundays when they arrive on Monday the area is probably cleaned. So typical,it does not affect them so they don't care.       
          Cities should have proper rules in place to deal with these situations. It degrades the area and in general, just looks disgusting. I chose a poem to reflect my photo which i think is a bit funny, so enjoy.

FRIDGE SPACE

My fridge is full;
There's no more space.
The odor pull,
A true disgrace.

So grab a sack;
Turn on the fan.
And let's attack
This garbage can!

Limp salad, toss;
The mayo, pitch.
That applesauce
Might make you itch.

And furry meat
Should be retired,
Not fit to eat,
It's long expired.

That greenish block,
A pungent lump,
Could take a walk
Right to the dump.

Seal up that bag,
Fast as you can!
This fridge might gag
My garbage man!

By: Linda Ann Nickerson

Sources

• Fellmann, J.D., Getis, A. and Getis, J. (2008), Introduction to Geography, (eleventh edition), New York : McGraw-Hill, pg  459.
• http://www.helium.com/items/850408-poetry-the-garbage-can, Accessed on 17th April, 2013, created on 8th February, 2008.