Up Up and Apartments We Go!

Source: Author's Photograph (Apartment buildings along the Lady Young Road, to Port of Spain)

      According to Barrett and Hall (2012), Le Corbusier,  a Swiss-born architect proposed a concept called the 'city of towers' which would impact the twentieth century urban planning. This proposal was in response to the problem of overcrowding in cities. His solution was to decongest the city, by tearing it down and increasing its density, this could have been achieved by building units or vertical streets. Units were highrise buildings with apartments that would house many families, the higher the building the higher the density, thus less space was being occupied. With the extra space he proposed wide boulevards to accommodate traffic.     
        Now although entire cities were not changes due to loss of history etc, many of these units can be found in cities worldwide. Even the concept is now being used not only for residential purpose but for commercial as well. The photo above was taken along the Lady Young Road into Port of Spain, it shows units of housing which Le Corbusier introduced. It increases the density of housing while using limited space. In the background you can see units being constructed. The construction is proof that this solution to housing and overcrowding may be working. What do you think?

Apartment House

A filling-cabinet of human lives

Where people swarm like bees in tunneled hive,

Each to his own cell in the towered comb,

Identical and cramped--we call it home.

--Gerald Raftery

Sources

• H. Barrett, T. Hall (2012) Urban Geography (4th edition). Oxon : Routledge. pg 136-137
• http://www.bossybetty.com/2010/04/poetry-tuesday-apartment-house-by.html,  Accessed on 16th April, 2013.