Central Suburbia

Chaguanas suburban residential areas, can be classified into areas of low class, middle class and high class. Low-class residential areas include ones such as Enterprise, which can be seen pictured below (Photograph 1), and formerly, Edinburgh 500. According to Hoyt's model of an industrial city, low income areas were built along or near to railroad lines. This model was based in a time where railways were a more popular form of transport, in the early 20th century. This can be noted upon investigation of a map of the Trinidad railway lines from that time period, which infers that these areas were built accordingly. While there are no longer any operational railroads in Trinidad, particularly in Chaguanas, there are still remains areas of low income housing in close proximity to major accessibility routes (i.e. Southern Main Road). However, there has been some features of urban development taking place, for example new housing complexes for residents (also pictured below). 

PHOTOGRAPH 1, taken with Canon EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D. (Date taken: 24/02/15)

Middle-class residential areas found in Chaguanas include Orchard Gardens (Photograph 2), Cunupia and Edinburgh Gardens (not the same as Edinburgh 500). These areas would be similar in some ways to the high-class areas, in that it would be attractive to people interested in living in these regions. The standard of living would be more affordable to people who belong to a more moderate income bracket, with the supplemental benefits of easy accessibility to both the CBD and major transportation routes. 

PHOTOGRAPH 2, taken by Kristen Goseine with Canon EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D. (Date taken: 24/02/15)

The major high-class residential area in Chaguanas is Lange Park (Photograph 3). This area conforms to the expectations of a high class area as presented by Hoyt, where it is branched directly from the CBD as a small wedge. This may be so, as there is minimal industrial/manufacturing activity taking place in this area. Therefore, factors such as noise and pollution, that would usually influence high classed people into living further away, would not be in play here.

PHOTOGRAPH 3, taken by Kristen Goseine with Canon EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D. (Date taken: 24/02/15)

The middle and high class residential areas described here are much like the one described in the episode of the popular '90s television show, Friends, in the episode "The one where Chandler gets caught."  

References:

• "Models from Burgess and Hoyt." A-level Geography Urban Profiles Revision -. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/geography/urban-profiles/revise-it/models-from-burgess-and-hoyt>.
• "Railroad Map of Trinidad." WDL RSS. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11332/>.
• "The One Where Chandler Gets Caught." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0583445/>.
• "The Structure of Cities - Boundless Open Textbook." Boundless. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/population-and-urbanization-17/urbanization-and-the-development-of-cities-123/the-structure-of-cities-694-10482/>.

Downtown Chaguanas - The Core of Urban Activity

Urban diversity refers to an mélange of culture, language, gender, race, ethnicity, class and wealth in areas with a growing population. (Kihate et al, 2010) Urban areas are constantly evolving and expanding, thus creating a wide network of urban processes. In Trinidad, there are several areas where this is seen, including cities such as Port-of-Spain (capital city) and San Fernando, as well as towns such as Tunapuna and, in the case of this study, Chaguanas.

Photograph taken by Kristen Goseine, with Canon EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D. (Date taken: 03/02/15)

Chaguanas, home of Nobel Prize-winner and British author Sir V. S. Naipaul, rapidly became an urban area during the 20th century when there was an influx of a middle-class community. Many relocated to Chaguanas due to its accessibility to affordable homes and its convenient location. Over time the area has become increasingly populated by both Afro-Trinidadians and Indo-Trinidadians, which resulted in the formation of residential housing and middle-class to upper middle-class communities along the outskirts of the Central Business District (CBD).
Pictured above is Chaguanas Main Road, which is the nucleus of economic and social activity carried out in the Borough of Chaguanas. The Chaguanas Main Road is, for all intents and purposes, the CBD of the urban area. As seen with all urban models all included factors, for example the zones of varying classes and the industrial areas, are in relation to the CBD. In the case of this town, Hoyt’s model of the industrial city (1939) will be used for analysis, where some of the zones radiate directly from the CBD rather than the simple concentric circles used for representation of said zones, in previous models.

References:
"BBC - GCSE Bitesize: The Burgess and Hoyt Model." BBC News. BBC. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/urban_environments/urban_models_medcs_rev1.shtml>.
Hall, Peter. "Modelling the Post-industrial City." Futures 29.4-5 (1997): 311-22. Print.

Kihato, Caroline, Blair Ruble, and Mejgan Massoumi. Urban Diversity: Space, Culture, and Inclusive Pluralism in Cities Worldwide. Washington, D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center ;, 2010. Print.