Urban Design

URBAN DESIGN

Photo: Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

Citing from the San Fernando City Corporation Spatial Development Plan, the city of San Fernando, form an urban design perspective differs significantly form other parts of Trinidad and Tobago. It is considered complex, historic, with an urban waterfront, having a downtown center and other commercialized features.


When comparing San Fernando, to the Capital city, Port-of-Spain, it can be considered “free standing.” It contains a downtown area, with commercialize and civic buildings and uses, however, with less intensity of activity and more moderate scale and density of buildings according to the spatial development plan. The Downtown core retains a distinctive appearance, centered on the Harris Promenade, as seen in the Picture.


In a book written by Roger Trancik, 1986, “Finding lost space: Theories of Urban Design,” the very fact of stating San Fernando as being free standing, shows that the three theories stated in Roger Trancik's book, was looked over or looked at to a certain extent. These theories include:

1. Figure-Ground Theory: founded on the study of the land coverage of building as solid mass (Figure) to open voids (Ground). “Figure- Ground theory analyses are powerful tools for identifying the textures and patterns of the urban fabric as well as problems in its spatial order.”
   
2. Linkage Theory: “In this approach dynamics of circulation become the generators of urban form. The emphasis on connection and movement is a significant contributions.”
   
3. Place Theory: “Designers have increasingly become aware of the importance of historic, cultural and social values in urban open space.”
   

According to a Lichfield Planning report, done in 2009, on Generic Urban Design Framework for Trinidad and Tobago, several urban design issues and opportunities specific to San Fernando are highlighted. These include:

• The city has a downtown area that has been drifting away from the core as more peripheral areas of commercial development have been built up.
  

This can be related to a conclusion of L.S. Bourne, in his paper, Reinventing the Suburbs: Old myths and New realities, where he deduced the fact that thinking of suburbs as being distinct is outdated, and the conventional distinctions between city and suburb have disappeard. This can clearly be seen in this point of San Fernando.

• Traffic congestion and pollution associated with it detract significantly form the quality of the urban environment
  
• For the pedestrians, things are difficult, especially for people with mobility problems to move around
  
• The city is a combination of civic buildings, commercial spaces, mixed districts which is in need of a balance between mixing and segregating the different uses that make for a sustainable city.
  
• Security and safety have become matters of concern.
  
• Maintenance of the public realm is an issue, mainly because of the pressure of use on both streets and open spaces and costly maintenance.
  

Written in the spatial development plan of San Fernando, are several urban design challenges that need to be addressed, and these included:

• The city being inefficiently urbanized – a more efficient design would allow for greater densities.
  
• To move around in the city is difficult due to one-way traffic systems and little parking and street signs.
  
• Historical and cultural monuments are often poorly maintained.
  
• Street vending in its current form is unsustainable.

The report goes on to identify specific plans, which lends itself to urban design treatment, which can be read more in the following site:
http://www.localgov.gov.tt/~/media/Resource%20Library/Spatial%20Development%20Plans%20Per%20Corporation/San%20Fernando%20City%20Corporation%20Spatial%20Development%20Plan.ashx

Also, more information contained in the book written by Roger Trancik, “Finding Lost Spaces: Theories of Urban Design,” can be found through the website:
http://books.google.tt/books?id=UcdJxonfeGMC&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=theories+of+urban+spatial+design&source=bl&ots=QO0B3vNO2g&sig=uilC7uzRnGnFg-2aS_vB1xFx-Js&hl=en&sa=X&ei=I-0PU_OyMo-kkQef3IGoBA&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=theories%20of%20urban%20spatial%20design&f=false

In addition, an interesting video that I came across, in the following link, talks on exploring urban design – Designing the Future. Persons featured in the Video are:

1. Stephen Phillips – Product Designer – Arup
   
2. Frederick Wiesenborn – Founder – Sanitov Studio
   
3. Mark Middleton – Managing director – Grimshaw Architects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wy16zTDIEg