King's Wharf- Urban Renewal in Motion

KING'S WHARF

San Fernando Waterfront- Kings Wharf 1995
http://www.localgov.gov.tt/~/media/Resource%20Library/Municipal%20Investment%20Plans/San%20Fernando%20Municipal%20Investment%20Plan.ashx

The City of San Fernando holds a unique environmental setting because of its coastal location. The Waterfront (also the San Fernando Hill) contributes most significantly to shaping the present form of the City. Today, the Waterfront is largely cut off and inaccessible from the rest of the City, and San Fernando and has  lost its identity as a coastal city, especially since its waterfront has become a home for squatters. The urban poor are concentrated in pockets throughout the city, mainly in marginal areas." According to the city council, “these pockets, does not reflect well on the city in terms of aesthetics, as it is often structurally unsafe, derelict and compromised as a result of the poor building materials and construction.” These places “display slum characteristics such as inadequate access to potable water and sanitation, poor physical infrastructure and other deficiencies”  (UN Habitat,2010)

Squatter settlements Kings Wharf San Fernando
http://www.localgov.gov.tt/~/media/Resource%20Library/Municipal%20Investment%20Plans/San%20Fernando%20Municipal%20Investment%20Plan.ashx

Abandoned Buildings King's Wharf
Photo Taken by Rachel Cadogan on
04-02-15

"The slums are not a place of despair. Its inhabitants are all working towards a better life."Vikas Swarup

The "Wharf People"and Waterfront Project

Urban renewal can be defined as "the rehabilitation of city areas by renovating or replacing dilapidated buildings with new housing, public buildings, parks, roadways, industrial areas, etc., often in accordance with comprehensive plans." (Dictionary.com 2015)
IN the process of urban renewal, there is the displacement of lower income groups. 

The Plan for the revitalization of San Fernando's Waterfront first and foremost involves the "cleaning up of the area" which is the  removal of the low income squatter residents. Fishermen were also removed to reclaim 3.8 hectares in the area of the present jetty."174 households must move for San Fernando Waterfront project"

(Express Newspaper, 2014) “No squatter homes on King’s Wharf, San Fernando, will be demolished today”Read a newspaper article in May, 2013, that same month another read "disabled woman 76, faces life on the street as King’s Wharf squatters get eviction notices" It is funny how the involuntary removal of citizens from the only home they know as “the waterfront clean up”

Police Serving Eviction Papers to Squatter on the waterfront King's Wharf as well as Demolition on the waterfront
http://indepth.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-05-25/disabled-woman-76-faces-life-street-king%E2%80%99s-wharf-squatters-get-eviction-notices

As there is more and more change, it resulted in the mass displacement of low-income households -squatters- and fisher folk, some of which even faced life on the streets (Guardian Newspapers, 2013)

"People do not like to be dispossessed from their dwellings, and every renewal project that involved relocation can anticipate considerable resistance, (Fried and Gleicher, 1976)

 Do these people mean so little that they are simply just items to be cleaned up? No consideration of these people’s feelings of home. Yes, some of them are set up in HDC houses but "home does not arrive with a roof over a person’s head" (Rivlin and Moore 2001) they have lost their home, and some even end up on the streets although they have been provided with a "home"

The Benefits of this Renewal

The aims of urban renewal and the sources of pressure for renewal are manifold: among the objectives, it may include more rational and efficient use of land, the elimination of dilapidated buildings, and the improvement of living conditions for these "slum dwellers"(Fried and Gleicher, 1976)

In the instance of San Fernando this government lead gentrification takes form in the plan to restore the waterfront and make it a viable and vibrant space for the residence and visitors. It plan consist of replacing non-conforming uses of the area as well as modernizing the jetty service. Also the establishment of recreational and entertainment facilities, selected retail trade uses, pedestrianization of selected ares s well as improve the linkages between the waterfront, High Street and Harris Promenade and enhancing the general environment. (localgovernement.tt)

The work done so far  has indeed brought about some physical improvements in disadvantaged area. So far, the cleared areas has been used to create a proper water taxi terminal and car park and a phase one boardwalk.  There the old sawmill was demolished to start work on a 4 storey car park since the area would "soon be a high traffic area" remains vacant as no work has started.(Trinidad Express, 2014)

Water taxi terminal and car park
http://www.localgov.gov.tt/~/media/Resource%20Library/Municipal%20Investment%20Plans/San%20Fernando%20Municipal%20Investment%20Plan.ashx

Phase 1 of the boardwalk on the waterfront at King's Wharf
Photo taken by Rachel Cadogan on
04-02-05

Demolition Site of the Old Sawmill and Proposed Site for the 4 storey car park
Photo taken by Rachel Cadogan on
 04-02-15

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dictionary.com (2015). Retrieved March 3rd, 2015 from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/urban-renewal
 

Fried M, Gleicher P (1976). The City and Urban Design. pp 41

Felmine K (2013, May 25) Disabled woman, 76, faces life on the street as King’s Wharf squatters get eviction notices. Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2015, from  http://indepth.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-05-25/disabled-woman-76-faces-life-street-king%E2%80%99s-wharf-squatters-get-eviction-notices 

King’s wharf squatters get reprieve. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. Retrieved March 23, 015 from http://newsday.co.tt/crime_and_court/0,178386.html

San Fernando Municipal Investment Plan- Urban Regeneration. (2012) Retrieved March 20, 2015 from http://www.localgov.gov.tt/~/media/Resource%20Library/Municipal%20Investment%20Plans/San%20Fernando%20Municipal%20Investment%20Plan.ashx

Santoo, K (2014, August 15) 174 households must move for San Fernando Waterfront project. Trinidad and Tobago Express Newspapers. Retrieved March 23, 2015 from 
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/174-households-must-move-for-San-Fernando-Waterfront-project-271376521.html


UN Habitat Trinidad And Tobago: San Fernando Urban Profile (2010) retrieved March 23, 2015 from http://www.unhabitat.org

Wayow S, 2014. King’s Wharf sawmill finally demolished. Trinidad and Tobago Expresses. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Kings-Wharf-sawmill-finally-demolished-262961721.html