ALL THINGS ENTERTAINMENT IN TNT

Entertainment on the iconic Woodford Square Port of Spain (Bmobile on the Square): This picture depicts entertainment that takes place during the carnival season on one of the green open spaces closest to the Central Business District (CBD). This area is usually transformed during this time to accommodate the vast number of activities. This open air entertainment takes place during the lunch period (12pm-1pm) Monday-Friday, thus attracting a major part of the working population within the area and other spectators from the vicinity. This brings together people of various strata within society to enjoy the free entertainment provided thus transforming this simple park into a special place of entertainment.     

 This Blog seeks to show how entertainment in all its different forms affects the urban landscape. It focuses on Trinidad and Tobago which has a diverse and cosmopolitan society with a rich cultural heritage.  Port of Spain the main city of Trinidad like most urban centers represents a concentration of activities associated with urbanization such as commerce, retail, shipping, administration and politics to name a few, however as expressed by Mumford (1938) the city is also a social construct that records the attitude of a culture and an epoch to the fundamental facts of its existence.  Simply put, the city is a place that will be influenced by the interactions of the people who utilize it.

Trinidadian society is one that is always seeking some sort of enjoyment or relief from the riggers and stress of everyday life. Just as the city is a point of concentration for human activity it similarly also seeks to provide a multitude of avenues for leisure and entertainment. From the large concerts featuring international artists, to the many night clubs, to restaurants and eateries catering to a wide and diverse tastes, to centers of art and culture, to the many representation of street entertainment , to peaceful areas of relaxation or for social gatherings you name it the city has it. 

The urban landscape caters for a wide spectrum of needs from the macro to the micro scale using a diverse system of physical structures some permanently dedicated to this, while others are utilized seasonally for example the Paddock at the Queens Park Savannah during Carnival. Urban entertainment systems are not isolated and are interrelated to other elements such as transportation and mobility, security, socioeconomic and political factors.
So we will examine how entertainment in the urban areas are represented. We will consider entertainment in terms of.

-Time (differences in activities between Day and night, weekday and weekend periods, through various seasons Carnival, Easter, August, Christmas etc. and also changes in activities over time).

-Space (examine physical areas in the urban environment where entertainment activities take place) where they are in relation to other activities and why have they evolved in these areas.

-Place (this goes beyond just the physical area with boundaries but how social and human interactions have affected and shaped the character of the urban landscape) how the utilization of a specific space for entertainment activities has changed the character of the city. 

-Situation (what is the relation of entertainment activities to its surrounding environment) and a comparison to other cities 

Consideration will also be given to: 

How the seven triggers of urbanization have affected entertainment choices in the urban environment.

The effects of Globalization on entertainment culture. 


     At the end hopefully you will have a clearer understanding of how the different areas of entertainment in the city of Port of Spain, their pattern on the landscape and how it is linked to the physical infrastructure and the social interactions within these boundaries that define the people who live within and around its sphere of influence.

References:
Mumford, Lewis. "The Culture of Cities." 1938.