"Reflection"

From the previous blogs, it can be seen that there are many positive aspects of commercial zones in the city center. This mainly includes offering a wide plethora of commercial services to the wider public. However, it should be noted that although this is the case, it also results in many negative consequences in the commercial zone and in turn the city center.  Some of these negative consequences include increased dumping of waste in the commercial zone, increase importation of products in an unsustainable way and finally traffic congestion and overcrowding. 

  Increased dumping in the commercial zone:

As I make my way along the streets in the commercial zones, I often see street corners and open abandoned areas in the city centers filled with garbage bags containing waste products and sometimes even over flowing. This is also seen when you take a look at garbage bins in the commercial zone that contain more than their maximum capacity. This is seen in my colleague’s blog: 

http://urbanpollutiontt.blogspot.com/2014/04/inappropriate-use-of-urban-space.html?showComment=1397267576242#c7808073643563776911

Illustrated in the image is the dumping of garbage products on the side of a building in the commercial zone in the Tunapuna city center.

Firstly, it is seen that improper waste management is a serious problem in the country especially in urban areas.  This is even exacerbated due to our small land space in Trinidad as well as due to the method that we utilize for getting rid of waste which is landfills.

This waste is seen as both land and visual pollution in the commercial zones and poses various negative effects. One such effect is that over time, this garbage would begin to give out a stench that can make the persons in city centers uncomfortable and even leave.

In addition, any loose waste items can be transported into the drainage systems and these can enter small crevices in the manmade drainage system and clog the system. Also, this garbage can build up over in the drains and when rains falls the water would not be able to drain out of the system due to the garbage blocking its path. These then causes the drains to over flow and thus flood the urban areas. 

   Increase imports

As commercial zones and city centers grow there is an increase in the amount of good and services being provided. This is in response to the increase needs and wants by the general public. As a result, commercial businesses import a drastic amount of goods to meet the increased consumption patterns of its urban citizens. 

As stated by my college in his blog, this allows for the importation of raw materials at unsustainable rates: 

http://urbanenviropollution.blogspot.com/2014/04/selling-degradation.html?showComment=1397266135342#c8620635129713448017

The image demonstrates a new mall set up in the urban city of Arima. This would led to increase importation of good and was a result of increasing demand for shoes and accessories in the commercial zones. 

This in turn allows many commercial stores in the city center to appropriate carrying capacities from through the increased import of goods and services. Likewise, it should be noted that this process also occurs with the multinational corporations located in urban areas. As stated in a previous blog, the locations in Trinidad are seen to be subsidiaries to the parent companies in other countries. This means that the products sold to the public by these companies would be from foreign countries and as mass consumption occurs more and more products will have to be imported from away and thus allows commercial zones in urban centers to appropriate carrying capacities from parent countries from elsewhere. 

      Congestion

As a result of growth occurring in the commercial zone as well as due to the presence of side street vendors congestion in terms on limited sidewalk space as well as traffic congestion occurs. When these two processes occur at the same time, space for pedestrians in the commercial zones becomes limited. According to one of my colleagues in her blog, sometimes side street vendors extend their stalls or the tables that they set up to sell their items into the road areas and this causes traffic. Thus persons in cars must carefully make their way through the commercial zone and this tends to hold back the free flow of vehicles in the area.

My colleagues blog based on side street vending and traffic congestion: http://streetvendingtrinidad.blogspot.com/2014/04/street-vendors-and-congestion.html?showComment=1397268459398#c2636977529254819982

Demonstrated in the image is traffic congestion, over crowing of both people and stores which are a common feature of commercial zones in city centers. This image shows the commercial zone in the urban city of Arima. 

Likewise, as stated in one of my previous blog posts, pedestrian space is also limited in the commercial zone due to side street vending. As Side Street vendors take up the side walk to set up their items for display they utilize walking area in the commercial zones. As a result, persons are forced to use the roads as their walk way which is a very unsafe practice as this can result in injury even death. 

"The Summit of the Urban Life: The Utopia of the shopper "

The city grows and grows and grows….

Illustrated in the image is the view at the center of the commercial zone in the Arima area, also known as the “Dial”.

Commercial zones are seen to be the driving force of city centers as they allow for its day to day functions with the goods and services that it provides to the general public as well as with the trading processes that occur. Thus commercial zones are the number one income generators for the city area and this is why I choose to delve deeper into what exactly are commercial zones? As well as, what do commercial zones serve to accomplish? And with what resources? This was done with an analysis of the major activities present in a typical commercial zone located in Arima area of Trinidad.

It was observed that all of the activities in commercial zones be it clothing stores, sale of food, entertainment facilities or even people allow for income generation in the city center that in turn can be used to further develop the urban center.

It was also seen that these activities grow in response to human consumption levels. This means that when demand for a certain product is high because persons want them, certain activities are enhanced and expanded to meet this demand as a means to make people more comfortable; as well provide the service that they wanted but not necessarily needed. This also leads  more places producing the same specified good and service. This is a good thing for the consumer as prices would be reduced by stores who want to attract persons to buy their items over others in the commercial zone.

Likewise, it can be stated that there are many factors that allow businesses in commercial zones to make a positive turnover every year. One such factor is advertising. Companies use alluring marketing strategies to convenience persons they should buy an item or that they need to have an item although it is not needful to them.  This strategy is also adopted by side street vendors who use their “side street vendor’s language” to manipulate words to make an item seem perfect and useful to you as a means to sell their produce.

Correspondingly, advertising paired with a good location at the heart of the commercial zone in the city center allows for the success of many stores in the urban area. However, this encourages people to waste their money on something that is sometimes not needful for then and can thus leave them in debt when they have other expenses to cover throughout the monthly period until they get paid again.

Therefore, it can be stated that the commercial zone in urban areas is an open forum for social interaction and communication where persons of varying background can come together for one purpose, be it to buy a product or to just “lime” with their friends and co-workers. 

Similarly, the commercial zone especially the urban city center is a dynamic space in Trinidad as it experiences constant changes over time. This is also because of the fact that it is entrenched in the human dimension and local culture and heritage. This allows the city to develop in a certain structure and influences what activities are given prominence in the urban center.

On the other hand, it should be noted that with progress comes problems. Although, it was not developed in this blog series, it should be stated that with the construction of more and more businesses to meet the increasing demand, consumption levels become quite unsustainable. In addition, this leads to an increase in imports to meet these demands and is thus reflected in Trinidad’s high import bill. This can also have many detrimental effects on the environments through land, water, air, noise and visual pollution, all of which can actually discourage persons from visiting the commercial zones.

To me the commercial zone culture is quite multidimensional as it incorporates other small sub cultures such as the “clothing stores culture”, the “foods culture”, the “market culture”, “the entertainment culture”, the “banking culture” and the “people culture” to form what we see today. It forms a sort of community where the varying sub-cultures are the major players that in fact allow for the success and up-keeping of the community which in this case is this shared commercial space in city centers. 

To end in the words of Lewis Mumford “It is our utopias that make the world tolerable to us: the cities and mansions that people dream of are those in which they finally live.”

"The heart of the commercial zone"

When I sit and think back to all of the activities occurring in the urban area, to all of the services and goods being provided to all of the events taking places, only one thing comes to mind. This one thing…. controls everything that occurs in the city center as well as in the commercial zone. This one thing…..keeps everything working together as one single unit.  This one thing…. ensures the vibrancy and diversity of the commercial zone is enhanced and maintained over time. This one thing…. may as well lead to all of the problems in the commercial zone.  

Do you know what this one attribute is? Well I’m going to let you know now……..Humans…. that’s right….people….hope you guessed right. People are the main drivers in the commercial zones and if you walk along one of the main commercial streets in urban areas, persons are visible everywhere from inside the stores to side street corners even to the open expanses of area where new construction is taking place or even where the land has been abandoned. 

The image shows a typical commercial street in the urban city center of Arima. It focuses mainly on the persons in the shot which is the thing closet to the screen, at the center and furthest away. This occurs in real life where commercial zones in fact revolve around people and they are present at all of its stages of development. 

According to Jan Gehl, the human aspect of cities is the most over looked entity in urban centers as well as in the planning process (2010). This is as prominence is placed on other factors of urban spaces with little attention being paid to social interactions and importance of public spaces, pedestrianism and the city essence for social interactions. 

However, it should be noted that regardless on the global geographic location, the economics in an area or even the stage of development and growth of a city, it is the people that end up using the city space the most (Gehl 2010). They are the ones who consumption patterns such as their needs and wants that need to be fulfilled on the regular basis. The people are the ones who the goods and services are being provided for and thus to me is the most important feature of commercial zones in Trinidad and Tobago as well as in cities all around the world.

She also notes in her research that “us” humans are the ones who have actually shaped the cities and then they shape us (Gehl 2010). This is as cities developed out of the need to provide a service to the people.

 To provide social services such as health care and food, to provide a place of employment for persons who left the agricultural sector and now to the majority of people, to provide an open forum where people can commute in a safe way, to provide a highly accessible and convenient space where people can get what they want, when they want it and how they want it.

This is as cities, according to Gunther Barth, developed in response to what the people craved (1980), to what they saw as needful and acceptable in the commercial zone as well as in the city enters. And thus it can be stated that cities are a reflection of people and their consumption patterns. 

Conclusion:

It can be stated that cities grew out of the need to provide basic human needs and wants such as employment, housing, social amenities and even entertainment desires. Thus it is stated that the city reflects its function which in turn reflects the consumption patterns of its people and lastly which reflects the people.

However, although this is the case, many planning systems overlook the importance and the impact that humans have on the commercial zones even though the space being created is for the mere use by humans.

Likewise, it is our human consumption patterns that depict what should occur in cities. This is evident in the commercial zones in Trinidad and Tobago with Arima in particular. If there is the demand for food outlets, clothing stores or even gaming outlets then more of these are constructed. I see this on a daily basis in Arima with more and more specialized stores going up because people want them, not necessarily because they need them.

So what then occurs in cities if only our consumption patterns determine what is constructed in the commercial zone and in urban center? So what happens when we use the limited city space to set up trivial industries? Why not create a business that satisfy needs and not wants? Is all that glitters gold? Is a city full of shopping plazas and malls the ideal commercial zone? Should places only be constructed due to increasing demand? So humans cravings alone impact on what the city is all about? Does this not lead to unsustainability in the commercial zone as only one aspect is being developed at the expense of others?... These are some of the questions that should be thought about when linking the city structure to the human dimension. 

References:

Barth, Gunther Paul. 1980.City people. New York: Oxford University Press.

Gehl, Jan. Cities for people.2010. Washington, DC: Island Press.

“The life of the party”

Apart from commercial activities such as clothing stores, food outlets and markets there are other activities located in the commercial zone. Many of these activates serve other purposes than just providing a good or a service but instead they promote relaxation and leisure. These activities are seen to be entertainment activities in the commercial zone. 

As you walk along the urban sidewalk, you’re greeted by tons and tons of sales items and you think to yourself this is what urban areas are about. But as you continue along your path, you come across a strange area. 

An area……where they sell something different, an area…….where someone isn't trying to get you to purchase something that you may or may not need on bargain…….

an area……a place…. a space….so relaxing…..filled with social interactions and human communication….a space where you can let it all go…a place…. a place…a place….a place like no other

….a place where the music pounds to the beats of your heart beat…..a place where you can feel the togetherness and warm of people….a place where you can just let go and be you…a place that entertains you….

Illustrated in the image is a local bar in the urban city center of Arima. It serves the purpose of being a form of entertainment to the wider public.

Entertainment activities in commercial zones led to the formation of communities. A community is this case refers to a group of people who know each other and share similar interests, goals, hobbies as well as cultural traditions and norms (Community toolbox 2014).These communities then form social places where persons are able to interact with each other on a day to day basis. This mainly involves social interaction which is seen to be very important as it involves the exchange of opinions on varying topics and thus represents real communication. 

Good places for social interactions can be defined as a common area where persons of varying backgrounds and communities can meet naturally and communicate with each other comfortably for either pleasure purposes or to gain access to activities and services in the commercial zones. 

Good examples of places in the commercial zone where these communities are formed due to social interaction are:

•   Open areas
•       Streets
• Side walks
• Taxi stands
•       In lines waiting to purchase something
• Food outlets
•  Markets
•   Outside stores 

Why are entertainments or social interaction facilities important?

According to the Community toolbox website, these spaces include four major characteristic as follows:

1.      It provides a reason for people to visit a specific area

2.      It creates incentive for persons to stay at the place when they visit it for the first time and want to go back on more occasions

3.      It  create a space that is safe and comfortable

4.      It forms a space that is very welcoming and accepts everyone equally. 

Benefits of social interactions or entertainment spaces:

1.      They help persons to develop a sense of “community pride and ownership” .

2.      Commonalities between persons of varying histories, assumptions, religious affiliations as well as racial and ethical backgrounds are formed.

3.      Persons gain new knowledge about varying cultures when they interact in these areas with different persons

Entertainment and social interaction facilities as urban tourism:

According to Garrette Nagle, in urban areas especially the city centers where commercial zones are located there is no clear distinction between leisure, tourism and recreation (1999). He notes that each facility being offered by the zone serves varying purposed based the group of people. This means that entertainment facilities would serve as a destination for the tourist, but only provide leisure and recreation to the residential persons (Nagle 1999) as well as everyday visitors to the commercial zone.  

In urbanized areas such as the commercial zone urban entertainment as well as leisure activities are becoming more and more dominant. This is to facilitate the increasing growth of the city as well as to provide this for the increasing amount of persons visiting the commercial zones every day. This is evident in Trinidad, where in every city center that you visit there is a wide variety of entertainment facilities such as bars, pubs, cafes, casinos and sometimes even clubs.

Conclusion:

Cities are growing  in Trinidad. With this growth comes the demand for more activities, both in quantity and the variety. As a result, there are more and more entertainment facilities being constructed. These may be termed into urban tourism due to its close link with leisure and recreational activities in the commercial zone.  

Entertainment zones create communities of shared perceptions. This allows for enhanced social interactions between persons of varying backgrounds and as communication grows, the relationships strengthen and thus the community is made more stable.

To me these community centers are a very essential aspect of commercial zones as well as in the city centers. On a daily basis, I realize that persons make any comfortable spot their “community”. As persons stop to talk on the side of walkway, this becomes their “community”, as they meet friends in the grocery, as their kids play together in the parks even as source bathrooms together. Communities are a dominant aspect of local culture that entertainment facilities promote and enhance and thus it is a very very very vital part to city development. 

References:

'Main Section | Community Tool Box'. 2014. Ctb.Ku.Edu. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/phsyical-social-environment/places-for-interaction/main.

Nagle, Garrett. 1999. Tourism, Leisure And Recreation. 1st ed. Nelson, Thomas & Sons.

“Money Money Money….money…….spend or save…hmm?”

The main use of the commercial zone in urban city centers is for shopping purposes. In order for a person to purchase the items that they want and need they must first visit a financial institution to get the required money. However, this may not always be the case; sometimes persons may run out of money while shopping and then must tap into their saving to get what they need or want.

Banks to me are tall, confined spaces that are quite boring as they usually contain long lines and this causes you to take forever to make your transactions. However, although this is the case, I would admit that it is one of the safest places for me to keep my money as compared to storing in it one of my draws or underneath my mattress (grandparents method of savings). Paired with this is the constant dilemma that I face every time I walk through urban areas of whether I should spend my money or save it for further purposes.

Demonstrated in the image above is one of the major financial institutions located in the commercial center of Arima.

Commercial banks, according to Kelvin Sergeant, contain more assets than any other financial institutions in the city center and sometimes even more than central banks (2001). These banks mainly promote growth and development of the commercial zone and hence the city center. This is through the process of lending, investments, generation of employment opportunities as well as expansion (Sergeant 2001) and this allows for the continuing success and income generation of commercial zones in the urban center. This is as banks in commercial zones ensure that there is a constant market (Demirgüç-Kunt and Levine 2001) to produce the good and services needed in the city center.

Firstly, banks can be defined as, “financial institutions with current operations consisting of accepting deposits from the public and issuing loans (Slideshare 2014). This main feature is what distinguishes it from other types of banks such as merchant banks, saving banks, credit unions, finance houses and building societies (ibid). 

Select the following link to learn more about the importance of banks to the economy: http://www.slideshare.net/RChengeta/importance-of-banks-in-an-economy

          Secondly, it can be stated that banks have 3 major benefits to the economy and thus the commercial zone and city center. They are seen to lead to further development of an establishment or an individual. They allow persons or businesses to purchase items that could not have afforded as well as make the repayment of this money easy through financial plans that allow a person to repay them over a long period of time (Wise geeks 2014). However, persons must also pay back an interest to the bank for the sum of money borrowed.

            Another benefit of banks is that they keep persons’ money safe. This is as there is a limit as to how much money a person can withdraw from the bank at any one time thus limiting the amount of money a person has to carry on them personally or at home (ibid). Instead, the money is kept in the bank where there 24/7 security and other method put in place to keep individuals and businesses’ money safe. 

To read more about the importance of commercial banks, select the following link :http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-importance-of-commercial-banks.htm

          Likewise, commercial banks make day to day financial functioning of businesses in commercial zones much easier. This is as all business transactions are carried out using a bank account that was created that directly links the business to the banking system. This is also aided with a bank representative that works closely with business to ensure that they are maintaining their finances properly and entering the books accurately (Miriam C 2014). This person also helps companies with payroll as well as offering benefits to company employees such as retirement saving (ibid).

            On the other hand, it should be noted that although commercial banks have many pros, there is one major drawback involved in commercial banking. This is relating to the fact that accounts for commercial banks are way more expensive than traditional banking means (Miriam C 2014). They charge various fees for their services such as night deposits, payroll services and even when they have to process a certain number of checks for a company (ibid). In addition, some small scale business such as those found in commercial zone may not qualify for some of the banks services but still have to pay them as they have a commercial banking account. 

To read more about the major advantage and disadvantage of commercial banking, click the following link:

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-commercial-banking-businesses-23344.html

The banking sector in Trinidad and Tobago:

The Banking sector of Trinidad and Tobago includes all commercial banks that have the license to carry out banking procedures as well as non-financial institutions that that also have the license to conduct financial processes in accordance with the Financial Institutions Act of 2008 (Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago 2014).

The majority of the banks under this sector such as Scotia Bank, Republic Bank, First Citizens Bank and Royal Bank also have operations in other Caribbean islands. 

These banks are allowed to conduct two main roles: 1. Accept deposits that are repayable on demand and 2.Grants loans for periods of time that exceed the one year time limit (ibid).

To find out more about the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, select the following link:

http://www.central-bank.org.tt/content/banking-sector 

Conclusion:

Financial institutions, in particular commercial banks, are very essential in the day to day functioning of city centers especially in terms of its commercial zones. They led to further development and economic growth with the lending of money, they are a safe storage space for a person’s money as well as aid in the financial functioning of various small businesses. Although, this makes them very beneficial they also have high fee charges on their services that can make or break a company in the commercial zone.

To me the bank is a very convenient stop in the commercial zone to get money in an emergency. However, with such convenience and power of an individual to withdraw money at any time and at any given location comes a great financial problem. This allows persons to use money on things that are not needed or to over spend on specific items when shopping because they know that they have back up money on them. 

References:

Central-bank.org.tt. 2014. "Banking Sector | Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago.". http://www.central-bank.org.tt/content/banking-sector (accessed 2 Apr 2014).

Demirgüç-Kunt, Aslı and Ross Levine. 2001.Financial structure and economic growth. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press

Homer, Louis B. 2012. "Central Bank is born With Independence...." Trinidad Express Newspaper, May 27.

Sergeant, Kelvin. "The role of commercial banks in financing growth and economic development in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean: a perspective." In 33th Annual Monetary Studies Conference, St.Augustine: University of the West Indies, 2001.

Slideshare.net. "Importance Of Banks In An Economy." 2014. http://www.slideshare.net/RChengeta/importance-of-banks-in-an-economy (accessed 7 Apr 2014).

“Come and get it………La Calle Expendedora”

As I make my way through the crowded streets in the city area, I am constantly greeted by persons or side street vendors trying to make deals and encouraging me to purchase their products. I look down only to recognize that these are sometimes the same items sold in other stores and the variety ranges from clothing, crafts and even food items.

Then I wonder to myself, what’s the difference of buying my stuff in the store as compared to buying it on the street? Why should I support someone who can afford to pay city rent to have their items in a store? Why should I not but what I need right here? Is this not more convenient that having to look for a store that has the specific item that I need? Is this not the exact same thing I would purchase in a store for a much higher price? Should I buy this now or not? Would there be differences in quality? Is there a “pride tag” associated with side street goods that discourages persons from purchasing them? …..All the these questions and many many more flood my mind every time I encounter a person selling stuff on the side of the street.

Illustrated in the image is a side street vendor and his items on one of the main streets in the city center of Arima, close to the “Dial”.

Firstly, it is stated that persons who sell on the side of the street are often referred to as “street vendors” or street traders” (Women in informal employment: Globalizing and organizing 2014). These are persons who operate in various types of local spaces such as around the markets as well as outside buildings that are privately owned and they convert these spaces into “side street markets” (ibid). They are defined as persons who offer goods for sale to the public without having a permanent built up structure (San Santoso 2013).

Side street vending is seen to be a very essential aspect of commercial zones. This is as a good and service is being offered to the wider public with a high convenience and at a cheaper price. These goods and services can be categorized into varying fragments such as the sale of general merchandise, food vendors and vendors of print material (Loukaitou-Sideris and Schrenfeucht 2009). These vendors may have fixed stalls on the side of the streets, semi-fixed stalls with folding tables, crates, push carts as well as collapsible stands (International Labour Organization 2002). Likewise, may of the street vendors may sell their stuff in fixed positions in the city mainly in the commercial zone and display their items using plastic and cloth sheets whereas some persons sell straight out their cars (ibid).

In addition, according to Djoen San Santoso, street vending is “a type of informal employment (2013).” Many of them work long hours, maybe even up to 8 hours like persons who work in the formal sector (Women in informal employment: Globalizing and organizing 2014). They are a sort of subsistence group of sales persons that rely on the sale of their products in the city center to take care of themselves and their family.  They are able to attract varying types of customers and can adapt to varying conditions in different urban centers (ibid).

           One major problem associated with side street vending is the narrowing of public space. According to Djoen San Santoso, “street vending is a major source of problems for the pedestrian” (2013). As more and more persons set up to sell on the streets in urban areas the sidewalk area allocated to pedestrian are shorten. Although, many locals are accustomed to this and see it as part of “local trini” culture and heritage, many persons are not accustomed to it (San Santoso 2013).

         Similarily, another major issue that arises is increased competition. Many store owners argue that side street vendors are able to sell their products at a lower price because they do not have rent and other city taxes to pay on their goods. They note that this decreases their sales as many locals prefer to purchase the items as the majority of persons like a good bargain (Felmine2013).Likewise, the customers prefer to purchase the item that is most convenient to them on the side of the street rather than having to search through stores which takes up a lot of time and time is very precious especially to working and busy persons. 

The following article highlight side streets vending around Christmas time in Trinidad: https://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-12-26/sando-businesses-being-strangled-street-vendors

Another major problem that may arise is the safety of food items prepared and sold by side street vendors. The questions of whether the food was handled in a sanitary way are often brought up by many persons as well as do these persons own a food permit in order to sell these items (ESL Environmental Issues 2013).  In addition, foods sold on the side of the streets in commercial zones are usually prepared at the vendor’s home and can lead to improper storage and transport methods that can eventually lead to much health risk when consumed by the customer. Linked to storage is the fact that these persons may not have the appropriate facilities to keep the food fresh and preserved throughout the day as they do not thrive in permanent stalls (ibid).

The following link gives greater information into Caribbean food side street vending: http://eslcaribbean.com/index.php/articles/item/street-side-food-vendors-and-food-safety

In Trinidad these potential problems were noted by the authorities and thus in many major commercial zones side street vending was banned. Instead, they were given certain streets or areas to sell their products at which were secluded from the city center as a means to keep the side walk clear as well as to reduce traffic congestion that resulted in the commercial zones.

The following article entitled “No vending on streets” highlights the side street vending problem in San Fernando, Trinidad: http://guardian.co.tt/news/2010/12/17/no-vending-streets

However, it should be noted that after some time and after much debate the side street vendors were given the right to sell their products on the side of the street. This is emphasized in the following article: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business/Street-vending-gets-city-OK-253136111.html

The following video demonstrates the side street vending dilemma in Chaguanas, Trinidad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSoPb1Mpm4

Conclusion:

 Side street vending is a major aspect of commercial zones. It is evident in al Caribbean landscapes especially in the urban city centers of Trinidad and Tobago. Side street vendors produce and sell a good and service at a cheap price that is convenient to the general public. This raises many problems relating to economic competition, the width of the said walks and the safety of the products being sold.

This has led many countries to banning side street vending in the city center but after much debate they laws were dropped as side street dweller pose many benefits to the public as well as to the city s it attracts people there.

To me, although products sold are cheaper than in the stores, many persons still prefer to purchase store bound items due to the pride that comes with it. Likewise, many persons also weigh out the safety and quality of the products and may tend to gravitate towards the store products. Also, I believe that side street traders serve to ensure that less fortunate persons in society are not marginalized as they too can also own the same products as persons who buy them in the store.

References:

Bromley, Ray.2000. "Street vending and public policy: a global review." International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 20, no. 1/2 1--28.

Eslcaribbean.com. "Street-side food vendors and food safety." 2014. http://eslcaribbean.com/index.php/articles/item/street-side-food-vendors-and-food-safety (accessed 7th Apr 2014).

Felmine, Kevon. "Sando businesses being strangled by street vendors." Guardian Media Limited, 26th December,2013.

International Labour Organistion.2002.Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture. Geneva: International Labour Organization.

Loukaitou-Sideris,2009.Anastasia and Renia Ehrenfeucht. Sidewalks. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Ray, Bromley.2000. "Street Vending and Public Policy: A Global Review." International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 20, no. 1/2 1-28. Accessed 5 Apr 2014.

San SANTOSO, Djoen. 2013."Perceptions of Foreign Tourists towards Street Vendors in Bangkok." 9.

Wiego.org. 2014."About Street Vendors: Significance, Size, Policies and Organizations | WIEGO." http://wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/street-vendors (accessed 7th Apr 2014).