Profile of A Place of Work or Community - Essay Example

Profile of A Place of Work or Community Introduction This paper is about a place of work or community that I live in and work in. We begin by addressing the general characteristics of the area and then go on to explore the profile of the area in terms of the ethnic mix and the demographic profile. The last section of the paper looks at some of the recommendations that can be made with regards to the neighbourhood. Brief about the neighbourhood The neighbourhood that I live in is situated in the south eastern part of the metropolis. The city has a population of around 6 million and is divided into several municipalities or town councils. Among them, our neighbourhood is a small part with not more than 10,000 residents. Compared to the overall city, the locality that I live in a quiet borough with mostly residential complexes making up for the most part of the area. The locality has a post office and a police station of its own along with a hospital. Thus it is a self sufficient neighbourhood with the necessary facilities for provisions and the like. The locality is ethnically diverse with a liberal mix of different communities and races. It also has places of worship for the different communities and there are enough facilities for all the residents. In the next section, we look at the ethnic mix of the population along with the demographic characteristics. Further, we will also look at the social and economic characteristics of the population in the locality. Ethnic composition The locality is made up of a diverse mix of ethnic races. It counts Christians, Muslims and Hindus among its populace and the relative compositions of the three races are roughly in the proportion of 40%, 40% and 20%. Both Muslims and Christians are equal in number and the Hindus make up the rest. It is noteworthy that despite the locality being ethnically diverse, the communities live in relative peace with each other. Despite the daily gatherings of the communities in the places of economic activity, it is by and large a peaceful co-existence of the people with their neighbours. Recently, there have been some attempts to disturb the peace of the area by disgruntled elements and this was successfully thwarted due to the timely action of the citizen committees set up by the people in the neighbourhood. The presence of community elders in the neighbourhood adds to the sense of peace and calm and the youth who otherwise might be tempted to take up activities inimical to the peace of the community are counselled to not to do anything harmful to the locality. The Citizen communities are formed with representation from the members of each religion and these are made up of senior citizens and others who have credibility and standing in the society. Lumpen elements are discouraged. Each of the communities also has members from each religion who meet once a month or so to discuss the matters related to the community. Each of these councils also sends their representatives to the citizen community that liaises with the police and other social groups to ensure effective co-ordination and peace within the communities. Social and Economic conditions The locality is predominantly made of people employed with the business and corporate houses. There are also significant number of people who are engaged in the trade and other businesses. Thus, the socio economic classification of the people is middle class and upper middle class with a sprinkling of rich people. The same is reflected in the kinds of houses that have been built in the area and this indicates the socio economic status of the residents. The affluent among the people have palatial residences with provision for parking for many cars and other vehicles. The rest of the houses have enough space for garages and ample gardens. The apartments in the vicinity of the neighbourhood are made of flats and other complexes. There are a few gated communities as well. All these make for the locality being a residential hub with a sprinkling of commercial establishments here and there. Along with the people employed by the corporate houses, there are businessmen who have their own businesses in the city. Needs of the neighbourhood The neighbourhood needs schools and possibly a day care centre along with some kind of a shopping complex. The schools are needed as the kids in the area have to go some distance to get to the school that is located in a nearby neighbourhood. Though there are school buses available to pick up the kids and drop them back, there is an urgent need for a school at least of the kindergarten variety. It follows from this that there is a need for a day care centre as well. This is because many of the couples in the area work in the city and hence they need a good crèche to take care of their children. Along with this there is a need for a shopping complex as well to cater to the needs of the community at large. Though there are groceries and some mom and pop stores, what is needed is a comprehensive shopping facility that takes care of the needs of the residents. There is a provision for a park in the area and this should be built according to the needs of the populace. Apart from these needs, there is a crying need for a power facility in the neighbourhood to prevent the frequent power cuts in the neighbourhood. This is because the existing transformer is not capable of servicing the needs of the entire community and hence needs to be overhauled from time to time. There are frequent power cuts in the area and the residents association is pre-occupied with the matter. They have made several representations to the concerned authorities and are waiting for a positive response in this regard. There are also some concerns about laying the roads, particularly the approach roads to the areas and the main areas. This is one aspect that has been neglected for a long time and this has become a matter of concern among the denizens of the locality. These are some of the needs of the locality and this has been taken up by the citizens association in the various forums of the elected representatives. Other needs There is a residential complex that has been let as a serviced apartment and there are proposals for more of the same. This is a long standing need of the neighbourhood that wants living areas for guests and visitors to be able to stay when they come visiting. Recommendations for further developments The long standing needs of the residents include: Uninterrupted power supply: As noted above, the locality needs uninterrupted power supply and this is a matter that needs urgent attention. This can be done by installing a new transformer in the neighbourhood and the residents are willing to pay for it as well. Water supply: There is a need for clean supply of water and good sanitation in the neighbourhood. This can be done by ensuring that there is a water tank in the locality and that the areas are well maintained and clean. Facilities for children: For the toddlers in the locality, there is a need to give space for them to play and interact with other kids of their age. Thus, the corporation needs to construct some kind of shelter and space for the kids of the neighbourhood to interact. Community place: The residents of the locality want a place for meeting the other residents and have a get together and the like. Thus the corporation or the residents should come together and build this place. Conclusion: Public Private Partnership As with the current trends in the nature of the works taken up in the city council, the neighbourhood should strive to partner with the city council and build relationships in such a way that there is public private partnership in the execution of the projects. Thus the residents can pool together finances and with the help of funding from the council can ensure that adequate funding is created. Thus, the neighbourhood can prosper with good participation from the community as well as the council providing infrastructural and logistical support to make the community a liveable place. Read More