Giving Directions in Spanish Town, Jamaica

Abstract

Travelers' descriptions of colonial and tropical towns were frequently dismissive. Asking how residents in such towns understood the streets they knew offers alternative perspectives. The contrasts between European expectations and local practices were particularly abrupt in Jamaica, where its English conquerors had reused the former Spanish capital. Alongside their familiarity with creole architecture, residents oriented themselves by where streets led to and the people who lived on them. Recognizing inhabitants' mental maps offers a counterbalance to the outsiders' “tourist gaze” that continues to shape discussions of cities in poor countries.

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