Planners always promise that they are creating "the city of the future." They never do. From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog: Dutch “Perfect” Planned City = Instant Slum
Bijlmer, built as a planned neighborhood near Amsterdam, was supposed to be the “prefect city” of the future, with high rise apartment complexes surrounded with green space to make the buildings more warm and inviting for residents.
You know, just like they did with American public housing projects at the same time.
Bijlmer worked out just as well.
Prices were too high. The parking garages were problematic places where crime took place. The vacancy rate was high, because the middle class in The Netherlands didn't want to live in 11 story buildings.
The 15 minute video is worth it.
Government urban planners always think they can always do a better job than the free market, and they’re always wrong.
It is the arrogance of the technocrat. We know what it best, you just need to shut up and do what we tell you to do. Never mind that we have never been right in the history of the world; we will get it right this time.
Aside from the shape of the buildings, it reminds me a lot of Pruit-Igoe, though Bijlmer lasted longer.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comment Moderation is in place. Your comment will be visible as soon as I can get to it. Unless it is SPAM, and then it will never see the light of day.
Be Nice. Personal Attacks WILL be deleted. And I reserve the right to delete stuff that annoys me.