I'm in Barbados, where the most pressing planning problem facing me is the cracked pavement in front of the appartment where I am staying (see picture).
However, I came across this excellent article by former colleague Scott Sayare on the demolition of an estate in the Paris suburbs (that caused quite a stir while I was in Paris) which merits sharing. I hadn't realised it was built according to Le Corbusier philosophy. Interesting that the great man's projects only seem to work in middle class neighbourhoods where people have jobs and cars to drive to ammenities (and elsewhere) and where on-site services are maintained.
These words are especially memorable: "Governments have been razing and rebuilding in this neighborhood for 25 years, hopeful that new architecture and new theories about how best to house the poor will solve the problems here. Residents and local officials, though, have few expectations that new walls and fresh pavement, whatever their configuration, can drive a deeper renewal.
“They’re not building shopping centers, they’re not creating jobs for young people,” said Soraya, 42, who was raised in Balzac and now lives nearby, requesting that her last name be withheld for fear of retribution by local thugs. “This will solve none of our problems.”
Balzac will be the fifth tower she has seen fall."
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