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Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

theguardian.com

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Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#121

Post by camilo2025 »

bsnnkv wrote: post #92
mathverse wrote: post #49

I am totally uninterested in China mainly due to them being so hostile to foreigners. Yes cities are impressive, technology and culture as well. But you are not welcome. At all. You are sometimes not even tolerated. And because of that your time in that country will be always limited. If China was to become like BKK or other SEA countries .... That's another story.

There is a very interesting and fast-growing (video) niche of African Americans who have moved to China sharing their experiences of daily life in different Chinese areas ranging from these megacities to rural towns and villages. The common thread throughout these videos is how much safer it feels to be black in China vs. America, and more generally how welcoming and friendly China is to foreigners (in stark contrast…

Being black in the USA is a never ending nightmare, though. The United States of America is a complete shithole for so many people

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#122

Post by alephnan »

apexalpha wrote: post #115
kubb wrote: post #15

Chongqing seems incredible on pictures and YouTube videos. No doubt it's a comfortable place to live for many people, and surely it isn't perfect, especially when it comes to things like air pollution. What amazes me is China's capacity to do development on a large scale, something that's completely missing in Europe. If we had efficient large-scale construction solved, we could really put a dent in the cost of livin…

The Netherlands grew by 1 million people between 2015 and 2025, roughly 6,5% increase in population. And (almost) everyone has a house. Except we don't build flats and suburban one-house-fits-all massive construction projects. We mostly do smallscale development times a 1000, in stead of one big one. We think it results in better cities. Though, it is true we should build even more.

> And (almost) everyone has a house.

How come the Netherlands has the most pronounced housing shortage for university students compared to other countries ? Is it because everyone is AirBnb'ing their first and second homes out to tourists?

It's so bad that international students are forced to decline university and graduate school offers. I know because I am in that boat.

https://nltimes.nl/2025/04/22/housing-shortage-netherlands-r...

https://www.goinconnect.com/success-stories/the-student-hous...

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#123

Post by jagger27 »

graemep wrote: post #88
dangus wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tell me one way that your statement doesn’t apply to the US or many other wealthy developed nations. The GINI coefficient is higher in the USA than it is in China. China in recent years has reduced inequality while the US has done absolutely nothing to curb discontent, the same discontent that has led to the election of a fascist leader. Don’t believe me, look up the data.

> China in recent years has reduced inequality After many years of increasing inequality > the US has done absolutely nothing to curb discontent, the same discontent that has led to the election of a fascist leader. I cannot imagine possible definition of "fascist" that would include the US and exclude China. China has far more fascist features than any other major country - personality cult, courts compliant with th…

[flagged]

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#124

Post by phillipcarter »

hshdhdhj4444 wrote: post #68
kubb wrote: post #15

Chongqing seems incredible on pictures and YouTube videos. No doubt it's a comfortable place to live for many people, and surely it isn't perfect, especially when it comes to things like air pollution. What amazes me is China's capacity to do development on a large scale, something that's completely missing in Europe. If we had efficient large-scale construction solved, we could really put a dent in the cost of livin…

It’s missing in most European places because there’s little need for it. When there is a need, Europe does pretty well. At least relative to the U.S. For example, Europe built the completely novel floodgates for Venice. It’s been very successful as far as I’m aware when it was heavily doubted before and throughout its development. On the other hand, the U.S. won’t even contemplate building something similar to protec…

Partly why this is an apples-oranges comparison is that Italy's federal government stepped in to make it happen (planning, land acquisition, funding, establishing federally-owned corporate structure). In the US, projects like this are governed just as much by states as they are the federal government, and since the 1970s we've had a strong and entrenched culture of not having the federal government step in to exert its will on a system to produce a public good.

There's a reason why Obamacare was so fraught and ultimately led to a political downfall of the democrats: it spit in the face of private and state interests (from their perspective) to undercut what they'd grown to do in the previous 40 years. This good, but ultimately half-hearted measure, is only a fraction of the kind of political willpower needed to transform the federal state into something that can build infrastructure again.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#125

Post by blacksmith_tb »

hshdhdhj4444 wrote: post #68
kubb wrote: post #15

Chongqing seems incredible on pictures and YouTube videos. No doubt it's a comfortable place to live for many people, and surely it isn't perfect, especially when it comes to things like air pollution. What amazes me is China's capacity to do development on a large scale, something that's completely missing in Europe. If we had efficient large-scale construction solved, we could really put a dent in the cost of livin…

It’s missing in most European places because there’s little need for it. When there is a need, Europe does pretty well. At least relative to the U.S. For example, Europe built the completely novel floodgates for Venice. It’s been very successful as far as I’m aware when it was heavily doubted before and throughout its development. On the other hand, the U.S. won’t even contemplate building something similar to protec…

US infrastructure is increasingly terrible, true. But high-speed rail isn't probably what I'd point to as the most glaring problem. No doubt the TGV and Shinkansen are impressive, but the longest route in Japan (Tokyo-Aomori) is 675km compared to 4000km from Los Angeles to NYC (assuming you could it make a straight line, which you couldn't). Not to say I wouldn't be delighted to even have service from San Diego to Seattle, a mere 1800km.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#126

Post by surajrmal »

graemep wrote: post #90
SamPatt wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Housing shortages aren't a result of some nefarious plot to make the super rich richer. It's more complex than that. We need to build more housing, and there are various reasons why that isn't happening. Many of them are well-intentioned and even good (high safety standards dramatically increase the cost of new buildings).

The main reason for high prices is not shortages, its low interest rates.

Interest rates have gone up and housing prices haven't changed much. The average monthly mortgage payment for 20% down 30 year fixed mortgages have shot up though. Something makes me feel like it's not just interest rates.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#127

Post by surajrmal »

yapyap wrote: post #35
kubb wrote: post #15

Chongqing seems incredible on pictures and YouTube videos. No doubt it's a comfortable place to live for many people, and surely it isn't perfect, especially when it comes to things like air pollution. What amazes me is China's capacity to do development on a large scale, something that's completely missing in Europe. If we had efficient large-scale construction solved, we could really put a dent in the cost of livin…

> What amazes me is China's capacity to do development on a large scale, something that's completely missing in Europe. If we had efficient large-scale construction solved, we could really put a dent in the cost of living crisis, and reverse the overcrowding of the existing urban centers. Because China has their singular government system (one party dictatorship, whatever you want to call it) they can make really qui…

After seeing what happens when the president tries to unilaterally enact orders without great care for ramifications, it's definitely more appealing to me that we tend to go slowly. I do feel like there must be a middle ground that's yet to be discovered though.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#128

Post by rcpt »

I see countless US stories about how "family farmers defend themselves from evil development" or "Oakland residents suffer the effects of global trade booming in their city". But when I read about China's incredible growth nothing like that is ever mentioned. Why is that?

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#129

Post by IncreasePosts »

feverzsj wrote: post #27

The city is also famous for its hot and humid climate. Locals have to eat lots of spicy foods to make their life a little bit easier. You won't last more than a week there.

Doesn't sweat stop working in hot+humid climates, since it doesn't evaporate?

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#130

Post by kubb »

apexalpha wrote: post #115
kubb wrote: post #15

Chongqing seems incredible on pictures and YouTube videos. No doubt it's a comfortable place to live for many people, and surely it isn't perfect, especially when it comes to things like air pollution. What amazes me is China's capacity to do development on a large scale, something that's completely missing in Europe. If we had efficient large-scale construction solved, we could really put a dent in the cost of livin…

The Netherlands grew by 1 million people between 2015 and 2025, roughly 6,5% increase in population. And (almost) everyone has a house. Except we don't build flats and suburban one-house-fits-all massive construction projects. We mostly do smallscale development times a 1000, in stead of one big one. We think it results in better cities. Though, it is true we should build even more.

Apparently you have a housing shortage of 400k homes, rents increase 5% YoY, and residents spend more than 20% of their income on housing.

Your cities are great though, I love the Netherlands.

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