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Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

theguardian.com

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Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#211

Post by HDThoreaun »

q3k wrote: post #64
kubb wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love it, and why doesn't every city do that.

Because of a pervasive meme that only the private sector should be doing this.

The US built huge projects just like this. I know most about chicago, we built a 15,000 person neighborhood in 1942 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrini%E2%80%93Green_Homes. It became one of the most lawless places in the country. Now it has been torn down. Same story happened 5 different times in this city alone, theyve all been torn down too. Not saying public housing cant work here, but it certainly didnt.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#212

Post by HDThoreaun »

whatever1 wrote: post #20
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 cost of housing in the large Chinese megacities is comparable to, if not higher than, that in Western countries. Therefore, they are not constructing housing at a fast enough pace to meet their population’s needs. However, they do build at a rate that is 2-4 times faster than that of Western countries.

Chinese housing is a unique situation. Because the government owns everything the chinese stock market kind of sucks. Without equities to invest in the chinese look for alternate investments. Real estate became the main instrument. China has the issue that you'll here leftists in the US claim exists, too many units being kept vacant by investors.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#213

Post by em-bee »

HDThoreaun wrote: post #211
q3k wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because of a pervasive meme that only the private sector should be doing this.

The US built huge projects just like this. I know most about chicago, we built a 15,000 person neighborhood in 1942 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrini%E2%80%93Green_Homes . It became one of the most lawless places in the country. Now it has been torn down. Same story happened 5 different times in this city alone, theyve all been torn down too. Not saying public housing cant work here, but it certainly didnt.

the problem here is building only public housing, and the way the US handles public housing. vienna doesn't build just public housing. seestadt in particular is not public housing. the city does the planning, and private developers compete for specific projects that they fund themselves. and they don't compete on cost but on design that makes for a livable city. so developers don't just get to build what they think makes them the most profit disregarding everything else. the city does contribute to the funding, but that happens with every development in the city anywhere because by city law 2/3rd of all new development must be subsidized with controlled rent. but that is still not public housing like in the US.

the failure of the US project is that it is segregating poor people. vienna doesn't do that. subsidized housing is mixed in. every building has some subsidized apartments among freely financed ones, and also, while you need to qualify by income to get a subsidized apartment, you are allowed to stay even if your income rises.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#214

Post by moomin »

makeset wrote: post #189
bojan wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every Western European country now. Not in the time those sights were built.

No true Scotland.

No, that was the exact point I was making: plenty of places have impressive stuff dating from the days of massive inequality/injustice, we just don’t produce it anymore. Pointing at a 300 year old building isn’t a gotcha, it was literally just the point I was making in the first place.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#215

Post by Mithriil »

stevenwoo wrote: post #4

That bookstore is beautiful but how does one access books on that twenty foot tall shelf - it seems a bit impractical for even looking at the spine of a book.

It feels like the books higher up are not actual book. But it's hard to tell from the picture.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#216

Post by barbazoo »

lormayna wrote: post #209
mc32 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re importing millions which puts pressure on housing and employment where they compete against locals depressing wages. Additionally many/majority from Eastern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and Africa are semi skilled and unskilled who in turn either can’t land a job or don’t earn enough. People like ignoring this aspect and even deny it has any effect.

Exactly! In Europe, people that are leaving in the streets are mostly illegal immigrants, drug addicted or people that refuse helps for mental issues or culture (gipsies).

That’s guaranteed not to be true but you are free to believe that if it makes you feel better.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#218

Post by triceratops »

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.

It's both.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#219

Post by ninininino »

yusaydat wrote: post #45
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…

Lots of low-quality construction work though. Anecdotally, I used to live in a 30-story building in one of the special economic zones. My building had horrendously large cracks in the concrete, and even though I knew rationally that it wouldn't come down, it didn't feel safe, especially during typhoons, etc.

Tofu-dreg construction, or 豆腐渣工程 in Mandarin.

A lot of new-builds literally rusting, falling apart, collapsing, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu-dreg_project

Of course, many builds are fine too.

Re: Chongqing, the Largest City – In Pictures

#220

Post by barbazoo »

throw38363wuw wrote: post #217
barbazoo wrote: post #98

Fascinating. But not a single picture showing a non polluted sky.

Nah, it's so much better than it was just 10 years ago. I was actually surprised by how clear the skies are now. Good to see they're working hard to stop air pollution.

Thank you totally legit single-comment account created 5 hours ago.
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