
Failed Architecture - ingve
http://www.failedarchitecture.com/
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kpil
Isn't that most of the stuff? Most places looks like a Corbusier-esq nightmare
combined with heavy traffic solutions.

It's not that we know how to build places where people would like to live,
just look at the prices. (And remember that inner city densities work only
because of that there are wealthy people there, with additional group dynamics
in play - like they might be fired if they do even a weird thing.)

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pantalaimon
> And remember that inner city densities work only because of that there are
> wealthy people there

Wait what? I live in Berlin and find the opposite to be true, the dense old
construction areas tend to work very well regardless of the wealth of their
occupants, the spaced out Corbusieresq nightmares however tend to turn into
problem districts even though they tend to be less dense, creating a feeling
of emptiness, a lack of social cohesion.

Local shops, bars, etc just don't work when there are not enough people in the
surrounding area and were often not intended in the function-speared new
developments, making those streets much less lively.

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kpil
Don't you think there is quite some gentrification driving the social dynamics
in Berlin? It is at least so here in Stockholm.

But anyway, I totally agree, the suburban dense architecture fails because
there is no social cohesion at all and the anonymity is total. Also, a lot of
people with anti-social behaviour lives there...

Some personal anectodes, but I think they are telling something about our
cities:

Now I live in a small house in a nice (low density) area where I know everyone
by name.

When I lived in the city, I did recognize a few. One neighbour eventually died
because of heroin - but this was considered a very nice area. The man was
really nice and polite, or apologetic rather, when I tried to help him.

When I lived in a cheep flat in a suburb, I didn't even knew my neighbour in
the flat next to mine. A man was stabbed to death outside my house the second
evening after I moved in. The drug users were not polite at all... I tried to
help no one.

Some interesting reading is Phil Zimmerman and "The Lucifer effect." It has a
chapter or so regarding this.

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ZenPsycho
Philip Zimbardo, you mean?

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kpil
Yes, I Do! Temporary short circuit. Sorry.

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tootie
Is the fact that the site won't load part of the joke?

~~~
bhauer
Except here we are talking about traditional architecture (that is, for
physical structures).

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meddlepal
Case Study: Boston City Hall and surrounding plaza

Truly an example of failed architecture.

