Brusselization
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Brusselization is a term used by urban planners to describe anarchic commercial property development in a historic city. The term originated as the result of the uncontrolled development of Brussels in the 1960s and 1970s, where unscrupulous developers were given free rein to build a futuristic city. It often also entails developers' method of destroying old buildings by neglect, allowing them to decay to the point where demolition is unavoidable.
Origin
The term dates back to Expo 58 in Brussels. In order to prepare the city for Expo 58 buildings were torn down without regard either to their architectural or historical importance, high-capacity square buildings were built, boulevards were created, tunnels dug, and in general Brussels radically transformed itself into a city designed for both the car and to maximize the number of people working and living in the city.
Analysis
Other cities have also been prey to property speculators. The Paris of Haussmann, for example, allowed lucrative development to occur often at the expense of the 'little people', displaced into 'La Zone'. However the Paris of Haussmann could at least justify itself by its aesthetic charms, since the new avenues created were very attractive. The same can be said about the new avenues created after Parisian models in Brussels after the covering of the Senne in the 19th century, but this and especially the North-South connection in the 1930s had already left terrible scars on the urban fabric of Brussels. In a way, the fact that the city of Brussels had already been so badly mutilated and had not really recovered, made things easier for property developers to overcome those in Brussels' city planning commission entrusted with preserving the city's architectural and historical "patrinomie".
References
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This tower was built on the site of the original Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis. -
Brusselization in contemporary Bucharest. -
The sculptures of the White Lamb at Brussels, in the Marché aux Herbes, by the famous sculptor Peter van Dievoet, disciple of Grinling Gibbons, they are disappearing as one of the last victims of Brusselization, foto 2008.
