Posted on 11/20/2012 12:33:13 PM PST by mojito
The growth of China's massive population has slowed in recent years, but migration to urban areas has increased, with almost half of China's 1.3 billion people living in or near cities. A booming economy, government housing initiatives, infrastructure programs, and private real estate speculation have all driven construction to record levels. New apartment, office, and government buildings regularly rise up over older neighborhoods, and thousands have relocated to modern housing complexes.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Impressive.
Amazing. Imagine where we would be heading if we were going through our boom times with today’s technology!
Sadly much of the old architecture was lost during the atrocity of the Mao regime, particularly in the large cities where old structures were bulldozed to build the hideous communist (”we must all be equal”) concrete housing blocks. You have to look hard to find the small remaining historic areas in Shanghai. Ironically, most of that old communist residential housing is being torn down to build the new glass structures popping up all over Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities.
14: The freeways in Shanghai are unbelievable. Elevated 30 feet in the air. 6-8 lanes, gracefully sculpted. Really beautiful.
A 35 sq ft apartment? My bathroom is bigger than that.
Some of those new highways in China have collapsed and will probably continue to collapse. New appartment buildings in Shanghai have rolled over onto their sides. They have no safety or building standards. They don't even test their concrete to see if it meets "specs" ... which don't exist in China.
You can literally drill into Chinese concrete with a wood bit. I've worked projects there. I know what I'm talking about.
My spare powder room is larger than that!
When I see Chinese cities, I think “House of Cards.”
I have been to Beijing quite a few times from 1990 to present.
They were poor, but the city had some character. I can only imagine how interesting the city would be if it had been allowed to develop normally, without the Communist influence over the last 65 years
Modern Beijing is completely without character. Communist planners with money to spend were able to realize their sterile vision of a modern shopping mall crossed with freeways.
Would have left work early, but had to see all the pictures. Thank you for posting!
Todays amazing architectual and building photographs.... tomorrows slums.
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