First, the good news. Bucharest city council yesterday approved the construction of the Dambovita Centre, a project that will replace
Before
with
After
Well, so they say anyway. Much depends on whether the developer runs out of money we guess.
Anyway, we have written about the project before and do not want to bore you for too long. So this will be our last word on the subject. Simply put, while we doubt it will look as lovely as the artist’s impressions whatever goes up will be a massive improvement on the crumbling wreck that now stands on the enormous site.
Yet the decision was met with the predictable disapproval of the Just Say No crowd who oppose absolutely anything. The president of the NGO Salvati Bucuresti (Save Bucharest), Dan Nicusor, said that “the development does not respect the law regarding the number of parking spaces, there is insufficient provision for green space and the whole area will suffocate.”
As opposed to now of course.
You have to wonder exactly what kind of agenda an organisation like Salvati Bucuresti has? What kind of Bucharest do they want to save?
A look at their website gives away little. Aside from opposing anything that resembles modernism, commercialism and development, they offer nothing. Where is their blueprint for the future of Bucharest? The Dambovita Center may not be perfect but it is better than nothing.
Alas the whole affair is little more than Romanian (indeed, global) politics in miniature. We don’t know what we do want but we know what we don’t want, so we oppose it. It’s the politics of Gica Contra.
Not so long ago politics was about visions of the future. Improving the state of the world. People had dreams of constructing new societies, making the world a better place. Alternatives were placed before electorates, who chose one. Now, nothing. There are no alternatives. There are no visions.
Why did Traian Basescu win the Romanian presidential election in 2004? Because he was not Adrian Nastase. His likely rival this year, newly elected PNL leader Crin Antonescu, will similarly be running on a ‘I am Not Basescu’ ticket. Has Antonescu got some kind of vision of the Romania he wants to create? As he heck. But then neither has Basescu.
The people building the Dambovita Center at least have a vision. We will build X, it will attract workers, shoppers, visitors and hopefully, most importantly, make us lots of money. Not the greatest or most original vision we’ve ever heard but still, they know what they want.
So for all those who spend all day every day opposing just about everything, can we suggest that you first come up with alternatives?
You might even find that people are willing to listen.
