The world's cities are deteriorating
Lead Summary
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By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist
In my lifetime, it seems as though this old world has been on a path of destruction of its urban areas. When I was born, 70 years ago this month, the pattern was already well under way.
Berlin was literally torn in two. Things would get much worse for Berlin before they started getting better in the 1990s. Countless other cities were destroyed in World War II, from Dresden to Stalingrad to Singapore and more – Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for instance.
Fortunately, many of these have recovered; although, for some, it took decades. Seoul was decimated in the Korean War, but now stands proudly.
Next up was Havana. Havana was destroyed by Castro’s civil war starting in 1959, and it has not recovered to this day.
In the 1960s and early '70s, many cities and towns were destroyed in Vietnam. Most have now been rebuilt.
In the early 1970s, Beirut was called the “Paris of the Mediterranean.” No more. Likewise, Tehran was in such good shape in the early 1970s that a relative of mine who worked for General Electric was sent there to help start up a refrigerator plant. That plant was not completed due to the war there.
I once knew a gentleman who had grown up in Mexico City. He recalled when he was a kid, the city was clean and safe, and he did not hesitate to ride his bicycle anywhere, with his parents’ blessing. In this same period, you could have said the same thing about New York City. These big cities were kept clean and safe for everyone.
At one time it was safe to live in Chicago, too. No more.
Caracas, indeed, all of Venezuela, was a model country right up until nearly the end of the last century. That is all gone.
There was a time when Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo were clean and orderly cities. Not now.
Two years ago, a fire department crew I know in rural Guatemala drove to Guatemala City for training and had their entire van of firefighting gear stolen before they had walked a block after parking it.
In our country, besides the deterioration of New York and Chicago, the list of cities where it is not safe to be downtown now includes Detroit, San Francisco, St. Louis and others. Just the last month has added Minneapolis, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and more to this list.
What is going on?
This destruction has come at the hands of leaders of nearly every political persuasion known to humankind. Stated another way, there is no political ideology that can claim success in providing safe, clean and modern cities for its in habitants.
The closest to the claim of achieved and maintained rejuvenation may be Singapore, which is essentially managed by a benevolent dictatorship (which does periodically stand for election). I can see why. I like it there, and if I were younger, I might think of moving there.
Shanghai and Beijing are doing OK under another type of dictatorship that doesn’t bother with elections.
On the whole, we are deteriorating, folks. These are not problems to be blamed on big box stores, these are often problems of poor, corrupt or incompetent management. In the voting booth this fall, look askance at anyone claiming to have the solutions to our deteriorating cities.
Nearly all politicians’ performance over the last 70 years has been dismal.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.
HCP columnist
In my lifetime, it seems as though this old world has been on a path of destruction of its urban areas. When I was born, 70 years ago this month, the pattern was already well under way.
Berlin was literally torn in two. Things would get much worse for Berlin before they started getting better in the 1990s. Countless other cities were destroyed in World War II, from Dresden to Stalingrad to Singapore and more – Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for instance.
Fortunately, many of these have recovered; although, for some, it took decades. Seoul was decimated in the Korean War, but now stands proudly.
Next up was Havana. Havana was destroyed by Castro’s civil war starting in 1959, and it has not recovered to this day.
In the 1960s and early '70s, many cities and towns were destroyed in Vietnam. Most have now been rebuilt.
In the early 1970s, Beirut was called the “Paris of the Mediterranean.” No more. Likewise, Tehran was in such good shape in the early 1970s that a relative of mine who worked for General Electric was sent there to help start up a refrigerator plant. That plant was not completed due to the war there.
I once knew a gentleman who had grown up in Mexico City. He recalled when he was a kid, the city was clean and safe, and he did not hesitate to ride his bicycle anywhere, with his parents’ blessing. In this same period, you could have said the same thing about New York City. These big cities were kept clean and safe for everyone.
At one time it was safe to live in Chicago, too. No more.
Caracas, indeed, all of Venezuela, was a model country right up until nearly the end of the last century. That is all gone.
There was a time when Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo were clean and orderly cities. Not now.
Two years ago, a fire department crew I know in rural Guatemala drove to Guatemala City for training and had their entire van of firefighting gear stolen before they had walked a block after parking it.
In our country, besides the deterioration of New York and Chicago, the list of cities where it is not safe to be downtown now includes Detroit, San Francisco, St. Louis and others. Just the last month has added Minneapolis, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and more to this list.
What is going on?
This destruction has come at the hands of leaders of nearly every political persuasion known to humankind. Stated another way, there is no political ideology that can claim success in providing safe, clean and modern cities for its in habitants.
The closest to the claim of achieved and maintained rejuvenation may be Singapore, which is essentially managed by a benevolent dictatorship (which does periodically stand for election). I can see why. I like it there, and if I were younger, I might think of moving there.
Shanghai and Beijing are doing OK under another type of dictatorship that doesn’t bother with elections.
On the whole, we are deteriorating, folks. These are not problems to be blamed on big box stores, these are often problems of poor, corrupt or incompetent management. In the voting booth this fall, look askance at anyone claiming to have the solutions to our deteriorating cities.
Nearly all politicians’ performance over the last 70 years has been dismal.
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.