11-03-2015, 12:40 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-03-2015, 12:42 AM by BuildingScout.)
(11-03-2015, 12:04 AM)eizenstriet Wrote: It struck me as curiously coincidental that the city referenced by Canard for its attractive LRT system should also have achieved a unique reputation premised by BuildingScout for “taking down ugly buildings”.
You misinterpreted me. I never claimed that city to be unique in that respect. Most of France follows that model.
Quote:Some cursory research seemed to verify, however, that - contrary to the premise - Besançon’s “delightful urban environment…has survived more or less intact”. I so reported, as a matter of interest, and because the premise was obviously designed to be applied mutatis mutandis to Waterloo Region.
However, BS claimed as a fact, without citation, that the description of the city’s “old streets … lined with houses and buildings from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century” was irrefutable confirmation of the original proposition, now described as “judicious demolition”.
Except that even if we assume the "early twentieth century part" to be true (which it isn't, as shown with various examples) it still doesn't support your point. Those early twentieth century buildings had to be built somewhere, i.e. where older buildings used to be.
Quote:Of course, it is not difficult to imagine other paths by which an ancient city could end up with a range of architectural legacy, but I did in fact make the further effort to find citation for BS’s claim for Besançon’s subtle demolition renown. Still, I kept coming up with citations for its conservation renown. Well, OK.
I don't think there is much point on a discussion based on a false premises: the supposed claim that Besançon is unique, while my claim is pretty much the opposite: the entirety of France is unafraid to rebuild. I even mentioned Paris, Strasbourg and Prague as examples of other cities not afraid to demolish.
So talk about building strawmen. I describe a general phenomenon in Europe of not being afraid to mix the old with the new giving examples of various cities including Besançon, Paris, Prague and Strasbourg. You instead go on a tangent about some claimed uniqueness which exists only in your imagination.