I left New Zealand mid-2003, bound for Istanbul and a new lif. After two years, a Belgian guy lured me into his world, deep in the heart of Europe. For a long time I was an in-process immigrant. One day we married. These days it's about photography, a little red wine and wandering ... and so the journey goes.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Guess what one Liberal Democrat (VLD) is doing in Belgium ...
I hate to disappoint you Di, but most people I know in this area dislike dear Ludo Van Campenhout profoundly.
From 2003 to 2007 he was responsible for downtown planning - most locals hate what he allowed developers to do with this area.
One public street was even sold and turned into a "closed, gated community for the rich". Just imagine..
To recap it: he assisted in turning the Antwerp riverbanks area into a playground for the imported "upper class".
As most natives /indigenous Antwerp riverbank area citizens are not rich at all, they resent him for turning their streets into exclusive upscale loft/condo developments, while driving the native inhabitants and local shop owners away with exorbitant rent/lease increases.
Di, guess these political choices are complex indeed. Antwerp city council has been very successful the past 10 years in attracting the rich to the new south and the Antwerp riverbanks.
I just pitied all the people who were forced to leave as a result of these choices.
Luckily, I can continue living la dolce vita, surrounded by my neighbours Bentley's and Ferrari's.
You sure have a point: services-wise I can't complain anymore: the city is ever so kind if one lives on/near the upscale riverbanks. Money talks, and that will never change ;-)
The message ... :) I had to have it interpreted too Shashikiran. I was surprised by him using that channel for voting.
Peter, I was talking to Gert about inner city development, and while I see your point, the sad reality is that all the people who pay big taxes are choosing to live outside city centre and taking their tax money to other districts and leaving the inner city cash poor for improvements, roading and etc.
Bringing the wealthy inside the city is apparently the dream or plan of many countries.
Lol we have argued about this very thing in the past, after I photographed a new inner city apartment complex for Ludo. I too had forgotten about the district and city councils need for cash to keep things decent services-wise.
I had to rewrite my reply to your previous comment, Peter :) I had accidently written your name twice, as if I was lecturing you and I would never presume I knew enough to dare lecture a local.
Anyway, I knew what you meant because I was so sad about the big apartment complex I photographed due to realising that the people it would displace were a truly magical mix of 'everyone' ... the old man (maybe 80something) on the bicycle and the sweet couple who stopped for a cup of tea at the pub next to the new 'lofts' and etc.
Things get 'interesting' over at our place sometimes. I probably lean mostly towards social democracy ... 'Spirit' here I think meanwhile my man is a liberal democrat. We survive and it's never too serious, after all it's years before I can count towards anything politically here.
I hate to disappoint you Di, but most people I know in this area dislike dear Ludo Van Campenhout profoundly.
ReplyDeleteFrom 2003 to 2007 he was responsible for downtown planning - most locals hate what he allowed developers to do with this area.
One public street was even sold and turned into a "closed, gated community for the rich". Just imagine..
To recap it: he assisted in turning the Antwerp riverbanks area into a playground for the imported "upper class".
As most natives /indigenous Antwerp riverbank area citizens are not rich at all, they resent him for turning their streets into exclusive upscale loft/condo developments, while driving the native inhabitants and local shop owners away with exorbitant rent/lease increases.
I fear the worst for his election results.
Indeed but anyway :) my post was less about being political and far more about someone hijacking youtube.
ReplyDeleteI was so surprised by it that I had to blog it.
Hello Di: I couldn't get the message, but I truly enjoyed the cats!
ReplyDeleteDi, guess these political choices are complex indeed. Antwerp city council has been very successful the past 10 years in attracting the rich to the new south and the Antwerp riverbanks.
ReplyDeleteI just pitied all the people who were forced to leave as a result of these choices.
Luckily, I can continue living la dolce vita, surrounded by my neighbours Bentley's and Ferrari's.
You sure have a point: services-wise I can't complain anymore: the city is ever so kind if one lives on/near the upscale riverbanks. Money talks, and that will never change ;-)
The message ... :) I had to have it interpreted too Shashikiran. I was surprised by him using that channel for voting.
ReplyDeletePeter, I was talking to Gert about inner city development, and while I see your point, the sad reality is that all the people who pay big taxes are choosing to live outside city centre and taking their tax money to other districts and leaving the inner city cash poor for improvements, roading and etc.
Bringing the wealthy inside the city is apparently the dream or plan of many countries.
Lol we have argued about this very thing in the past, after I photographed a new inner city apartment complex for Ludo. I too had forgotten about the district and city councils need for cash to keep things decent services-wise.
I had to rewrite my reply to your previous comment, Peter :) I had accidently written your name twice, as if I was lecturing you and I would never presume I knew enough to dare lecture a local.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I knew what you meant because I was so sad about the big apartment complex I photographed due to realising that the people it would displace were a truly magical mix of 'everyone' ... the old man (maybe 80something) on the bicycle and the sweet couple who stopped for a cup of tea at the pub next to the new 'lofts' and etc.
Things get 'interesting' over at our place sometimes. I probably lean mostly towards social democracy ... 'Spirit' here I think meanwhile my man is a liberal democrat. We survive and it's never too serious, after all it's years before I can count towards anything politically here.