Randy,

On Thu, 8 Sep 2005 09:40:44 -0400, Randy Glenn wrote:

> My understanding is that in many cases, the homes people lived in had
> been in the family for quite some time - generations, even. At that
> point, I doubt there's a mortgage on the house.

Indeed, and probably no insurance either.
 
> Of course, my information source ("I heard that...") may be a little
> less than reliable.

:-)
 
> In terms of reconstruction... I don't see how that could work. I've
> always seen cities as more organic, something that has to grow on its
> own in order to work.

Perhaps - a newly-built town often has to mature for a couple of decades before it really works.

> So much has been destroyed that any
> reconstruction is going to be more like starting anew than starting
> from scratch, I think. 

I have to admit I can't see the distinction there!

> Has any planned city project succeeded? (I
> confess to be too young to know / remember if one has)

Well the City of London, after being largely destoyed by the Great Fire (1666) had lots of plans for its 
rebuilding proposed, but in the end because each plot of land where the houses had been was owned by 
individuals, who went back and staked out their plot (often trying to pinch a bit from the neighbours! :-) in 
the end it was mostly rebuilt as it had been, with small, crowded houses nestled together.  One exception was 
St.Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt as we see it now, much more impressive than the previous version.

Milton Keynes is a large town (cities here generally have to have a cathedral) built on green fields in 
Bedfordshire, starting in the late 1960's.  A lot of people criticise it (the famous case of the concrete 
cows, put in fields to make it look more rural! :-) but people who live there are generally enthusiastic about 
the place, and it certainly has a lot going for it.  ( 
http://www.mkweb.co.uk/business_support/displayarticle.asp?id=524 )

I can't say I'd want to live there, but that's because if I was going to live in a new house, I'd want it to 
be one that I'd designed...

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England


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