emmadilemma reviewed Post-Pandemic Urbanism by Doris Kleilein
Sustainability via destruction
3 stars
Post-Pandemic Urbanism, a German collection of essays that I read in translation, looks at the changes that the pandemic created and sees a world where some impossible things have become possible, but where other intractable things have only become more so. I rate this a 3-star only because I come in with somewhat different politics and found the tone off-putting at times.
At times like the beginning, really, where the first essayist basically says everything went to hell when we stopped living in earthen huts. But I stuck with it, and while there were entire essays that I skimmed through, there were others that fascinated me, particularly around transportation infrastructure.
On bad days I have a bad attitude toward bikes, which in my area tend to block crosswalks and treat wheelchair ramps as a quick way to get on the sidewalk. But I have nothing but support for the cycling …
Post-Pandemic Urbanism, a German collection of essays that I read in translation, looks at the changes that the pandemic created and sees a world where some impossible things have become possible, but where other intractable things have only become more so. I rate this a 3-star only because I come in with somewhat different politics and found the tone off-putting at times.
At times like the beginning, really, where the first essayist basically says everything went to hell when we stopped living in earthen huts. But I stuck with it, and while there were entire essays that I skimmed through, there were others that fascinated me, particularly around transportation infrastructure.
On bad days I have a bad attitude toward bikes, which in my area tend to block crosswalks and treat wheelchair ramps as a quick way to get on the sidewalk. But I have nothing but support for the cycling lanes that sprung up while the streets were empty. The worst biker vs. the smallest, most fuel-efficient car is no contest. This book did help to remind me of that.
Less happy is the undeniable fact that inequality has gotten much worse. Anyone who lives in a city sees that every day. And there is of course no pat answer.
For anybody who's in the Fediverse reading this review, if the subject intrigues you, definitely seek this book out. The authors' politics align quite well with most people I know here. I was just a little off to the side.