Large metropolitan cities present many faces to both the visitor and resident. They have multi-dimensional aspects that provide a diversity of experience and opportunities.
The Bund clearly demonstrates how a city can utilize historical buildings as one element of that diversity. The Bund lies along one banks of the Huangpo River – directly opposite the dazzling towers of the new Pudong district. The buildings are lit up at night with some coherency in colour and yet some unique colours. I like the way of of these buildings creates a pink accent by using light to pick up the colour in the brick. Whether it was planned or accidental, this city has done itself a grant service by preserving these buildings and building the new towers elsewhere.
Today, these buildings hold some of the most expensive stores, restaurants and hotels in Shanghai. (Frankly, I still can’t get my head around the tremendous diversity in income in China within a communist perspective. The gap between rich and poor in China is huge and I am guessing growing.)
Are there any places in Canada that truly preserve their historical districts as coherent entities. Old Montreal. Old Quebec City. Alas, in Edmonton, the middle 1900′s were not kind to our historical heritage as we removed the old courthouse and other buildings to make way for glass and steele, shopping malls, etc.