Cabanyal – Valencia’s district under threat of demolishment

[AnonymousParticipant]

Some of you may know about the argument raging over the fate of El Cabanyal, a lovely old district by the beach in Valencia city.

City hall wants to knock some/most of it down for a new avenue built up with Valencia’s charming new developments. Locals are resisting. It’s a familiar story.

If they had a different mentality, they could do something amazing with the district by revamping it. Turn it into a Little Venice, or Chelsea, something like that. Instead they want to tear it down and build blocks of flats. Typical Valencian government mentality (home of the Land Grab).

Mark

[AnonymousParticipant]

Yes, Mark is the same mentally that leave the brick work unpainted. This place could turn into a little Bourbin street.

[AnonymousParticipant]

And yet they’ve approved a huge expansion of Marina d’Or, possibly the ugliest site in the whole of Spain. Beam me up…..

[AnonymousParticipant]

You said it.

The Valencian regional and city governments – the former being the creators and enthusiastic implementers of the “land grab” laws – want to knock down this:

Whilst doing nothing to improve rundown districts of central Valencia like this (can’t remember what it’s called):

But happily spending public time and money encouraging more of this:

If Valencia ever want to boost their tourism, and go more upmarket, something tells me they aren’t going the right way about it.

[AnonymousParticipant]

Here in Lorca the local council do the exact opposite. You cannot demolish anything like that without maintaining & restoring the facade exactly as it was. Since I have lived here many properties in the old town have been redeveloped but the front of the building has always been structurally supported whilst the rear has been demolished & completely rebuilt & re-attached to the original facade, which is then sympathetically restored.

[AnonymousParticipant]

More about the threat to this lovely district in this Guardian travel article, basically saying go visit now before it’s too late

Head for Valencia’s fishermen’s quarter – before the bulldozers get there
Valencia has developed into one of Spain’s coolest cities but, as bulldozers threaten one of its oldest and most atmospheric barrios, what is the price of such rapid progress?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/may/08/valencia-el-cabanyal-neighbourhood-spain

[AnonymousParticipant]

officially a “protected historical zone” –

Residents have protested vociferously,

the highest court in the country – the Tribunal Constitucional – has ordered a stop to the demolition,

but Valencia’s Mayor, Rita Barberá, has insisted she’ll go ahead.

And her right to do this is what?

[AnonymousParticipant]

This new ‘Avenue’ must be quite something for Rita Barbera to dig her heels in.

Cultural heritage projects have been important to her in the past, pumping serious money into restoring the Colon market and Silk Exchange for example.

[AnonymousParticipant]

@iano wrote:

This new ‘Avenue’ must be quite something for Rita Barbera to dig her heels in.

Cultural heritage projects have been important to her in the past, pumping serious money into restoring the Colon market and Silk Exchange for example.

i guess she has some builders in her family who are unemployed and would be tendering for the contract to build the new avenue or am i just being cynical

[Author]

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