Can confirm, I grew up in a commie block in Moscow and it was great. There was a big park downstairs where all the neighbourhood kids played. School was 15 min walking distance, stores, etc. You basically didn’t even need public transit day to day. Designing cities around microdistricts is absolutely the way to go.
In Poland, we also had architects who designed such communities in 50’s or 60’s. Shops, drugstores, medical centers, playgrounds, recreation parks, sometimes much more, like kindergartens – all just downstairs. Mini-districts, almost self-sufficient. Maybe not everywhere, but I think this mindset was in all cities. Now we have something what Poles call “pato-developer” – extremely small apartments for high price, almost no shops so you need to sit at least an hour in a car to buy larger grocery. About 5 m^2 and 2-3 basic toys for kids to spend most of their time. And of course no recreation park, since CAR park is far more important. Today’s ideas about 15 min cities are noble, but just reinvention.
Today’s 15 minute cities are cities in which it takes your landlord 15 minutes to empty your bank account after your wages come in. Otherwise, if you can’t afford to pay so much so fast, you’re not allowed to live in the city at all.
The developer has designed a building in which one of the premises is to be 2.5 square meters. In an interview with Noizz.pl, he explains that the apartment’s area is a “response to market needs” and reminds critics that “there is still a free market.” Filip Springer replies: “Whoever tries to circumvent the regulations offends human dignity.”
Can confirm, I grew up in a commie block in Moscow and it was great. There was a big park downstairs where all the neighbourhood kids played. School was 15 min walking distance, stores, etc. You basically didn’t even need public transit day to day. Designing cities around microdistricts is absolutely the way to go.
In Poland, we also had architects who designed such communities in 50’s or 60’s. Shops, drugstores, medical centers, playgrounds, recreation parks, sometimes much more, like kindergartens – all just downstairs. Mini-districts, almost self-sufficient. Maybe not everywhere, but I think this mindset was in all cities. Now we have something what Poles call “pato-developer” – extremely small apartments for high price, almost no shops so you need to sit at least an hour in a car to buy larger grocery. About 5 m^2 and 2-3 basic toys for kids to spend most of their time. And of course no recreation park, since CAR park is far more important. Today’s ideas about 15 min cities are noble, but just reinvention.
Today’s 15 minute cities are cities in which it takes your landlord 15 minutes to empty your bank account after your wages come in. Otherwise, if you can’t afford to pay so much so fast, you’re not allowed to live in the city at all.
the whole apartment???
Why so big, if you can buy just 2,5 m^5: https://noizz.pl/design/mikrokawalerka-25-m-kw-deweloper-tlumaczy-to-odpowiedz-na-potrzeby-rynku/e1cszzb
But here I meant a place outdoor to child’s play
😬
Here is translation of the article “abstract”: