Monthly Archives: February 2020

Updated February 23, 2020 11:11:20

A "catastrophe", "total disaster", a "crazy, ludicrous living hell" that's how politicians described some of Australia's most radically designed neighbourhoods.

The design of the nation's capital itself was based in part on the US town of Radburn, New Jersey, where back-to-front homes have front doors opening on public parks rather than the street.

In addition, fences are non-existent and circular streets twist around the neighbourhood, never intersecting with a winding network of footpaths.

The Radburn concept was visionary when it was used in Canberra and dozens of other neighbourhoods across the country in the 1960s and 70s.

But things didn't quite work as planned, and many areas were transformed into crime-infested slums.

Many of those neighbourhoods were later bulldozed and rebuilt, but one shining example of a Radburn success story remains in the unpretentious southern Perth suburb of Thornlie and its residents are proud to have bucked the trend.

Original Radburn architect Clarence Stein reportedly described the community of Crestwood, 18 kilometres south-east of Perth's CBD, as the "first perfect Radburn scheme in the world".

"The people, the residents, the atmosphere there's no threats, you're safe no matter what, I was happy here all the time," said Rita Bernadette Fisher, one of the community's first homeowners.

The residents of Crestwood who this month celebrated 50 years as a village said their strong community spirit spared them from the crime and privacy issues typical of shared living.

"I will come home from work and there will be either two, three or four of our neighbours they'll end up on someone's driveway and they're having a good old yack," said resident of 38 years Maria van der Linden.

"When we go on holiday, they'll look after our garden. We do that for each other, that's really nice."

"We just loved the layout of the place," added Ms van der Linden's husband, Emile.

"The kids can get to school without crossing any roads, you just go [through] underpasses all the way to school.

"After work you'd go and play with your kids out in the park it's just a marvellous place to bring kids up in."

A 1978 resident survey found 60 per cent of homeowners were attracted to Crestwood by its aesthetics and 88 per cent were happier having moved there.

Most agreed there was more social interaction in Crestwood than standard suburban estates and said coming home at the end of the day was like entering a separate world.

There were also some negatives to the shared spaces.

Some remarked living in Crestwood was "a bit like having to dress for dinner and always be watching your manners", while several people commented on the implied social pretence in the area and the "existence of petty squabbles amongst residents".

Dan McDonald and his family moved from rural Queensland to a home in Crestwood late last year.

"Something that has been surprising or not expected, and we really enjoy it, is that everyone knows each other," he said.

"Because we both came from rural backgrounds, well that's a given for me that people talk to each other and that neighbours work together.

"But in the city, that's unheard of or it seems strange, it seems unusual.

"It seems so far that people here have mastered the art of living together, helping each other out without being too close."

There was also an unexpected, deeper benefit Mr McDonald and his family discovered.

"I felt lost in the city I felt very detached and lonely even though I was surrounded by people," he said.

"It doesn't seem to be like that here obviously it's not a beer over the back of a ute, but people will stop and have a chat over the back fence, look at the dog, have a yarn about the garden.

"Our oldest has some learning difficulties and she has very bad anxiety. The surroundings almost fixed that.

"She's a different child."

As for living back to front: "No one can figure out how to get in our house and we really like that!"

The innovative Radburn design underpinning Crestwood was enthusiastically received by the governments of the day, which saw it as a progressive solution to public housing issues.

WA suburbs with high concentrations of state housing, such as Withers, Bentley, Karawara and South Hedland, were constructed using the Radburn blueprint, but this triggered huge social problems including burglaries, drug use and assaults.

Some of those suburbs were completely bulldozed and rebuilt in a more conventional style, while others are still pressing ahead with a so-called "de-Radburnisation" effort.

Planning Institute of Australia WA committee member Vicki Lummer said Karawara was an excellent case study in the flaws of the concept.

"There was a high percentage of state housing properties which then set the tone for the socio-economic mix in that area and I think from the start that was the problem for Karawara," she said.

"As time went by all the design provisions were slowly eroded, so people weren't doing low fences, and then the crime rates started to escalate because [the parks] then became unsafe areas to walk through."

Peter Ciemitis, principal at urban planning specialists RobertsDay, said passive surveillance proved effective in reducing crime rates.

"With the inclusion of the high fences that people were starting to put in at Karawara, it actually made it a golden opportunity for crime because the worst crimes happen behind a high fence."

The neighbourhood watch mentality is something Crestwood does well.

"When we moved in here hardly anyone had a back fence, but times change and gradually fences went up, but to me it just spoils the whole concept of it," resident of 44 years Wendy Curtis said.

"We like to keep our fence open. I don't care if everyone looks in at us, I like looking out at everyone else."

Liz Griggs grew up in Crestwood and moved back as an adult with her own children.

"It wasn't until I got older that I really appreciated what I had as a child," she said.

"There was children everywhere we would have games and there would be 30, 40, 50 kids all participating from different parks, different age groups.

"The beauty of here is you look through your fence and out into the parks. It defeats the purpose, I think, having the big fence.

"I understand from a security point of view that that's how some people feel, but then you may as well live anywhere."

Crestwood was intended to be five times bigger than it is, with the addition of high-density apartment buildings and larger community facilities.

But the collapse of land values in the late 1970s and a drop in demand for lots meant that never eventuated and the surrounding land was developed in a more conventional style.

Crestwood Homeowners Association secretary Kathrina Oakland said she wondered if expansion would have seen Crestwood implode.

"It would have just got out of hand," she said.

"Whereas there's only 295 of us and we all live here because we want to live here."

Crestwood was initially marketed towards higher income earners, with royalty-themed brochures bragging about blocks chosen by doctors, chemists, dentists, school principals and "a host of other discerning people".

It was also the first suburb in Perth to have underground power.

Mr Ciemitis suggested that niche appeal was why Crestwood never took off as a concept elsewhere.

"It's not for everybody. They always seem to work as little gems, but it's hard to just shift the whole marketplace into accepting that as a new living model," he said.

Some urban planners still believe the Radburn concept has its best days ahead.

"I think we have to learn from the successful parts of the Radburn design," Ms Lummer said.

"All of the factors of climate change and people wanting to be more sustainable and having more green space, more tree cover all of those things are coming together."

Julian Bolleter, co-director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre, said he believed Radburn neighbourhoods would come back in style in Australia.

"We need to be able to design suburbs that can funnel biodiversity," he said.

"Radburn planning is very good in that front because you have uninterrupted spines of open space.

"I think our suburbs will have to get denser and they are getting denser, so we do need public open space and I think Radburn is a model that still remains valid in the right context."

Mr Ciemitis said inner city suburbs that incorporated Radburn principles, such as the Perth suburb of Menora, would prove valuable in the future.

"It might have in 50 years' time a completely different life. That might be its golden year when it really works well," he said.

"Just to get rid of these ideas sometimes is not the right approach we might have the bones of something really quite spectacular."

Topics:urban-development-and-planning,lifestyle,house-and-home,housing,community-and-society,regional-development,population-and-demographics,housing-industry,family,states-and-territories,perth-6000,withers-6230,south-hedland-6722,minto-2566,canberra-2600,karawara-6152,thornlie-6108,wa

First posted February 23, 2020 06:59:30

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Crestwood defies odds to celebrate 50 years as the first 'perfect' Radburn neighbourhood in the world - ABC News

Shahiduzzaman Khan | Published: February 22, 2020 22:08:06

Unplanned housing is a major problem facing Bangladesh's rural people. A few government-initiated rural housing projects, namely cluster and ideal village projects are implemented, but those are very small in number compared to the needs of the vast majority of people. These cluster villages have failed to meet expectations of the concerned people.

Authorities have very recently begun to lay thrust on developing liveable towns and villages for next generations. They think development of a standard and planned habitat would ensure people in both rural and urban areas to get their own house.

On many occasions, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the housing projects -- under both public and private sectors -- should be equipped with all civic facilities and services, and they should be developed under a master plan.

The Prime Minister has emphasised that lakes, water bodies and open spaces should be kept reserved for a development plan while a planned low-cost housing system should be developed for the poor living in slums scattered across cities.

The government has reportedly approved a law that would make official clearance mandatory for building houses in rural areas as well as use of land across the country. The proposed law, many say, would bring discipline in land management and prevent misuse of land.

The new law is expected to facilitate framing up of strategic plans for forest land, hilly areas and coastal belt. If the law is executed, nobody will be able to develop land at his or her whim. The country will have a national land use policy where there will be pragmatic policies for both urban and rural areas.

Bangladesh is one of the most land-scarce countries in the world. Though the National Land Utilisation Policy has focused on family-based land ceiling for rural housing and rural model house building, there is virtually no land-use plan for the rural areas that comprises about 85 per cent of the total land area.

Existing facilities in respect of physical infrastructure, housing, water supply, sanitation, etc., are inadequate in rural areas. A study suggests that housing shortage in the country would stand at around 3.1 million units, out of which 2.15 million units would be in rural areas.

Even though space availability for horizontal expansion is limited, people are forced to go for it considering high cost associated with vertical expansion. On the contrary, people in urban areas usually expand their house vertically since vertical expansion is more cost-effective in view of high price and scarcity of land in urban centres.

Indeed, a high growth rate of population has created enormous pressure on land. When the number of family members increases, people need to expand their houses. Since space is not adequately available, villagers expand their houses horizontally, encroaching on the farmland. Thus, cultivable land is gradually shrinking and numerous socio-economic problems are being created.

For the past several years, the Grameen Bank and a few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are providing loans for rural house building that has opened a new area in the field of rural housing. Nevertheless, such organisations cater to the needs of a limited number of rural people.

The government has recently started implementing a compact township project involving a fund of Tk 4.24 billion for rural people of seven divisions. It is a new concept of compact housing that includes residential facilities alongside agriculture and forestation.

In fact, the idea was derived from the concept of cluster villages, which was supposed to provide urban facilities to villagers and save agriculture land. Analysts say such projects need to be implemented in participatory process -- in consultation with local people. Presumably, the poor and low-income group will definitely welcome such initiative, while the richer section might oppose it.

Each of the model villages is set to save about 13.05 acres of land needed for traditional housing. Besides, 16.26 acres of agricultural land will be saved, as the families will be provided with civic facilities through a single approach road.

It is found that many poorly-built rural houses collapse every year. However, the government, international agencies and private bodies can work in unison to address such problems.

Meanwhile, land use patterns are radically changing and adversely impacting the country's agricultural land, forest, water bodies and wildlife habitat. Needless to say, making new homes on cultivable land is limiting the use of land for farm production.

Furthermore, corruption remains a major problem that hampers streamlining of the country's land management. A World Bank survey reveals that most crimes and corruption in Bangladesh take place in land-related services. There are almost 3.5 million land-related cases pending.

Now, with the passage of new law for getting approval of rural housing, analysts believe, the country's housing and land administration system is set to be stronger and transparent. The government expects that discipline would be restored in land management and that misuse of land would be prevented.

In the national housing policy, due emphasis has been given on 'low cost housing', which means housing at affordable cost for all sections of the population. Apart from its thrust on housing at lower cost as compared to prevailing cost levels, a prime objective of the policy is to reduce cost and make housing an eco-friendly one.

As natural calamities like flood and cyclone are common in Bangladesh, low cost housing should also be made durable and must have good living conditions for the dwellers.

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Thrust on durable rural housing - The Financial Express BD

History 23/02/20 As Andrey Zhdanov became the informal ruler of Finland

not everywhere, where the Soviet Union wanted to establish political influence, he began to alter the socio-economic and political system in his own image and likeness. Stalin, then Malenkov and Khrushchev obviously wanted to ensure that between the Pro-Soviet countries of peoples democracy and a hostile West, there was the buffer of the bourgeois-democratic state, friendly to the USSR. One of the best incarnations of this of course was after the Second world war, Finland. She had a close foreign-policy dependence on the USSR, almost the same as the countries of the organization of the Warsaw contract (OVD). Thanks to this submission in the foreign policy of Finland managed to preserve the sanctity of their way of life.

Stalin, who sought in 1939-1941 the accession of Finland to the USSR as well as he did with three other Baltic States, to the end of the war changed his plans. Priorities were the final defeat of Nazi Germany and building relationships with the great Western powers, which did not like the annexation of Finland. Also, importantly, Stalin would have feared the decay of moral spirit of the Soviet people under the influence of new citizens, accustomed to the freedom and private property. Here still it was necessary to reforge for socialism Balts, Moldovans and Western Ukrainians and Western Belarusians. Even if you include the Soviet Union almost four million Finns, it is not known who reforged would in the end.

for its part, the elite of Finland knew that the time when it was possible to hope for a military revenge against the Soviet Union, with the defeat of Germany is gone forever. How did they understand and what Stalin if he wanted to, not too difficult to occupy the whole of Finland. They are now it was necessary to ensure that maximum loyalty to the Soviet Union to keep what we have.

Therefore, no matter how difficult were the conditions exhibited by the Soviet Union in the negotiations on a truce in September 1944, Finland was forced to sign them. When the head of the Finnish delegation at the negotiations held in Moscow, Prime Minister A. Hackzell, got acquainted with the Soviet terms, he was stricken by a stroke. Conditions dictate Finlands domestic politics were the issue of the Soviet Union, its citizens (as of 21.06.1941) Karelians, Estonians and Izhora had found refuge in Finland; the dissolution of the nationalist organizations and the legalization of the Communist party; the trial of war criminals. To comply with Finlands truce (basically surrender) was established the allied control Commission, headed by Politburo member of the CPSU(b) A. A. Zhdanov.

Zhdanov in the sense of its powers and activities it is possible to liken the Royal the Governor-General of Finland N. And. Bobrikovo, eliminate the autonomy of Finland in 1898-1904 gg. 22 September 1944, Zhdanov arrived in Helsinki and from there three years, according to the instructions of Stalin, actually rules Finland (participation of British representatives in the Commission was nominal). At the request of Zhdanov, was banned organizations that the Soviet Union was considered fascist. On Control Commission, consisting of the Soviet NKVD, enjoyed the right of extraterritoriality, and had the opportunity for unlimited travel in Finland and control over the activities of state institutions. At the direction of Zhdanov, in March 1945, after the election, which victory was given to left parties, Prime Minister of Finland was approved by J. Paasikivi (Hellsten), whom Stalin considered ours after he signed the Treaty of Moscow 1940, ended the Winter war.

In November 1945 in Helsinki began the trial of the Finnish military and political leaders, Finland has drawn aggressive the war against the Soviet Union. In February 1946 he was sentenced. Former President R. ryti received 10 years in prison, the remaining seven defendants (two former Prime Minister, two Ministers of foreign Affairs, Ministers of Finance and education and the Ambassador in Berlin) from two to six years. In all these activities contributed to Zhdanov, the President of Finland K. Mannerheim. His authority helped the Soviet Union without conflict to establish control over the policy of Finland. In turn, Mannerheim avoided prosecution, but, resigning from the post of President in March 1946, just in case went to Switzerland.

February 10, 1947 the victorious powers signed the Paris peace Treaty with Finland, and in September of the same year, ceased operations of the allied control Commission in Helsinki. In 1947-1949, he was gradually released and pardoned former leaders of Finland. Stalin was outraged by this gesture obviously believed the loyalty of the Finns quite wealthy. April 6, 1948 in Moscow was signed a Treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the USSR and Finland, which operated until 1992. Mostly it was the commitment of Finland to cooperate with the USSR in the case of aggression by Germany or allied state. Considering that in 1955 the FRG became a member of NATO, the Treaty was a form of military Alliance of the USSR with capitalist countries outside the ATS.

the Line PaasikiviKekkonen (the presidents of Finland in 1946-1956 and 1956-1981) was from a disguised form of vassal relationships, something reminiscent of the situation of the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire. Leaders of the USSR and Finland (e.g. Kekkonen and predsovmina the USSR A. N. Kosygin) had a close personal relationship. Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee had a virtual veto on the appointment of the Finnish Ministers. Finnish anti-Soviet policies during this period it was impossible to occupy high positions.

For their loyalty to the Paasikivi received in 1954the order of Lenin. Even more rich collection of Soviet awards gathered Kekkonen: the order of Lenin, order of Friendship of peoples and the international Lenin prize For strengthening peace among peoples. This is especially interesting in comparison with the facts of the biography of Kekkonen before 1945: in 1918, fought as a volunteer in the Finnish white guard; in the 20-30-ies he was a member of the far-right academic Karelian society, preaching the capture of Soviet Karelia; in 1940, the only one of the parliamentarians voted for the continuation of the war with the Soviet Union.

the Dependence of Finnish economy on the Soviet market led to the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Finnish economy experienced a severe crisis. How to write modern Finnish historians R. McCauley and J. Kokkonen, EU membership was a good thing for the economy, but still there are those who lost in this game the distance between the haves and have-nots has increased.

Source: Russian Seven

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As Andrey Zhdanov became the informal ruler of Finland - The Global Domains News

Hours after the current president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, was declared on Tuesday Winner of the presidential elections of September 28, runner-up Abdullah Abdullah contested the delayed results, highlighting the power struggle between the two leaders.

After a count and a total delay of almost five months, Abdullah, who served as executive director of Afghanistan for the past five years, once again questioned the impartiality of the country's electoral process, in a repeat of the 2014 elections It was marred by irregularities.

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On Tuesday, Abdullah announced that he would establish a parallel government and one day later, in his capacity as executive director, he prohibited election officials from traveling outside the country.

Their movements are ahead of possible intra-Afghan talks between the government and the Taliban armed group aimed at achieving long-term peace.

The talks are based on the successful signing of a peace agreement between the Taliban and the US government. UU., Outlining the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and the Taliban's promise not to allow Afghan territory to be used as a launching pad for attacks outside the country.

On Saturday, the West-backed Kabul government, the United States and the Taliban announced the start of a one-week "violence reduction,quot; (RIV) that would culminate in the signing of the peace agreement on February 29.

Hours after the RIV pact took hold, reports emerged that Abdullah replaced the governors. from the provinces of Sar-e-Pul and Baghlan. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed concern about the action and said it could jeopardize the peace process.

"Resorting to force or any other illegal means while efforts are being made to reduce violence, with the expectation that it may lead to the initiation of intra-Afghan peace negotiations, jeopardizes the hope of population peace. " The statement said.

After bitterly contesting the results of the 2014 elections, the Americans brought Abdullah and Ghani to the negotiating table and agreed to lead the government together, but the fissures within the national unity government often came to light.

His five years of association were often plagued by disagreements, disputes and disagreements, which stopped the government on several occasions.

But the recent dispute between the two most important leaders in the country could not have come at a more delicate time for Afghanistan.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, initiated talks with the Taliban in 2018 as part of his campaign promise to take American troops home. The two sides are about to reach an agreement, which can see the end of almost 19 years of war.

The Taliban have been fighting NATO and Afghan government forces since 2001 when the group was overthrown in a US-led invasion.

If the agreement between the United States and the Taliban is signed, the Taliban and Afghan leaders would sit down to discuss the country's political future. The Taliban made the agreement with the United States their condition to agree to speak with the Kabul government, which for years called the "puppet,quot; of the United States.

A broad political consensus is critical when Kabul comes face to face with the Taliban as part of the intra-Afghan peace talks. However, the rivalry between Ghani and Abdullah could turn into violence that would weaken the hand of the Afghan government in the negotiations.

"This has created fragmentation in the Kabul government. This will certainly lead to a weaker position in Kabul when they sit face to face with the Taliban in the intra-Afghan dialogue," said Habib Wardak, a security analyst based in Kabul. Jazeera

"But even before reaching the point of sitting with the Taliban, it will be a challenge to form an all-inclusive team and build trust among political elites, most of whom reject the outcome of the presidential elections."

In addition to fighting to maintain consensus, the Afghan government also faces growing socio-economic problems, such as unemployment, deteriorating security conditions and the collapse of the economy.

Mariam Solaimankhail, a member of the Afghan parliament, said the election results should indicate a clear mandate to the government "to participate in any discussion of national importance."

"The results of the elections were necessary for the continuation of the democratic process. No discussion with any group should alter the constitution, democracy and general achievements of the last two decades," he said.

The counting of votes in the September 2019 elections has been involved in controversy from the beginning, with repeated delays in the results attributed to technical issues, accusations of fraud and protests by candidates.

The Talibans announcement at the time that it was boycotting the elections and its threats of violent unrest combined with a general distrust of politicians and corruption to prevent many Afghans from voting.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced preliminary results in December, saying that Ghani had won re-election by a narrow margin in a vote that had a total participation of more than 1.8 million. Abdullah dismissed the results as fraudulent.

On Tuesday, the IEC announced the final results after a recount, saying that Ghani had won with 50.64 percent of the votes, surpassing Abdullah, which obtained 39.52 percent.

Abdullahs camp was swift in its rejection, casting a shadow over the future of the democratic process in the war-torn country.

"They sided with Ghani. They worked directly for them. They surrendered to their power, status, influence and money," he told Al Jazeera Faraidoon Khwazoon, spokesman for Abdullah's campaign team.

"Therefore, not only we, but also the commission of electoral complaints, monitoring organizations and other teams did not participate in the process of audit and vote counting and this process lost its legitimacy and credibility. That is why the result and the result does not have legitimacy too. "

In addressing Abdullah's announcement to form a parallel government, which could create a constitutional crisis, Khwazoon said: "Our government will carry out its oath ceremony We have already formed groups and will also announce our high-level appointments."

Saif Khalid Sadat, a senior member of the Ghani electoral team, rejected the accusations of the Abdullah camp, saying the election results had been announced by the IEC, as it was within its legal authority, and "should be implemented by all the media,quot;.

"The elections were held successfully on the basis of all electoral laws and procedures. Ghani gives high priority to peace talks with the Taliban and I think it would be better for an elected government to negotiate with the Taliban," he told Al Jazeera

Some analysts have accused Abdullah of pursuing narrow political interests.

"Abdullah's complaints are not political and are based only on his narrow personal interest and on the interests of many warlords who are part of his political coalition," a political analyst from Kabul told Al Jazeera Harun Mir.

"President Ghani has campaigned for the preservation of the republic and the democratic constitutional political process. However, Abdullah Abdullah and his coalition partners hope that through a new provisional government, they can preserve their seats and political influence."

Sadat, Ghani's aide, reiterated the importance of all Afghan political forces joining under the umbrella of the "government of Afghanistan,quot; when doors open for intra-Afghan talks in the near future.

"All parties should reach a common goal that could end this war forever."

With reports from Mohsin Khan Mohmand in Kabul

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Will the rivalry between Ghani and Abdullah undermine the Afghan peace process? The | News - Up News Info