Sunday, September 29, 2013

Let's blow the Gardiner up, shall we?

Urban decay
Toronto, ON
August 2013
For more Thematic large structures, click here.
There's an interesting dynamic playing out in cities of all sizes all over the world. To be blunt, they're crumbling.

And since I like to oversimplify, here's why: Because politicians and donors alike would rather fund sexy new buildings and structures than invisible sewers, roadbeds and underground electrical conduits. So while the former get funded, built and feted with ticker tape parades and grand opening ribbon cutting ceremonies, the latter continue to slowly rot in silence.

Until, of course, they fail. We all pay attention when a huge sinkhole opens up, a geyser turns a downtown street into a raging river, or, as seems to be ready to happen here, a major chunk of concrete falls from the sky.

This is the Gardiner Expressway, a crumbling relic of 1950s- and 1960s-era traffic-think that everyone loves to hate. If the cash-strapped government wants to raise money, fast, I'd suggest holding a lottery where the big prize is getting to press the dynamite plunger or swing the giant wrecking ball. This thing needs to go. But until it does, I'll walk under it and stare up the entire time. Because you never know when gravity will decide to remind us that boring. ugly and crumbling old infrastructure matters more than a gleaming plaque ever did, or will.

Your turn: How do you protect your head when walking under this thing? Let's be creative, shall we?

2 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

If our governments worked for the people, instead of the wealthiest few, Carmi, this is what would happen:

We'd have massive public programs to put people to work and invest in our decaying infrastructure.

Instead of just giving huge sums of money to the big financial criminals who broke the economy in the first place.
~

21 Wits said...

Creatively gosh I'd walk around it, I already know the story, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling, run everyone hide! :)