Also it's quite funny.
This article about Canberra is quite notable for the snark, IMO. I have but glimpsed the pleasures of Canberra but it did feel Kind Of Strange.
Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of landscape architecture, wrote, 'Curved streets imply leisure, contemplativeness, and happy tranquillity'. Unsurprisingly, he never lived in Canberra, where the mantra goes, 'Like the clunky machinery of bureaucracy, these roundabouts take us nowhere very fast, chortle, chortle'.
And:
The best thing about hating Canberra is that it discourages nationalism. Australia has great cities, and as their populations increase, they will become more dynamic and exciting. But so long as none of them is the capital, our sense of pride about where we come from, and what we think that means about who we are, will always be thwarted by that dark little secret that we share: Canberra
6 comments:
Canberra is a kind of Stepford City. There is no graffiti there. If Cronenberg ever wants to film any more J. G. Ballard novels about affectless post-human futures, the scenery is all there waiting for him.
In fairness, they brew some fine beers at the Wig & Pen.
If rich people design cities they imagine their drivers putt-putting them past the houses of the proles.
Apollogi.
In the linked article, I liked the passing jibe at "the mind-states of individuals who gravitate toward absolutist governments", with the website describing itself as "A publication of Jesuit Communications Australia".
Here in California, we have the pearl that is San Francisco, the dystopian future that is Los Angeles, the corporate theme park that is San Diego and the ugly pragmatism that is greater San Jose.
But the capitol is that weird combination of old west train station and meth lab called Sacramento.
It even made Ahnuld shut the hell up...
Telepathic Ed touts San Diego's transit system.
I remember my visit to Canberra like it was yesterday. I was taking the bus from Sydney to Adelaide, and we stopped in Canberra. I checked my lonely planet travel guide to see what it had to say about this place. Capital city of Australia. Hmm, you don't say. The bus pulled out 15 minutes later and I was on my way to Adelaide again.
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