The Tower of David – Venezuela’s “vertical slum”(blogs.reuters.com)
blogs.reuters.com
The Tower of David – Venezuela’s “vertical slum”
http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2014/04/02/the-tower-of-david-venezuelas-vertical-slum/
16 comments
Isn't that the piece of US propaganda mentioned explicitly in the article, part of the reason why the author had a hard time getting access?
Given that we're constantly influenced by US media, why not link to something most people haven't been exposed to, like http://venezuelanalysis.com ?
(Obviously movements take many years and evolve, but it'd be awesome if the Occupy movement were so abnormally fast that people took over entire financial buildings.)
Given that we're constantly influenced by US media, why not link to something most people haven't been exposed to, like http://venezuelanalysis.com ?
(Obviously movements take many years and evolve, but it'd be awesome if the Occupy movement were so abnormally fast that people took over entire financial buildings.)
http://caracaschronicles.com/ is another interesting venezuelan blog, which also has the advantage of NOT being the english language mouthpiece of the venezuelan state.
Huh, I guess the Mega City Blocks in Dredd weren't that far off.
Larger versions of the photos:
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/04/squatters-in-vene...
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/04/squatters-in-vene...
Obligatory:
http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448
Avoid spoilers, just read the book!
http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448
Avoid spoilers, just read the book!
Great book.
I remember watching the Homeland episode set there and thinking "This can't be real". Even in that over the top series, it felt too much...
Vocaltiv did a short video documentary on this last year:
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/inside-caracas-tower-of-dav...
The part I remembered was how residents are taxied up the first 10 floors by motorcycles.
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/inside-caracas-tower-of-dav...
The part I remembered was how residents are taxied up the first 10 floors by motorcycles.
I'm committing the intellectual crime of saying "Well why didn't they just do [obvious thing X]", when I know almost nothing about local conditions, here, something that I've criticized others for doing on HN before, but man
Why haven't they installed elevators?
It's century-old technology, can be operated manually, you could use a gasoline engine on the winch if electricity isn't available. You could install the winch spanning the elevator shaft at the tenth floor or something, if 40 stories of cable is too heavy for your winch. There's a "landlord" collecting rent, so there's money, and the elevator shafts already exist. If you're worried about safety, then just use it as a cargo elevator.
What's missing?
Why haven't they installed elevators?
It's century-old technology, can be operated manually, you could use a gasoline engine on the winch if electricity isn't available. You could install the winch spanning the elevator shaft at the tenth floor or something, if 40 stories of cable is too heavy for your winch. There's a "landlord" collecting rent, so there's money, and the elevator shafts already exist. If you're worried about safety, then just use it as a cargo elevator.
What's missing?
Feature not a bug?
I imagine making your house in the slum harder to reach makes it less likely to be reached by those you don't want?
I imagine making your house in the slum harder to reach makes it less likely to be reached by those you don't want?
The New Yorker article mentions in passing a resident carrying a container of water up to their apartment.
You ever carry 10 gallons of water up 15 stories?
You ever carry 10 gallons of water up 15 stories?
This is totally Shadowrun.
Failed corporate project abandoned and left to ruin, taken over by squatters who self-organized and turned it into a nice little society of its own.
Failed corporate project abandoned and left to ruin, taken over by squatters who self-organized and turned it into a nice little society of its own.
Saw a documentary, it's amazing, people have completed many apartments, complete with running water and furniture. I guess they feel secure enough there
What was the name of the Documentary? I would be interested in watching it.
There's a TED talk by another photographer:
http://www.ted.com/talks/iwan_baan_ingenious_homes_in_unexpe...
http://www.ted.com/talks/iwan_baan_ingenious_homes_in_unexpe...
1: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/01/28/130128fa_fact_...