ELITOMANIA. THE ART OF BUILDING

What is underway in Yerevan has an official definition – urban planning. However, after a deeper look it becomes clear that the ongoing building has nothing to do with urban planning, at least for the simple reason that the building for which the center of Yerevan is in a mess now is absolutely incompliant with the demands of Yerevan at present. It is enough to make inventories, like the president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan likes to put it, to make sure that it is incompliant, to make an inventory of the problems of Yerevan and what now is being built in Yerevan. Let’s start with the problems. They are many, of course, but the most important ones could be enumerated: passable roads, apartments, not elite ones but for a major class of the society, because even the official data show that about 80 percent of available housing is worn. Hence, roads, apartments, as well as green area and relieved center because it is evident that for some capacity of the center it is necessary to finally spoil the center because what had been foreseen by the architect Tamanyan does not suppose such heavy traffic at the center.
Now it is time to make an inventory of “urban planning” efforts. What is being built in Yerevan? It is obvious to everyone, and perhaps nobody would let me cheat them, but even if they allow, I simply cannot cheat anyone. The city needs roads. No significant efforts are made yet to relieve traffic in the center of the city through other ways. And what are these ways? It could be multi-level parking, improvement of operation of traffic lights, removal of minibus routes from the city center. These are some of the efforts that could be made if there was wish to make traffic in the center at least a little bearable and predictable. After all, the authorities should acknowledge that it is also a political issue because one day the drivers stuck in a traffic jam at some intersection will become the critical mass who will be full of deep indifference towards political stability in the country and will do what failed in more dangerous periods for the government.
Yerevan needs new apartments because the old ones are worn and are already dangerous for residents, as we witnessed a few days ago. What does the government offer in return? The government does not encourage a social housing policy but the so-called elitomania. Elite buildings are erected everywhere which only the oligarchs who build and the government officials who sign their license can afford to buy. And these buildings directly affect the two major problems of the city: green area and heavy traffic. The major part of building is at the center of the city which means it is becoming heavier. Besides apartments business centers and places of entertainment are being built, which means that the center is loaded with not only residents but also people who come to the center to work or to have fun. Besides, most building is done at the expense of green areas, and the vivid evidence to it is the recent incident at Pushkin Street.
There is no need to tell to what degree the so-called urban planning programs address the problems of the city. Perhaps it is clear to every citizen that what is being built, including the subways, will not make life in Yerevan easier and more comfortable because it is impossible to cram the center and make it comfortable at the same time. The center is not made of rubber, it is not elastic. It is impossible to add concrete and cut trees at the same time and claim that this is for the sake of the comfort of the citizens. The government had better confess that urban planning in Yerevan is the only way to keep the economy of the country alive. In other words, a problem of employment is solved, that’s all. Of course, employment is not bad, it is even necessary. But when it is not for the future but at the expense of the future, it already causes concern, especially that it is impossible to build Yerevan endlessly.
JAMES HAKOBYAN

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