From one moment to the next, she was led to believe that the corner of a, that magnificent piece of Manhattan. Hopefully, but the initiative has a strong smell of monkeys, assuming that it was the lights that revitalized the region.
Until the end of the last century, the area around the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street went through an unprecedented process of decay, taken over by porn cinemas, drugs, prostitution and pickpockets. The city’s postcard seemed irretrievably lost. Compared to Times Square at the time, the corner of Ipiranga and São João was a breeze.
Then came Mayor Edward Koch. Vitriolic and tireless, he created an office to revitalize the region. We thought about the big signs, but that was just an asterisk. The state of New York took over music venues and the city gave incentives and, above all, the heart of the place was presented to pedestrians.
The population was thought of. The illuminated signs continued to be a traditional detail. Times Square’s revitalization weathered two recessions, and Ed Koch’s triumph was complete. Known for having crazy ideas, he was the one who taught puppy owners how to pick up their pets’ poop. Today this habit is widespread throughout the world.
The idea that a bright LED is enough to revitalize a central region is poor. Much more is needed and the renewal of downtown São Paulo is waiting for an Ed Koch. The governor. The idea is good, but it lacks the inspiration of audacious, slightly crazy architects, in short.
One day, a governor or mayor of São Paulo will transform it into a bold new building (like the Frenchman François Mitterrand did with the Paris library). Revitalizing the center by listening only to businesspeople is as risky as launching projects without listening to them. Times Square has changed its face thanks to the heavy hand of the private sector.
If bright lights were enough, Japanese cities would be among the most beautiful in the world. They are the most enlightened, little else. (Rome City Hall over-illuminates the Colosseum, turning it into an advertisement for soap.)
The only virtue of an enlightened Saint John is that, in theory, it will cost the Widow nothing. The beauty of São Paulo owes something to its disorder.
Right there is Rio de Janeiro. There, investment continues in the city’s growth towards São Cristóvão. Stubborn, it grows in the opposite direction. The first project in Cidade Nova, joining Paço (currently Praça XV) to Quinta da Boa Vista, dates back to the time of D. João 6th. The Porto Maravilha project became a case study in failure. When the new port offers cheap housing for the region’s traditional residents, it will become a marvel.
When the center of São Paulo is revitalized, with or without lights, Caetano Veloso’s song will echo: “Something happens in my heart/That only when it crosses Ipiranga and Avenida São João”.
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