Bratislava discovers the Danube

Ulrich Schmid reports on urban development in the Slovak capital Bratislava, which is to undergo an "extensive facelift" over the next few years. "Apparently, international investors have decided that the left-wing populist, xenophobic government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, which is unpopular in Western Europe, is either not to be taken seriously or will soon be history. None of the major construction projects has been cancelled; investment is as brisk as ever." As a prominent example he names " the 'Eurovea' project of Irish real estate giant Ballymore. The company plans to build an estate with around 250 residences close to the city centre, in the post-modern style you see all over Europe nowadays. The idea of reincorporating the Danube into the cityscape is particularly convincing. Unlike many cities of Central Europeof with their small rivers, the cities of the lower Danube are almost exclusively so-called one-shore cities. The river is too wide; it separates rather than uniting, and bridges are huge municipal projects rather than convenient links."

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