Bilbao: how did a god-forsaken hole became a world-wide city

When architects and urbanists speak about Bilbao effect they mean a phenomenon of regeneration and revival of depressive territory after building there some extraordinary architectural performance. Let’s find out how Spanish city of Bilbao recovered its lost reputation and became a mecca for industrial and creative classes. What is the main reason of regeneration: stupendous ideas and people’s wishes or just fabulous money?

Today it’s difficult to determine the foundation date of Bilbao. There are references going to III or II century A.D., but most of historians incline to XI-XII century when small fisherman’s hamlet got a town status. Gradually Bilbao developed and became one of the biggest Spanish sea ports, by the XIX century after iron ore deposit displaying and after industrial revolution the city became large commercial centre in Spain, in the XX century it was the best-off city there, banks and insurance companies founded in this city. Runaway industry attracted a lot of immigrants and Bilbao population increased actively.

But in 70s Bilbao’s golden years finished, world commercial ways changed, 20% of population were unemployed, and in addition a great flood in 1983 destroyed an important part of territory, thousands people died. Heavy economic crisis began there, Bilbao was really a god-forsaken hole. 

The situation cardinally changed after 1997 when American architect Frank Gehry built in Bilbao a department of famous Guggenheim Museum, significant place of modern art. Architect would not be satisfied by usual restoration of spaces and offered his own project, too unimaginable. Result surprised any skeptics: technically perfect building has fluent lines, plastic unusual forms, light’s plays. $75,000,000 is the cost of Guggenheim Museum, where and how Basques got that unbelievable money is a great answer.

A lot of significant architects had a hand in Bilbao development and buildings. Santiago Calatrava built a white bridge “Subisuri”, Norman Foster built subway which today has two lines. Airport terminal, eco-tram lines, a lot of pedestrian zones, new flyovers, parks, also appeared there. Transport infrastructure was improved, river Nervion was cleaned, territories suffered from the flood were restored. 

The reason of such high costs is Basque regionalism or separatism, the system when a lot of taxes don’t go to Madrid but keep on the territory and expend for local development. Four millions tourists visited Bilbao during three years after Guggenheim Museum opening, tourism gave $89,000,000, and in tote during four years Bilbao’s budget got $455,000,000.

Often endeavors to reiterate Bilbao’s experience are unsuccessful. It’s necessary to find approach to city and its residents, take into account its individuality, economic features and at the end history of territory. Great architectural creations are like excuses of incredible investments but without above-listed factors it will be impossible to cover costs.

By Valentin Ivanov

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Greece wants to promote the brand… Greece

Ministry of tourism and Greek national tourist organization (GNTO) intent to revive brand “Greece” and to improve country’s image such way.
 

Last years Greece endured bad times, the country are split a lot of camps, all political, economic and social life of Greece is like seethe copper full of different movements and ideas. Greeks lost their identity and most of them actually don’t understand importance of returning to former greatness of Greece. After Olympic Games in 2004 Greece was the fifth between the most famous world brands but since 2006 this country has been losing its positions and now it is 39^th. GNTO General Secretary said: “Greece doesn’t need any decorations. Greece is white and blue colours without any symbols, just a name. Brand “Greece” appeared long ago, always it was very well known”. Real value of Greek brand is that it is outside time, it’s not a logo or sign and it appeared of itself without intentional work of PR-managers, designers and brand-makers.

 Greek national tourist organization offered its own variant to rebrand. There will be Greek flag with blue and white lines and with inscription “Greece: classics for all the times”. GNTO wants to explore market, take part in international tourist exhibitions, collaborate with search and reservation systems, renewing of its web-portal, publish materials about Greece in international media… The whole campaign will cost 11 millions euro which can excite population and people inculpate powers in squandering. 

Meanwhile some initiatives to improve Greece image have appeared from the Greek private sector. The first project is “Greece Is Changing” supported and sponsored by large Greece companies such as Fourlis, Costa Navarino, Aegan Airlines and others. “Greece Is Changing” is network of like-minded businessmen, colleagues and friends who want to invite foreign investors and tourist to see through habitual stereotypes and look for Greece new view. They want to create Greece image like stabile area for independent business, for successful development and investments.
 

The second project is “Reinventing Greece” which appeals to Greek-Americans who travelled to Greece to conduct some media projects to report on how its citizens live today. Young people occupied with communications, journalism or public relations ask Greeks about government, business, write down their ideas and views and gave let their voices to be listened in international discussion.

 I think that Greece have already done all possible to be famous and recognizable. It’s not only see, sun, beaches and hotels. It has incredibly reach and ancient culture which is 3000 years old. Greek literature, theatre, arts, philosophy, mythology became founders of modern European culture. And what to speak about inimitable Mediterranean cuisine. But in general it’s necessary to note that returning to background, to interesting and inpatient history, to national identity will help Greeks to renew their national brand.

by Valentin Ivanov

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How Berlin changed its' dark image into a smart city for creative people

The history of Berlin has a lot of dark spots: for a long time the German capital was separated into two parts during the Cold War years. The Berlin Wall was demolished in 1990 but the image of a defective, separated city remained here for years. Many prejudices about Germany, Germans, their clumsy language and ambiguous history aloud corrupt impression of today’s Berlin: it is the centre of cultural and social life of Germany and the base of European economics and policy. In 2008 new branding program “Be Berlin” was realized to cure tourists, investors and residents of these unpleasant associations and to make an image of modern and smart city for creative and ambitious people.

Berlin Partner GmbH was founded in the summer of 2007 to promote and implement PR campaign of Berlin. Strategic objective of this program was to show strong sides and possibilities of Berlin and which is more all they had to be told by the Berliners themselves.

The 11th of March, 2009 Berlin major Klaus Wowereit launched “Be Berlin” program. Berlin administration in common with Deutsche Post sent thousands of letters and post cards “Be Berlin” and asked people to write their interesting cases, tell their stories of success, their thoughts about native city. And people answered: during some months citizens were writing their stories and the best of them were published on the project’s web-site.

Next four years the program developed very systematically and with great scale. The best participants of program were invited to city administration and got titles of the Ambassadors of Berlin. Their task was popularizing of Berlin and its brand everywhere.

New Berlin design was created: it was an excellent combination of gray-scarlet-blue letters, figures and forms. Advertisement was everywhere: on the billboards, advertisement columns, post cards, in metro. Outstanding Berlin musician Paul van Dyk created music for this marketing campaign and director Robert Thalheim shot a film with key message: Join us!

Berliners together wrote the largest declaration of love. This amorous consisted of 2,000 messages written on the stickers and got stuck on the floors of 8 railway stations. This event got kindliest responses of residents and united them in this mater. Also people published on the campaign web-site (www.be.berlin.de) reasons why they love Berlin and these messages “Reason of a day to love Berlin” appeared in metro twice a day.

“Be a star of a night” was a name of Fire Festival in Berlin. People could see their names projected on Brandenbourgh Gates. All these and a lot of other mass activities joined variegated city residents under one word “Berliner”. Successful experience of city branding didn’t stop here and in the next years branding program appeared at the world level and soon was recognized like one of the most efficient city branding campaigns in the world.

The first year the marketing campaign was organized only on regional level and its main purpose was to develop strong feeling of identification between people. Just for the first six months the campaign achieved a high level of recognition, 65% of Berliners said that they’re ready to become the Ambassador of Berlin. According to public opinion poll the choice “to live in Berlin” for Europeans became more attractive for three years of campaign in 30%, and the choice “to work in Berlin” – in 45%.


by Valentin Ivanov

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The Baarle town: a real nightmare for a border guard

Our planet is rich by interesting geographical events. You know about countries enclaves and exclaves and a lot of them are separated of other country by wall or river or towers. But town Baarle is a very unique place for sure: it is the Belgian enclave inside the Netherlands, in 5 km of the border, and by-turn there are the Dutch enclaves inside the Belgium ones. 

The Dutch-Belgian border here has a rather sophisticated form. It doesn’t follow rivers or other natural barriers. No. The borders can pass obliquely of the streets, make sharp turns right on the roads, sometimes they divide houses in two parts. 

Such a difficult border is a result of permanent lands trades and showdowns between Flemish feudal lords from different families in 1200–1650 years. After the Westphalia peace treaty in 1648 the lands here were divided between two Flemish states: the independent Netherlands and Belgium colonized by Spain. After the revolution in 1830 and new Belgium founding the border was demarked. 

 

Baarle-Hertog is included in Belgian commune Antwerp, Baarle-Nassau is included in Dutch province North Brabant. There are 22 Belgium enclaves and seven Dutch spots are situated inside them like Russian dolls. To know exactly what enclave is here they have letter and number markings. For example the enclave H12 has a territory of 260 square meters. So small! 

Special crosses on the ground are used to mark the border and these marks differ from the road marking. The whole Baarle centre is covered by crosses and tourists like to make pictures standing with one foot in Belgium and other one in Netherlands. Tthere are two ways to understand where you are in the town periphery: GPS and Google maps or a label near the front door. 

 

As a rule the state border goes along the ground areas borders. But sometimes it can pass right through houses and then kitchen will be in one country and bathroom will be in the other one. To escape difficulties it was decided to define state belonging of houses and citizenship of their people by where the front door is situated. All houses have labels with the national flags’ pictures: black-yellow-red for Belgium and red-white-blue for the Netherlands. 

This strange town has everything for two: two administrations, two cathedrals, two post offices, two garbage gathering companies. And it’s not surprising that dustcarts and postmen go along the streets twice in a day. There are three Belgian and three Dutch cellular networks, but as exception citizens can call each other by local prices not international. And only one tourist office intended for Dutch speakers. The police is situated in the Netherlands but also the Belgian people work there. In other respects Baarle is completely usual Flemish village. 

Certainly this amusing geographical location attracts here a lot of tourists and national features often are useful for travelers. For example, the Dutch restaurants are closed earlier than the Belgian ones and people just take another seat… and continue their party abroad. Taxi drivers can pass along one street often by different prices. Also the Belgian shops don’t work on Sundays and shopping lovers go abroad. By the way, now it is not so strange as several years ago, because some differences disappeared after the countries joined the European Union.

 

by Valentin Ivanov

 

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How the Chinese and the Swedes remove their garbage

China is too big and populous country. Especially densely populated city is its capital Beijing. And to manage rubbish is always very difficult. Specialists assert that by 2020 big cities like Beijing will not overcome it.

China has its own opinion about this problem. There are more than 170 thousand waste recycling stations. Rubbish gathering is separate and very wide business branch. It also places in a job for thousands of people most and of them are migrants as a rule. Every morning dustmen “saddle” their tricycles to gather bottles, foam plastic or debris and take it to recycling station. It’s amazing, what are people ready to do to make a lot of money. What is harder: drag waste or gather a way it not to fall down?

The stations have both advantages and disadvantages. The main drawback is insanitary conditions and harm to health of local citizens. The global urbanization has such consequences. And what is to do with household appliances? Today China is the biggest producer of computers, TV sets and refrigerators and it is necessary to think up new way to utilize or recycle it.

7 000 km away in Europe there is absolutely another system of waste recycling. So, Swedish families living in private houses pay half-price for the removal. But with one condition: people themselves separate and sort tin, paper, plastic, glass and punch organic waste.

The removal system in the apartment buildings is a little bit different. There are special containers for plastic, glass and tin, other separated rubbish and all the rest go to dustbins. Hazardous waste is taken to the special ecological stations situated at the gas stations, for example. There are blue containers for photo chemicals, inks, oils, dissolvent, fluorescent lamps; green-red containers for accumulators and batteries.

Somewhere special machines gather old newspaper, magazines and waste paper: people must leave it in front of their doors. Also in Sweden aluminum tins are given back for money. And glass is thrown out to green or white containers for transparent or colored glass respectively.

It is obvious how are different the removal systems in Sweden and China.

by Valentin Ivanov

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Røros. Wooden rarity

Norwegian town Røros is actually unique. It is one of the most ancient wood towns in Europe, everything here has been preserved in primordial look since XVIII century and some houses were built even in XII century. It’s not surprising that Røros is the Norwegian sightseeing and it is in a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. 

 

Small, black of sunlight log cabins (or houses, or huts – how you want call these houses) have their original ornament on windows and doors. Some of those izbas are as if they grew into ground. But people live in most of them, somewhere small shops and café are opened, where guests can enjoy traditional Norwegian waffles with sour cream and strawberry jam. But a lot of those houses, true wood architecture works were built more that 300 years ago.

This town appeared in times of mining prosperity in XVII–XVIII centuries. It’s interesting that in spite of fires, which have been here two times, a lot of wooden houses are preserved.

 

Nonrandom local citizens installed here super-modern and expensive fire alarm and firefighting installation. On the highest building of Røros – wooden church – there is a special search equipment fixing temperature. Heaven forbid if it will grow a little (even gentle hint of fire) and the device immediately signs and engages water sprinklers.

Røros also has sightseeing. It is cooper mining factory which is the Smelthutta museum now. People smelted cooper here since 1646 up to 1953 – during three centuries! In Ulugslav tourists can walk down into mines in 50 metres and go into mountain in 500 metres to feel the atmosphere of that ancient times and look delfs. And after that you can buy here cooper souvenirs, for example, kittle or bell.

 

Røros is the coldest town in Europe, some winters here is 40–50 C°. But it doesn’t disturb people entertain on skies and snowboards. Widespread proverb here is “the true Norwegian is born with skies”.

A traditional market “Rørosmartnan” is organized in Røro in winter, it begins on the last Tuesday in February and lasts five days. “Rørosmartnan” draws 60,000–70,000 tourists each year. There is also an outdoor musical theatre performance played here to commemorate the tragedy when the Swedish soldiers froze to death. This show has been played since 1994.

 

In Røros and near towns it is possible to see the Sami and their way of life, they are native inhabitants of these places and all territories adjoining Arctic Ocean. You can recognize them by their traditional wear. They are very friendly and for sure they will invite you to laava (it’s like jurt) and treat you to their national cuisine of venison.

The Røros citizens are very proud of their identity. They are about 6,000 people but they can attract more than million tourists each year and lodge them in wooden hotels. The older houses have more expensive rooms. Local authorities diligently try to hide modernity.

 

by Valentin Ivanov

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