Municipal housing in Spain, as with many other European cities started in the 20th century when one of the main engines of the evolution of architecture and cities was mass-housing. During the uprise of poligonos in Spain, there were the INA-casas in Italy, the grandes ensembles in France, and the new towns in the UK.The rational home was of utmost importance in solving a large problem that still continues today-housing for workers. Although the industrial revolution is over, and the mass housing it served for continues to exist, the remnants of this era and its idea still evident in places such as with Cuitat Meridiana.
The problems faced in Ciutat Meridiana over the years since its hasty birth have been quite grave. Although, in my opinion the actions taken to improve this suburban living has been quite a good effort. The introduction of the lift access to higher areas, and the awareness brought about by collectiupunt 6 gives us an idea of the ever growing improvement and adaptation of this typology. The implimentation is highly dependent on the economic factor and is to do with the government’s enthusiasm and funding.This answers our dumbfound questions as to why the pavement is covered with ashfalt??
Speaking of the racial aspect of the housing complexes, compared to the time that they were built, perhaps this may have been the ‘practical’ norm at the time. But the reason why this is apparent today is not to do with the architecture but the fact that these houses are used by immigrants who do not have the same cultures, where women do not play the same role in the household.
In Melbourne, such auto-construction, for a booming working population does not exist, it was rather a city made for the escape of the industrial revolution and the sprouting of the first settlements in Australia. Although the idea of social housing for immigrants does exist in equally monolith structures that we have observed in Ciutat Meridiana. Carlton North in Melbourne becomes the ideal location for violence, and injustice thrives, but rather for a reason of poverty than that of how the housing is built. This does not happen in the similar architecture in richer neighbourhoods where economically stable countries build houses with even more compact spaces, in which people are more cramped than in the facilities of European community housing.
