Building the Economic Backbone of the Belgian Welfare State
Infrastructure, Planning and Architecture 1945-1973
Text by Michael Ryckewaert.
The introduction of a welfare state economy after 1945 profoundly changed the Belgian landscape, and government support for private home ownership resulted in widespread suburban sprawl. This book investigates the new infrastructural and financial backbone that supported this effort. The history of the construction of Belgium’s highway network, the establishment of consumer goods industries and the transformation of Brussels’ periphery into a metropolitan region appears to read as an account of economic policy and investment decisions. However, upon closer scrutiny, various urban models and architectural paradigms are seen to have left their mark on these endeavors. Phenomena such as the satellite town, the neighborhood unit, Le Corbusier’s usine verte, the British industrial park and American corporate architecture are all references in the various operations documented in the book. Building the Economic Backbone of the Belgian Welfare State highlights a crucial episode of postwar urbanization and planning, and puts the Belgian case in an international perspective.
FORMAT: Pbk, 6.75 x 9.25 in. / 368 pgs / 200 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $45.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $60 ISBN: 9789064507519 PUBLISHER: nai010 publishers AVAILABLE: 4/30/2013 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: FLAT40 PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of print AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: NA LA ME
Building the Economic Backbone of the Belgian Welfare State Infrastructure, Planning and Architecture 1945-1973
Published by nai010 publishers. Text by Michael Ryckewaert.
The introduction of a welfare state economy after 1945 profoundly changed the Belgian landscape, and government support for private home ownership resulted in widespread suburban sprawl. This book investigates the new infrastructural and financial backbone that supported this effort. The history of the construction of Belgium’s highway network, the establishment of consumer goods industries and the transformation of Brussels’ periphery into a metropolitan region appears to read as an account of economic policy and investment decisions. However, upon closer scrutiny, various urban models and architectural paradigms are seen to have left their mark on these endeavors. Phenomena such as the satellite town, the neighborhood unit, Le Corbusier’s usine verte, the British industrial park and American corporate architecture are all references in the various operations documented in the book. Building the Economic Backbone of the Belgian Welfare State highlights a crucial episode of postwar urbanization and planning, and puts the Belgian case in an international perspective.
