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Wednesday,
August 22,
2007, #160 (1427)
"Of course
I like it! Tbilisi will be one of the most beautiful and modern cities
in the world. Rustaveli Avenue is our capital's postcard shot, so it
needs to be fixed up. I liked the trees, but there were too many. The
street is better off without them." "Well, I like
that Tbilisi is getting cleaner and nicer, and that City Hall is giving
the facades a paintjob. But I don't want Tbilisi to lose its character-it's
an old city, and that's why people come. I don't like seeing all those
trees chopped down. They were so old." "There's no
surprise that 50-year-old trees get chopped down. We're living in a
time when people are starving to death; what am I supposed to say about
the trees? I don't like it, but it's hardly worth protesting. I want
Tbilisi to be like it was before: a traditional, old Georgian city full
of sights and warmth." "I've been
worrying about those sycamores. They were the face of Tbilisi. We were
used to them, loved them, wrote songs about them. And they cast wonderful
shade in the hot summer. Now, the government chops them down and puts
up new trees. They should use that state money for better things, like
helping poor people." "I am all
for the changes. The facades should definitely be renovated, and the
old trees need to be replaced because they're dangerous. This should
be done on every street in Tbilisi." "I have trouble
imagining what Old Tbilisi will end up looking like. My only demand
is that the spirit and style of the old town be preserved-that's crucial." "The trees
that were chopped down were old and hollow. So, in windy weather, they
were a risk to pedestrians. And they'll be replacing these allergenic
sycamores with chestnut trees. It's a good move." "Cutting down
the old sycamore trees had to be done. They were damaged and dangerous.
As for the facades, they should prioritize. With so many damaged houses
falling apart-one collapsed today-shoring up crumbling buildings needs
to come first. After the actual threats are taken care of, we can turn
to aesthetics." |
Renovation
and beautification works are being carried out throughout Old Tbilisi.
Rustaveli Avenue facades are boarded up for repairs and some of the
old sycamore trees have been chopped down. Do you like the city's changing
face?