Urban Development in Vekllei

Part of the bulletin series of articles

Summary

• Urban development in Vekllei moves fast – really fast.
• This phenomenon is not unique to the country, but is demonstrated well by it.
• It arises from a confluence of technology and political priority, as an extension of the new housing and renewal projects of the postwar period.
• Thanks to advances in automatic construction and political interest in rapid development, the cityscapes of Vekllei change frequently and rapidly.

If nothing else, Vekllei is a nation of infrastructure. The quality and abundance of its infrastructure characterises all Vekllei islands, second perhaps only to their natural beauty and striking volcanic mounts. As is the case of all Vekllei theories of living, the principles that influence its cities are standardised and attempt to be employed equally across the country. Together, they are known as Atlantic Municipalism – the values of the Vekllei city.

Principles of Atlantic Municipalism

1. Local employment, or “commutelessness.”
2. Slumlessness, beautification and a will to architecture.
3. Property stewardship.
4. Open air and clean water.
5. Land usefulness and intimacy.
6. Private ownership of private needs.
7. Public ownership of public needs.

In the decades since independence, many of these principles have been refined to mean specific things. “Open air and clean water” has come to mean flowing water, drinking fountains, sunlight and greenery. The abstract values of Atlantic Municipalism have now generally refer to tangible things, and in this sense so too have Vekllei cities developed common appearances. In the mid-21st Century, it is now possible to distinguish Vekllei cities by their design and architecture – a relatively uncommon feat in today’s internationalist world.

Almost as striking as the qualities of a Vekllei city, however, is just how quickly they grow and develop. The computerisation of construction, from design to assembly, has removed most physical labour from many types of construction, and so homes now go up in days instead of months. Municipalities have broad authority to develop public spaces, and are supported by quality resources like the Bureau of Housing and its professional civic architects, or the National Construction House.

In the span of a week, Vekllei roads can be pedestrianised and lined with leafy eucalypts – they will have new gutters and street furniture, and may even have tracks for trams and freightcars. Large municipal projects, usually directed by the local Bureau of Public Works, require more planning but move just as quickly. The base unit of municipal planning in Vekllei is the fortnight:

1. Once interest in a project has been raised, initial drawings are developed along with computer diagrams (which may take some months)
2. Two weeks for planning and approval
3. Two weeks for public consultation
4. Two weeks for site assembly and closure
5. Two weeks for construction

These are naturally generalised outlines. In practice, and depending on the type of work, things may move much faster or slower. Vekllei people have strong property rights based on their ownership claim, and in this system there is no real mechanism to evict longtime residents from their homes. Instead, strange and costly workarounds may need to be implemented, which further distinguish the character of Vekllei cities.

Nonetheless, Vekllei builds good things quickly. This is possible because Vekllei people generally trust their government – helped by the fact that many constituent republics prior to federalisation were poor or exploited by distant colonial powers. They are a country still in the mindset of opportunity and excitement, not suspicion and fear. They are pleased and excited by new developments.

In many developed countries, opposition to new development can extract excruciating legal battles for developments of public benefit – in Vekllei, this is generally not the case. In fact, politics plays only a preliminary and functional role in construction. Cities are the kingdoms of architects, who produce computer diagrams for everything from street furniture to new railway stations. Vekllei is overflowing with architects, all eager to make their mark. Today, their role is a hybrid between the engineer and draughtsman, and automatic machines are a critical part of the process.