Images of Abandoned Cities

I've always had a fascination with ghost towns of the Old West. There's a rustic, old-world charm about the history they hold. But, there are similar forces at work today. It's hard to see sometimes, because it seems like there are so many people ... everywhere you turn. But it is happening in some places.

What's really interesting is seeing images of what these places look like now that they are being discarded. And, even wilder is that some of these will be destroyed to make way for new, more modern improvements. Check out the city in China, for example, just the character of the buildings speak of history. And yet ... they will be gone soon to welcome advancement. But will anyone want to come back? And what makes them come back?

clipped from weburbanist.com Abandonment: 8 Cities That Might Not Make It Here’s a look at eight modern urban settlements that are either in danger of or in the process of losing their inhabitants - places that might gives clues about how to keep our cities alive. For thousands of years, Kashgar has acted as an oasis city for trade and commerce is far western China, an important part of the famous “Silk Road”. The oldest part of this modern city of 350,000 people is the Old City - or rather, was, because the Chinese authorities are currently destroying it. Deemed to be a safety hazard and eyesore, the old quarter has been forcibly evacuated of the bulk of the resident 13,000 families - and approximately 85% of it is being torn down, despite its inestimable cultural and archaeological value. In its place, a new Old City - but who will return, and will old Kashgar still remain in any shape or form? Venice is indisputably one of the loveliest cities in the world - all the more so because it’s disappearing