Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
63 | the <strong>Alamar</strong> travel guide<br />
The remnants of pre-revolution infrastructure<br />
are still there, though. With some improvements<br />
and a couple of new roads, a beach promenade<br />
could be created,<br />
connecting Playas del Este with <strong>Alamar</strong>, Cojimar,<br />
Camilo Cienfuegos and eventually Habana Vieja.<br />
With such new infrastructure, the current<br />
peaceful atmosphere might be in danger. With<br />
future economic growth and commercial<br />
activities, the seaside risks being overrun by<br />
foreign hotels and tourism-oriented business.<br />
Creating an extension of the Malecòn would<br />
be a project of creating shared public space,<br />
oriented at both locals and foreigners. As seen<br />
on the Havana side, not that much is needed in<br />
order to foster a lively public space: a place to sit<br />
and talk, that is lit at night and protected against<br />
the crashing waves. Improving this concept<br />
with bicycle paths, public functions and making<br />
everything easily accessible would create a new<br />
reason to visit <strong>Alamar</strong>, and a reason for local<br />
residents to be proud of their neighborhood.<br />
Malecòn in La Habana<br />
People enjoying freetime along the Malecòn<br />
Mental connection<br />
Long cue of people waiting for any form<br />
of transport<br />
Hitch-hiking people<br />
Even though <strong>Alamar</strong> is a neighbourhood of Havana<br />
and roughly the same distance from its historical<br />
centre as the Bijlmermeer neighbourhood is from<br />
the canals of Amsterdam, the mental connection<br />
between Havana and <strong>Alamar</strong> has degraded<br />
because of the difficulty in covering this distance<br />
and the lack of functions. There is a bus system<br />
with three lines serving <strong>Alamar</strong>, but queues<br />
are long and buses are mostly filled to the brim<br />
with travelers. Micro X, the most distant part of<br />
<strong>Alamar</strong>, has the nickname ‘Siberia’ - it feels just<br />
as isolated, just as far from the central places<br />
that matter. Not only inhabitants of Siberia feel<br />
isolated, most residents of <strong>Alamar</strong> feel like they<br />
live so far away of Havana, that they don’t have<br />
much in common anymore. This is not good for<br />
the image of the neighborhood - many would<br />
rather live close to the old city centre. The good<br />
news is that connections can be improved - still,<br />
strengthening the mental connection will probably<br />
take a lot of time.
Change language