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>>I think the real logic here is that here in the USA, we don't give a 2nd thought about ripping down a building to put up a bigger one - and this is a very common practice. So...since the odds are you're going to take down your 4 story building within 50 years to put up a 30 story building anyway...why bother to make it last?
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>Hi Victor,
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>That's the same attitude that got us into the y2k mess 5-6 years ago. No one cares about the consequences of what they do. I believe this should change or this country will be left eating others' dust.
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>Alex

Interesting point of view.
I don't see how you can really compare the two - the y2k problem started in the 60's and 70's because it was important to save those bytes of data - and I don't really recall any big y2k mess - the world didn't quit spinning and there was no giant computer falures.
As far as making the buildings last a zillion years...I'm not so sure that's a good idea either....now obviously if you're building in a hurricane zone or on a earthquake faultline - then yeah you should take some time and money and make the building a bit more durable. But otherwise - what's the point? Hey if I had my choice between working in a tiny squat building made in 1492 with some..uhhh.. 'history'... or sitting on the 80th floor of a fine new hi-tech glass skyscrapper - I'll take the fine new one. Plus...what are you gonna do when you start running out of realestate? There is only so much land - and when you run out - you build bigger and taller..right? So tear down those old worthless tiny buildings and put up some fine new skyscrappers!
And if there is a tenne weenee park with some puddle you call a pond - the heck with it!...chop down the trees - drain the pond (ok make a nice fountain out of it) - and put me up a shopping mall! Hey you can leave the national parks and forests, ok? Comercialize, industralize, give me concrete and steel! And when the building gets too small - do it again! When the shopping mall doesn't cut it anymore - tear it down and build me somethin else new! With this attitude - we'll be the one's leaving the others in the dust!