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Not every building is as beautiful as the Palace of Versailles. Or blends into its surroundings as well as the Macallan Distillery. On the contrary, there are many structures across the world looking like outcasts that will fall apart during the next storm. In some places, they aren't isolated examples, either — even an entire neighborhood can be an abomination. And you can find them on r/UrbanHell.

It's a photography subreddit of "all the hideous places human beings built or inhabit." The online community invites everyone who wants to explore the darker side of the cities, towns, and villages in our shared world and welcomes any photos which show either ugliness, or a problem in urban development. Rural and suburban nightmares are also allowed.

Below you will find a collection of pics that perfectly describe what this subreddit is all about.

#1

The Annual Monsoon Ritual Of Mumbai's Ocean Giving Back What Has Been Dumped In It

The Annual Monsoon Ritual Of Mumbai's Ocean Giving Back What Has Been Dumped In It

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SlartyBlartFast
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If only nature could actually give back all the trash to us, maybe we will see the damage we are doing :(

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About half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050, two-thirds of the world's people are expected to live in urban areas. But as you can see from some of the photos in r/UrbanHell, in cities, two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation.

Bad urban development isn't just ugly aesthetics. It's also poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption, all of which are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Strong city planning is essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world's urban areas grow.

#3

New Delhi - During Lockdown vs. Now

New Delhi - During Lockdown vs. Now

naughty_ningen Report

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SlartyBlartFast
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For a few months earth took a breath, then humans came back with a vengeance :(

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Some of the biggest problems caused by urbanization are:

  • Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people;
  • Concentrated energy use. It leads to greater air pollution with a significant impact on human health;
  • Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air;
  • Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards;
  • Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding;
  • Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover;
  • Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.
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#7

It's Baffling How Fast It Changes

It's Baffling How Fast It Changes

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Solutions might include:

  • Combat poverty by promoting economic development and job creation;
  • Involve local community in local government;
  • Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use and alternative transport systems;
  • Create private-public partnerships to provide services such as waste disposal and housing;
  • Plant trees and incorporate the care of city green spaces as a key element in urban planning.

Ultimately, cities can bring us obstacles and opportunities as well as freedom and captivity, and it's up to us to get the most out of them.

#9

People Offering Prayers At River Yamuna, India, Which Is Frothing From Industrial Waste

People Offering Prayers At River Yamuna, India, Which Is Frothing From Industrial Waste

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And none of these fools has the sense to even consider that bathing in industrial waste speeds up your reincarnation process.

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#10

Hotel In Łodz, Poland

Hotel In Łodz, Poland

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its not a nuclear cooling tower. It is for a heating, electric and hotwater generating plant ( TETS in Russian) most are coal or gas powered and that is for releasing steam.

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#11

An Interesting Perspective I've Stumbled Upon In Macau A Year Ago

An Interesting Perspective I've Stumbled Upon In Macau A Year Ago

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Raven Sheridan
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The difference between the have's and the have not's, in one photo.

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#12

Petare, Venezuela

Petare, Venezuela

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#13

Before And After A Desert Is Turned Into A Soulless Suburb Of A Desert. Jk, Its A Single Photo Of Arizona

Before And After A Desert Is Turned Into A Soulless Suburb Of A Desert. Jk, Its A Single Photo Of Arizona

TownPro Report

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The water waste hurts. Why do you want lawns in a desert? If you want green lawns, move to England (no offense, England. You have the rainfall, is all.)

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#14

Not A Very Romantic Scene

Not A Very Romantic Scene

lazybong Report

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Samantha PandaNotBored
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blame your government’s. This is their fault . They buy rubbish from countries and do not dispose of it correctly.

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#15

Naples, Italy

Naples, Italy

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Beuska
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just imagine, a few decades or hundred years ago somebody built a nice villa, and now with the urbanisation the whole thing is under a highway..

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#16

People Living Next To A Helicoidal Street In Chongqing

People Living Next To A Helicoidal Street In Chongqing

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#17

Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Comparison Of 1964 - 2016.

Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Comparison Of 1964 - 2016.

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#18

Electrical Wiring And Water Pipes In A Brazilian Favela

Electrical Wiring And Water Pipes In A Brazilian Favela

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Sonja
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh yeah, I saw this one already somewhere here on BP. Would like to see the guy who would try to find which wire or pipe is the one with problem

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#19

Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

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Jonathan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a South African, I know this is not true... we also have electric fences along with what is shown.

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#20

Literally, Just Thanksgiving Traffic In La

Literally, Just Thanksgiving Traffic In La

WhiteMos Report

#21

Private Houses On The Roof Of An Eight-Story Mall In Zhūzhōu, China

Private Houses On The Roof Of An Eight-Story Mall In Zhūzhōu, China

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#22

Cairo, Egypt

Cairo, Egypt

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Lekha
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not a single tree in sight (Ok, realised that's very normal there. My bad)

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#23

Downtown Seattle, In The Heart Of The Retail District

Downtown Seattle, In The Heart Of The Retail District

unlordtempest Report

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Yugan Talovich
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand how the US can have money to make bombers but not to help citizens who need help.

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#24

Progressive Insurance's Call Center

Progressive Insurance's Call Center

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#26

Ghost City In China, Made To Be A Replica Of Paris - Tianducheng

Ghost City In China, Made To Be A Replica Of Paris - Tianducheng

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#27

All Residents Of Whittier, Alaska Live Inside One Building

All Residents Of Whittier, Alaska Live Inside One Building

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James016
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a whole BP post about this. A rail company owns most of the land so no-one can do anything.

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#29

One More Lane Will Fix It

One More Lane Will Fix It

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SlartyBlartFast
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country the biggest highway is 3 lanes. No city has more than 3 lanes. And we consider it an achievement. I am amazed at this picture honestly!

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#30

Somewhere In Brazil In The 90's

Somewhere In Brazil In The 90's

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M O'Connell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

@WilvanderHeidjen They absolutely are homeless. They are squatting in a utilities access cabinet.

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Gail Watkins
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Breaks my heart to see the little ones living in squalor and no grass or playgrounds

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Dee gee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bless the children. All the children. We should be ashamed.

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InfectedVoice
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Makes my black soul weep, no human should ever be in that situation, let alone a little toddler, man this world really is the haves and the have nots.

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Luna
Community Member
2 years ago

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yes, but then why have they so many children? they give birth mindlessly then complaining about it. :/

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Marco Hub-Dub
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (I’m a 1st gen Dutch-American) defines housing as not only sanitary, safe and secure, but also socially integrated. To be considered a home/house, it also must have electricity, flowing air, sewage, running potable water, heat and a sense of comfort. A family squatting in a filthy, pathogen filled water runoff culvert under a freeway are not housed.

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Luna
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i have friends in NL and had guests from there in Austria, in an old hotel where there's no elevator. they were surprised and mad why there's no elevator in 2021. :D i love how dutch folks think that their standard applies everywhere. (and get surprised when life is different outside NL)

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Lucky2BAlive
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you are so far behind, anything is a step up. Literally anything.

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Baz Nau
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a demonstration of the the root cause of poverty. People that can't care for themselves bring more lives into the world. Fast forward and everyone is only talking about the symptom ie. Why can America spend X on space exploration but not need the poor etc. What would happen if you fed the poor? Will the poverty increase or decrease?

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Martha Meyer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have the asnwer to all of these questions. There are plenty of studies and data on it. People who are prosperous have fewer children, poor people have more children. You can see this across all continents and over all of human history. It's some sort of human instinct. Improve people's lives and they will have fewer children, who then have a chance to escape poverty.

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Dorothy Parker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are homeless people in Los Angeles living in identical freeway accesses.

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gustavo silva
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are many people living inside holes they dig under bridges to this exact day, in the city I live in (Sao Paulo, the biggest city in the country).

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Why_is_life_?
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everybody please don’t hate don’t say they are breeding or giving birth mindlessly. That’s horrible! In a lot of countries birth control isn’t available, not just abortion but also the medicine that stops you from getting pregnant in the first place. (I’m sorry this comment sort of just applies to people with a female body)

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TinyButMighty
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you are commenting things like “get a job” or “they had the children” what is wrong with you? Stop acting like it is their fault for being forced to live like this, it’s OURS. We need someone to help these people but you (not you specifically) keep voting for people who give money to the rich. Please end this. Stop this suffering.

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J. Sebastian
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, there is a racket even in poor places....in fact, especially in poor places. Look at all the aid given to the African continent - very little gets to the people who need it - most of it goes into the pockets of dictator/oligarchs/government agents.

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Carolina Vieira
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is pretty commom here in Brazil. Once I saw a documentary about people living in holes and under bridges...its really sad.

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WildBerry
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did you see the one about the people who live under bridges in Las Vegas? We saw lots of them when we visited there.

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Karen Filice
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This makes me feel nauseous. I wonder if any of those children somehow ever actually made it to adulthood?

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TinyButMighty
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Donate to the homeless! https://endhomelessness.org/help-end-homelessness/support-our-work/ (I didn’t read through this website clearly so if it is bad or anything don’t take it out on me)

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imagae
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is heartbreaking. This. It’s heartbreaking.

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Carole Gleed
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All you can say they have a roof over their head,poverty is a terrible thing

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Gem Ini
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I dated a Brazilian in the early 90s, and he told me all about these things. I was speechless. And I was so very naive back then.

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Anggi Angkasa
Community Member
2 years ago

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Anggi Angkasa
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Underpass and underbridge people My country also have that kind people too, due to poverty and high rate of house price

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Laura Kibben
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hate me if you will but these places like this won't stop making babies so no, one "We are the World" hunger ending effort won't last very long.

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Kerri Peek
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American Imperialism causes this and then when they try to come here we stick them in camps and send them back. It's beyond hateful. We say fix it yourself, when we caused it. We are still causing it. Until we stop causing it they don't stand a chance.

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Bobby
Community Member
2 years ago

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Can anyone guess why there are a lot of children live under the bridge? Parents couldn't sleep !

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Lynn Hudson
Community Member
2 years ago

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Why do people have children when they have to live like this?

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Not A Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You think they can afford birth control when they have to live like this? You think women in these circumstances actually have choices? For goodness sake!

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New Prometheus
Community Member
2 years ago

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So many children... Are they all of same family or is this a child - gang?

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miss miss
Community Member
2 years ago

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This is what we will get with socialist China joe

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#31

Baghdad Between Then And Now!

Baghdad Between Then And Now!

alfredokurdi Report

#32

Billionnaire Vijay Mallya's Mansion Atop A Skyscraper In Bangalore, India

Billionnaire Vijay Mallya's Mansion Atop A Skyscraper In Bangalore, India

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#34

Dubai, The Hollow City Of Artificiality

Dubai, The Hollow City Of Artificiality

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Sue Grigg
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will never understand the lure of Dubai, it's a giant soulless shopping mall for rich people. They can have it, it's tacky and ugly.

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#36

Mirny In Siberia, Russia

Mirny In Siberia, Russia

ADarkcid Report

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Samantha PandaNotBored
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of those houses and infrastructure was built die to that mine . It’s still a working mine right now . Giving ppl jobs homes lives

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#37

Ah, Good Old Car Culture...

Ah, Good Old Car Culture...

biwook Report

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Red rockin lobster
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not an urban nightmare (whichever you're reffering to). Also, it's like comparing a clouds and grapes

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#38

Block 23, New Belgrade, Serbia

Block 23, New Belgrade, Serbia

Porodicnostablo Report

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Samantha PandaNotBored
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At least they have friendly neighbours. My neighbor wouldn’t take my washing in . 😆

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#39

16-Lane Highway Built Through The Downtown Where A Market Square Used To Be In Moscow, Russia

16-Lane Highway Built Through The Downtown Where A Market Square Used To Be In Moscow, Russia

matthewstifler Report

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again context is great. This was done to facilitate troop movements quickly in and out of the capital which proved vital in WWII as the soldiers from Siberia crossed Red Square in the May Day parades and went straight to the front lines to repel the Nazis. The French similarly built huge boulevards in Paris to facilitate troop movements and to keep people from being able to build barricades, which is a French national tradition.

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#40

Nobody: Southwest Us Developers:

Nobody: Southwest Us Developers:

Zidar93 Report

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Olivier Caissy
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Out of curiosity, for what it is, why is it not more square, why all the bends?

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Note: this post originally had 75 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.

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