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V O L .1 E L I T E ISSUE 72

rom 2009 to 2017. This raises an important To achieve development, is it necessary to
question: what is the true meaning of sustainable proceed with demolition, under the pretext that
development? this historical landmark constitutes an obstacle
According to Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, to urban expansion?
Norwegian Prime Minister in the UN - WCED Last but not least, does the meaning of
report (1987), "A development that meets the needs sustainable development lie solely in the
of the present without compromising the ability of sustainability of expansion, regardless of the
future generations to meet their own". However, this sustainability of preserving what remains of
concept which was long reduced to an our heritage ?
environmental approach, has often ignored the It is recognized that once the people's interest is
interplay of other essential dimensions such as the reduced solely to the desire for change—
economy, culture, and heritage. These areas are without taking into account the legacy of the
precisely intertwined with the issue of historic past—the situation becomes even more
railway engineering buildings. complex than a simple decision made by those
We must therefore choose the right question in in charge. This is precisely the time when the
order to ensure effective implementation: voice of the people carries more weight than
Is there an alternative to dismantling the building, any other. Perhaps we should resist this
such as developing underground public decision. If the demolition is overturned, it will
transportation? What guarantees that widening the give the building even more value, since it will
bridge will eliminate traffic congestion and carry a living story: that of a people who chose
excessive population growth? to preserve it—not only in their memory, but in
everyday life, for everyone and at any time.

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