Chapter 888 Rhine City Site Selection
July 4, 1894.
After an on-site inspection, the East African government sent a new Frankfurt city survey team to screen Ernst’s requirements one by one and finally selected a potential site in the Rhine City, and the team leader Bell finally selected Si reported to Ernst.
“Based on the investigation around New Frankfurt and after considering various factors, we determined that the place about 49 kilometers southeast of New Frankfurt and about 70 kilometers northeast of Kabwe is the most suitable place for the Rhineland The location of the city.”
“First of all, the Rensemfowa River passes through the city. There is no problem with the city's water source. There is definitely no problem that a city is best built around a river. This is true for most cities in the world. For example, the first town in our capital is built on the Little Rhine. The city Most of the water comes from the Little Rhine, which has both agricultural irrigation and shipping value. ”
“Of course, shipping is difficult to achieve on the Rensemfowa River, which is a tributary of the Zambezi River. The tributaries of the Luangwa River, including the Zambezi River, cannot be navigable on a large scale, and the Rensem The Foix River has also inherited this. The river has a large gradient, and its shipping value cannot be improved unless a ship lock is built.”
“However, there are also benefits, such as the huge local hydropower potential, especially. Especially near the area we selected, it has been confirmed by the Ministry of Water Resources that it is suitable to cut off the river, build a dam, and build an artificial reservoir, so that a large lake can be formed.”
For this reason, yes. Stett had some impressions, because in Zambia's previous life, the Rensemfuwa Dam was built here to provide power generation to Kabwe City and also had a breeding function, forming a large Mita Mountain Reservoir.
So Ernst said: "This is a good idea, but we have no idea of building large dams for the time being. After all, the current technology is not yet mature. It would not be good if an accident occurs or waste is caused."
This is a lesson learned from the Kariba Reservoir in the previous life. In Ernst’s view, the earlier the dam is built, the greater the risk and the lower the efficiency. Especially for such a large-scale project, the later it is built, the greater the risk. Well, this is why some hydropower stations in East Africa are now built on small rivers.
If the Rensemfowa River Reservoir is built, it will not be a small project, but a very huge project.
For this point, Bales naturally had an explanation: "Your Royal Highness, we have also taken this into consideration, so the location of Rhine City is still a certain distance from the Rensemfowa River, rather than like the first town. If the city is built in a riverside area, the water conservancy department has set aside a sufficient safety distance based on the local topography. Even if there is the idea of building a reservoir on the Rensemfowa River in the future, it will not threaten the safety of the Rhine City. "
“At the same time, the Rhine City is under construction and its main transportation relies on railways and roads, so it does not need to be too close to the river. The use of the Rensemfowa River is still mainly for urban water supply and agricultural irrigation. , and these can be achieved by relying on the tributaries of the Rensemfowa River, such as New Frankfurt City and Kabwe. One of them rose because of the railway hub and the other because of mineral development, not because of the local rivers. , otherwise you can choose to be near the river at that time."
Ernst nodded: "If so, it is indeed a feasible plan, and it will reserve space for future reservoir development and facilitate the future development of Rhine City. For sustainable development, you go on to talk about the local advantages and disadvantages. "
Bers said: "The local climate, terrain, water and soil, transportation, etc. basically meet the requirements of His Highness. The temperature is basically the same as that of New Frankfurt, and the terrain is also the same. It is relatively flat, although there are some ups and downs, but mainly in the lower reaches of the Rensemfowa River. It will not have much impact on the place we selected. It is convenient for the construction of railways and roads, and is connected to the new Frankfurt city railway hub. No matter from which aspect it is In other words, there are no obvious shortcomings in the local area.”
"Of course, all this depends on the later construction of Rhine City. If the follow-up construction and planning are not in place, it will definitely have some negative impacts. Therefore, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince needs to give more opinions on this point. We can also follow your requirements. Carry out targeted transformation of the Rhine City.”
Ernst really has some requirements for the new capital. After all, this is not the first time to build a capital in East Africa. It has already had some experience in building the first town. , and the long-term status of the first town as the capital also reflects some problems.
Ernst thought for a while and then said: "First of all, it is the size of the city. The first town is still too small, coupled with the extravagance and waste in urban planning, so it seems a bit secluded. This will wait for time. It is not very adaptable after a long time, so the size and population design of Rhine City should be like that of European countries. Studying at home is not limited to administrative functions. "Ernst naturally didn't think so before. After all, he was used to living in big cities in the 21st century. Instead, Ernst felt that small cities were better, and the first town at that time was not Enns. The location of the capital is the most ideal in Te's mind, so the expansion of the first town and city has not been significant in recent years.
So after living in the First Town for so many years, Ernst was a little tired of this lifeless feeling, so it would be better for the new capital to have a larger population and be more lively.
So Ernst mentioned: "Among many cities, the one that has satisfied me the most in recent years is Vienna. Considering the future development prospects of East African cities, the optimal population size of the Rhine City should be between 50 and 3 million." “About 50,000 people.”
This number spans a bit. After all, the only city in East Africa with a population of more than 500,000 is Dar es Salaam, and the second largest city, Mombasa, has a population of only close to 500,000.
Three million, that is, many cities in Europe today have not reached this standard, including large cities such as Berlin, Vienna and St. Petersburg.
Of course, Ernst has a reason for mentioning this number. First of all, the Rhine City must be built according to the standards of a city with a population of at least three million, so as to avoid being hasty in the future due to urban expansion issues, such as highways and urban roads. , basic living facilities, etc.
For example, Brasilia, the later capital of Brazil, was initially built according to the population standard of 500,000 people. At the beginning, it was only intended to be responsible for administrative functions, but by the 21st century it was obviously not enough.
Ernst continued: "Of course, although the city is large in terms of framework, the initial construction must be based on a population of 500,000. In fact, only Dar es Salaam in East Africa has a population of more than 500,000, so There will definitely not be a large influx of people into Rhine City in a short period of time, so I really want you to take a longer-term view and reserve enough urban land."
East Africa is not a small country after all. , and the capital is definitely an important reference object that can reflect the style of a country. Although Ernst does not pursue the super-large cities of his previous life, it must also be in line with the temperament of a big country in East Africa.
“Modern elements, especially multiple elements, are best reflected, and the city should not be too monotonous. For example, Paris is too homogenized and lacks fireworks. You must also grasp this degree. , the reference object is to give priority to a city like Vienna with a strong classical and modern atmosphere.”
“The key point is not to be too idealistic in design, but to facilitate citizens’ lives. Many urban designs in Europe and the United States now focus too much on artistry or vision. This is something we in East Africa must try to avoid..."
Ernst then spent more than an hour putting forward his opinions, which finally made Bales feel the pressure.
Because according to Ernst's requirements, the new city must grasp the "degree", but this degree is entirely Ernst's personal feeling, and there is no unified standard.
This is too difficult. After all, no one knows whether the finished product will be "favored" by the crown prince in the end. If it is a strict design like Paris, it will be much easier, just copy the template.
(End of this chapter)