These are reactions to Magdalena Rahn’s column Random, The Sofia Echo, June 27.

You are totally and absolutely correct. Many rotten-looking shabby buildings are being put up, old ones with merit are being left to rot, and development by greedy people is causing widespread environmental damage.

John Mearns

Although I agree with your argument you are wrong on one point - people living in designated “cultural monuments” pay a greatly reduced building tax to the municipality. I live in such a building and was surprised to find that my tax was less than 100 leva while that of friends with similar sized apartments in different buildings was several times higher. The reason this tax is so low is precisely to give residents the opportunity to spend what they would otherwise have paid in tax on improvements to the building. This, of course, rarely happens. 

Sharon
 
This was a big problem in Brussels a while back, and it took many ugly modern buildings for the government to actively support the renovation of the old buildings and enforce regulations on their destruction, as it is also common practice to leave them to degrade so that they are too unsafe to be left standing. Many companies now keep the faade and rebuild the building itself to adapt it to modern requirements, thus keeping the style of the city intact but ensuring that living and working conditions are met. 

Philippine
ecraneuk@aol.com