Does the Peace Bridge need a Peace Wall?

[Orangemac]

http://www.u.tv/News/Derry-Peace-Bridge-attacked-by-vandals/7f0a01bc-de73-47f4-9b0a-376b944d284c

[Eamonnca1]

Interesting how the towers point towards each other when you look at it from that angle, but if you looked at it side-on it looks like the towers point away from each other. Some sort of message from the architect?

[HiMucker]

It needs people to clean the shit up after their dog has taken a dump

[thejuice]

As an aside to this, I'm a landscape architect and so we often get involved in work similar to that of the peace bridge, where there is this idea that investing in the public realm can help cure all ills. Northern Ireland seems to be attracting a lot of money for "peace symbols" be they bridges, buildings or god help us, public art. Sure investments in infrastructure and public realm can lift a place appearance wise and attract employment (but do the long unemployed or under-educated locals get the jobs) but it cannot cure the ills of a society be it in Derry, Belfast, Dublin or Limerick. It sometimes only shifts the problems on, i.e.  gentrification.

It's not that I am against investment but when its dressed up as something that can inspire peace between long conflicting tribes I just think architects and local authorities are starting to believe that they can perform miracles. Public art being another folly for me. How can it be art if it needs the approval of a council or a sponsor. Can it really be art if it's not allowed ask the difficult questions that it's supposed to. And how many people really "get it" anyway?