I've read that some residents were interviewed years after they were relocated, and had fond memories of the place. That could, of course, be nostalgia, but still. Even with all the genuine problems with the city, it's likely people weren't anywhere near as miserable as it would be portrayed in western orientalist media.
People from now demolished housing projects have similar sentiments also, despite all the blight and crime. There was a whole lot of communal aid going on in those projects, where the state failed. Residents are often times given vouchers to return once something better has been built (rarely happens), and many of them spend a lifetime waiting to go back.
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I've read that some residents were interviewed years after they were relocated, and had fond memories of the place. That could, of course, be nostalgia, but still. Even with all the genuine problems with the city, it's likely people weren't anywhere near as miserable as it would be portrayed in western orientalist media.
People from now demolished housing projects have similar sentiments also, despite all the blight and crime. There was a whole lot of communal aid going on in those projects, where the state failed. Residents are often times given vouchers to return once something better has been built (rarely happens), and many of them spend a lifetime waiting to go back.
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