Chapter 888: Rhine City Site Selection

July 4, 1894.

After a field investigation, the East African government sent a survey team to New Frankfurt City. After screening Ernst's requirements one by one, they finally selected the potential site of Rhine City, and the team leader Bells finally reported to Ernst.

"Based on the investigation around New Frankfurt City and comprehensive factors, we determined that the most suitable location for Rhine City is about 49 kilometers southeast of New Frankfurt City and about 70 kilometers northeast of Kabwe."

"First of all, there is the Rensemfuwa River passing through here, so there will be no problem with the city's water source. It is definitely no problem that a city is best built around a river. This is the case for most cities in the world. For example, our capital's first town is built on the Little Rhine River. Most of the city's water comes from the Little Rhine River, which also has agricultural irrigation and shipping value."

"Of course, shipping is difficult to achieve in the Rensemfuwa River, which is a tributary of the Zambezi River. , the tributaries of the Luangwa River, including the Zambezi River, cannot achieve large-scale navigation, and the Rensemfuwa River also inherits this point. The river has a large drop, and its shipping value can only be improved by building a ship lock. "

"However, there are also advantages on the other hand, such as the huge potential for local hydropower, especially near the area we selected. After confirmation by the Ministry of Water Resources, it is suitable to cut off the river, build a dam, and build an artificial reservoir, so that a large lake can be formed. "

Ernst has some impression of this, because in the past life, Zambia built a Rensemfuwa Dam here to provide power generation for Kabwe City, and also has aquaculture functions, forming a large-scale Mitashan Reservoir.

So Ernst said: "This is a good idea, but we have no idea of ​​building a large dam for the time being. After all, the current technology is not mature yet. If an accident or waste occurs, it will not be good."

This is a lesson learned from the Kariba Dam 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 large projects, the later the construction, the better. Now some hydropower stations in East Africa are built on small rivers for this reason.

If the Wensemfuwa River Reservoir is built, it will not be a small-scale project, but a very large project.

Bells naturally had an explanation for this: "Your Highness, we also took this into consideration, so the site of Rhine City is a certain distance away from the Rensemfuwa River, instead of being built on the riverside like the First Town. The water conservancy department has reserved enough safety distance based on the measurement of local terrain. Even if there is an idea to build a reservoir on the Rensemfuwa River in the future, it will not threaten the safety of Rhine City."

"At the same time, Rhine City is under construction, and the main transportation relies on railways and roads, so it does not need to be too close to the river. The use of the Rensemfuwa River is still mainly for urban water supply and agricultural irrigation, and these can be done by relying on the tributaries of the Rensemfuwa River. This is the case for New Frankfurt and Kabwe. One of them is due to the railway hub, and the other is due to mineral development, not because of the local river. Otherwise, they could have chosen to be near the river at that time."

Ernst nodded and said, "If this is the case, it is indeed a feasible plan, and reserving space for future reservoir development is also convenient. For the sustainable development of Rhine City in the future, please continue to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the local area. "

Bells said: "The local climate, topography, water and soil, transportation, etc. basically meet the requirements of His Highness. The temperature is basically the same as that of New Frankfurt. The terrain is relatively flat. Although there are ups and downs, they are mainly in the lower reaches of the Rensemfuwa River. It will not have much impact on the place we have selected. It is convenient for the construction of railways and roads and connects with the railway hub of New Frankfurt. No matter from which aspect, the local area has no obvious shortcomings. "

"Of course, all this depends on the later construction of Rhine City. If the subsequent construction and planning are not in place, it will definitely cause some negative impacts. Therefore, His Highness the Crown Prince needs to give more opinions on this point, so that we can carry out targeted transformation of Rhine City according to your requirements. "

For the new capital, Ernst really has some requirements. After all, it is not the first time that East Africa has built a capital. There have been some experiences in the construction of the first town city before, and the long-term use of the first town city as the capital also reflects some problems.

Ernst thought for a while and said, "First of all, the city size. The First Town is still too small, and the extravagance in urban planning makes it seem a bit secluded. This is not something you can adapt to after staying here for a long time. Therefore, Rhine City should learn from European countries in terms of scale and population design, not just 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. Ernst felt that small cities were better. In addition, the First Town was not the most ideal capital location in Ernst's mind at that time, so the expansion of the First Town has not been significant over the years.

So after living in the First Town for so many years, Ernst is a little tired of this lifeless feeling, so the new capital should have a larger population and be more lively.

So Ernst mentioned: "Among many cities, Vienna is the one that has satisfied me the most in recent years. In addition, considering the future development prospects of East African cities, the best population size of Rhine City should be around 50 to 3 million."

This number spans a bit, after all, Dar es Salaam is the only city in East Africa with a population of more than 500,000, and Mombasa, the second largest city, has a population of nearly 500,000.

Three million is a standard that many cities in Europe do not meet today, including Berlin, Vienna, St. Petersburg and other big cities.

Of course, Ernst's number is reasonable. First of all, Rhine City must be built according to the standard of a city with a population of at least 3 million to avoid the future rush due to urban expansion issues, such as highways, urban roads, basic living facilities, etc.

For example, Brasilia, the later capital of Brazil, was built according to the standard of 500,000 people at the beginning, and it was only responsible for administrative functions at the beginning, but it was obviously not enough in the 21st century.

Ernst continued, "Of course, although the city is large in terms of framework, the initial construction will definitely 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 Rhine City will definitely not have a large influx of people in the short term, so I really want you to look further ahead and reserve enough urban land."

After all, East Africa is not a small country, 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 city in his previous life, it must also conform to the temperament of a big country in East Africa.

"Modern elements, especially multiple elements, should be reflected as much as possible, so that the city cannot appear too monotonous. For example, Paris is too homogenized and lacks the atmosphere of fireworks. You must also grasp this degree. The reference object should give priority to cities such as Vienna that have a strong classical and modern atmosphere."

"The key is not to design too idealistically and to facilitate the lives of citizens. Now many urban designs in Europe and the United States are too focused on artistry or visual impact. We in East Africa should try to avoid this..."

Ernst then spent more than an hour to put forward his opinions, which finally made Bells feel the pressure.

Because according to Ernst's requirements, all designs must have a good "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 rigid design like Paris, it is much easier, just copy the template directly.