Readers debate the effects of capitalism on London's ever-changing skyline in this week's roundup of comments from our readers.
Towers of London: last week saw the City of London Corporation release images showing how capital's skyline will look after the construction of 13 new skyscrapers. It led to a discussion among readers about the amount of money being spent on this projects.
Chris Becket feels that London, along with other major cities are losing their identity: "Skylines in major world cities are becoming almost interchangeable. I'm more impressed by and concerned with what happens at street level."
Meanwhile Arc* was looking fondly back to an era gone by: "Gotta say, I miss "low" London – when Lloyds was considered tall. Less Walkie Talkie's and more Gherkins and Renzo's, please."
"What a mess," added Kieran.
Ardeshir Mehta suggested the money could be utilised for a different strategy: "If I were a gazillionaire, I'd buy up all of London and knock down all the skyscrapers, replacing them with buildings of the style that still remains in other parts of London."
But Jon felt that the negative comments were ill-judged: "Those bemoaning the proliferation of high-rises should remember that these things are not emerging in a vacuum but due to demand; London's modern skyline fills a need for high-density workspaces in a growing global metropolis."
One reader thinks there will be regret for these projects in the future:
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Alienation: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk came under scrutiny following his negative comments about public transport, but many readers agreed.
"We all must make sacrifices. And sometimes that is having to share space with others and shape our lives around a train or bus schedule," said TFO.
Karol B felt Musk was being hypocritical: "He doesn't like public transport but he likes public money – as all history businesses are built on public/state financing."
However WhiteMusk stuck by the tech entrepreneur: "Who cares, he's sending a rocket ship to Mars and has invented probably the only decent electric car."
One reader had a pep talk for Musk:
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Bad Apple: commenters mainly sided with protestors refuting the construction of a Foster + Partners-designed Apple store in Melbourne's publicly owned Federation Square this week.
Please_No was aghast by the plans: "This is seriously repulsive. The building looks like a virus infiltrating the space."
"Apple doesn’t pay taxes in Australia, fact! What negotiable incentive could they have given the Labor Government to steal public land?" fumed Charles Jaggers, also outraged by the situation.
TFO felt the corporation needed to take a step back: "Apple is so big and bumbling at this point, they’ve lost all sense of grace when it comes to public relations."
Jon was one of the few who saw any positives to the new addition: "My God, that is the most hideous collection of buildings I've ever seen. I'm more outraged that they're only tearing down one, rather than the whole site."
This reader didn't hold back with their assessment of the controversy:
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Avocado hand: Readers couldn't get their heads around a new tool by Kitchenware brand Joseph Joseph designed to allow a user to de-stone an avocado without cutting themselves, as they potentially could with a knife.
Joel K was laying down the law: "If they can't safely handle the knife, then perhaps they don't deserve to eat avocado."
"This is for cowards," joked Adib Audelo.
Dom suggested that the issue nor the product were a high-priority in one swift hashtag: "#firstworldproblems."
Wertano had just been made aware of a life-changing fact: "Avocado hand injuries!? Do not frighten me please."
For this reader, it was too little too late:
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