zlacker

I believe Denmark had something like this for a while. It started with squatters taking over an area kind of like this.

Turned into a serious drug venue and eventually fell apart. Sounds like it sort of restarted, albeit with regular Danish law enforcement and other city resources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

>>blaser+(OP)
> Turned into a serious drug venue and eventually fell apart. Sounds like it sort of restarted, albeit with regular Danish law enforcement and other city resources.

As someone living in Copenhagen, I would not consider that anything near an accurate description of the history of Christiania. What happened was that an old military area and barracks was left abandoned and disused, so a group of squatters moved in, fixed up the place and built a community.

It did not turn into a "serious drug venue". They had issues with hard drugs in the 1970s, but kicked all of that to the curb and there is a strict community-supported ban on all hard drugs. Over the years various sellers have popped up here and there, but they are generally shunned and chased out by the community.

It also did not "fall apart", although it has had its ups and downs. The political winds have varied from indifference to acceptance to attempts to abolish the entire things, raze the area and built apartments. The current state is that the area is owned by a foundation and is treated partly as a part of the city of Copenhagen and partly as an independent enclave. Danish law enforcement is grudgingly accepted in cases of actual crimes, but otherwise not exactly openly welcomed.

>>KozmoN+Ca
I was in Christiania late last year and there were at least a dozen tables with sellers selling drugs. It didn’t seem like the community was shunning them or running them out

>>KozmoN+Ca
That place consisted of people selling weed, people consuming weed, or someone decrying the perception that it was all based around flouting Danish laws relating to weed. It's situated in a nice area of the city, though, if it was just a random suburb it would likely not be a place you'd go.

>>bathtu+Wx1
> They had issues with hard drugs in the 1970s, but kicked all of that to the curb and there is a strict community-supported ban on all hard drugs.

Are you sure that the dealers you saw were trading hard drugs, and not soft ones like cannabis, mushrooms, etc.?

>>KozmoN+Ca
I would implore everyone to think critically about the term "serious drug use" when used in the media to vilify scenarios and people.

Often these people need help and are self-medicating as anyone using traditional western medicine does (albeit with non-corporate drugs).

This type of stereotype further allows police to run wild and unchecked to "solve the drug problem" by beating and harassing than by actually solving any problem like a social worker is more likely to.

>>blaser+(OP)
Hong Kong had the Kowloon Walled City for nearly a century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City

>>blaser+(OP)
Its also how Vatican City exists as a sovereign state, and also many disputed territories that enjoy peaceful inaction as long as nobody brings it up

so if you squat long enough anything is possible.

>>KozmoN+Ca
> treated partly as a part of the city of Copenhagen and partly as an independent enclave.

The "Now Entering the EU" sign at the exit hints at the locals' view of its status.

>>blaser+(OP)
> Turned into a serious drug venue and eventually fell apart

This is not true. I am Danish and my apartment is in Copenhagen. It's in fact so successful it has turned into a tourist attraction. Lukas Graham[1] is a Danish musician who grew up there. I don't see how this community can be called a failure.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukas_Graham

>>blaser+(OP)
We visited Christiania a few years ago. It was lovely. The entire time, we felt just as safe as anywhere else in Copenhagen, and we didn’t see any evidence of drug use (certainly less than you’d see “on the wrong side of the tracks” in any other big city).

If you have a chance to visit Christiania, I recommend it. Copenhagen is one of my favorite towns. They have wonderful parks, museums, and even a really cool amusement park.