Cobblestones are often retained in historic areas, even for streets with modern vehicular traffic. Many older villages and cities in Europe are still paved with cobblestones, and in recent decades, cobblestones have become a popular material for paving newly pedestrian streets in Europe.
Paving with cobblestones has always allowed a road to be heavily used all year long. It also has the additional advantage of not getting muddy in wet weather or dusty in dry weather.
The fact that cars make a lot of noise when rolling over cobblestone might be thought as a disadvantage, but it has the advantage of warning pedestrians of their approach.
Palermo Viejo is well known as one of the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires where cobblestones can still be found. Low houses, lined up trees and cobbled streets are part of the mystical and bohemian feel of the neighborhood that charmed locals and tourists as well.
But lately most of the cobblestones have started to be removed and many streets are getting paved, loosing a highly appreciated feature and changing the identity of this neighborhood.
For all this, the neighbors and merchants of Palermo Viejo have started a heritage defense movement of the neighborhood of Palermo Viejo, and signing a “Protection Act” petition to the Government of the city of Buenos Aires.
If you happen to be walking around Palermo Viejo, you’ll probably start finding these flyers, defending the cobbled streets, and its many advantages.
Cobblestones are part of our “porteño” cultural identity and heritage. Removing them is like erasing our history.