2024-12-22T04:17:08-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150003346/the-garden-bridge-a-sign-of-our-post-truth-times Nicholas Korody 2017-04-17T12:29:00-04:00 >2017-04-17T12:29:31-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/74/74dozoiuukrvhy3l.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The garden bridge, proposed to cross the Thames from the South Bank to Temple, is nothing if not a landmark of the post-truth era. It has wrung tens of millions out of the public purse on the basis of deceptions, distortions and facts that proved to be fake. First sold as &ldquo;a gift to the people of London&rdquo;, entirely paid for by private sector donations, it is now due to cost a minimum of &pound;60m in public money. Its estimated total cost has gone from &pound;60m to &ldquo;north of &pound;200 million&rdquo;.</p></em><br /><br /><p><em>Its claims to fundraising prowess are exaggerated, its promised transport benefits minimal. Its backers assert overwhelming public support on the basis of a poll that told those polled nothing of the costs and drawbacks of the project.</em></p>