TOWN PLANNING.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20420, 15 December 1931, Page 10

TOWN PLANNING.

BRITISH AND AMERICAN ACTIVITIES. V COMMENT BY MR MAWSON. (paESB ASSOCIATION "TEIJWWH.) WELLINGTON, December 14. . Having been away from New Zealand for three months gathering firsthand information on town planning matters, Mr J. W. Mawson, Director of Town Planning, returned by the Monowai. The primary object of his tour was to visit Santa Barbara and Sun Francisco to study rebuilding schemes there, and gain information which might be of use in rebuilding Napier and Hastings. "I am afraid I did not learn anything of great value there," Mr Mawson said in an interview, "but what A did see confirms my belief that we are going on the right principles here.' After visiting South California, -Rlr Mawson went on to Groat Britain, and came home via Canada. He had been intensely interested in the Town, ana Country Planning Bill that had been brought down by tho Labour Government at Home, and which, but for tho* proroguing of Parliament, would have become law. This measure was a very far-reaching one,, and outside bodies interested in it had been unanimous i© approving the form in which it was, presented to Parliament. In New Zealand many of the proposed regulations had been anticipated, but on the question of control of land under private ownership, the Bill went further than people in New Zealand had even discussed. . North American Schemes. In Canada Mr Mawson. visited Ottawa and Vancouver, spending most of his time in the latter city. There a town planning scheme had been completed. which was of particular interest to New Zealand, because there was jj better analogy between Auckland' a ncl Wellington and Vancouver than_ other cities in the Empire. The scheme promised to be a very great success, Mr Mawson said, but he thought New Zealand had gone one better still. Mr Mawson also paid a brief visit to New York, where he was very interested in what probably was the biggest town planning scheme yet evolved, the work of 12 or 15 of America's leading town planners. "It is such a tremendous scheme that it is almost impossible to express an. opinion on it," Mr Mawson said. „■ , . .i_ Daring the whole of his three months' trio, he, experienced only four wet days. "It was a marvellous trip, he said, "and what wfis partieulnrlv in. foresting to me was the Teat interest that is being shown in New Zealap«> particularly in town nlannmg activities here following the earthquake.