Need Seen For Indigenous Town Planning In N.Z.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31662, 24 April 1968, Page 7

Need Seen For Indigenous Town Planning In N.Z.

Statutory planning too often stands in the public imagination as a legal and restrictive barrier, yet New Zealanders, conscious of our rich, crystal-clear egalitarian heritage, do want real planning and a democratic sharing of our heritage.

English planning arose, phoenix like, from a dirty congested rampantly inhuman situation, with developing enormous future problems. Even today, Mr G. F. Powell, chief Greater London Council planner working on the South-East strategy, said: “We still haven’t got the sociological and economic knowledge to do any real planning.”

I outlined in my last •rticle how generally distant from our needs modern English architecture and planning really is. All New Zealanders travelling overseas are conscious of the erosion of good design and good community structure in zoday’s vast connurbatiom. The few successes such as Vallingby, represent money and sophisticated central direction at a scale we will never know.

English Model Our statutory planning was constructed from English models to be used in their own conjested struggle. This was legally fine, up to a point, and has steered us away from the polygot wastelands of urban America. But we don't live any of these lives, and it might be argued that the underpopulated, rich and beautiful space we inherit, needs different objectives, more imaginative systems appealing to our egalitarian general common sense. It is worth remembering cities are close to biological processes, generally selforganising, with historic built-in stabilisers and feedbacks and are adaptive to external environments. The South East Strategy just published talks of “intelligent co-operation with the inevitable.” 1 can’t help but like that statement.

I have listed some easilyunderstood headings relating to subjects already accepted or suggested by Peter Middleton or others. Some are obvious, but their use as a system codified and then released as Public Common Sense, may be hopeful when placed in partnership with statutory planning. (1) Objectives; (2) Professional Disciplines; (3) Country Zones; (4) Preservation; (5) Regional Characteristics; (6) Grand Gestures; (7) Village Centres. (8) High Density; (9) Trees; (10) Streets; (11) Sections.

Descriptions under these headings I believe, must find a common language capable of visualisation and awakening emotions and feelings in the general public. This imaginative and subjective process is parallel to the objective movement of statutory planning. I cannot now detail all 11 points, but some comments

on 2,7, 8, and 9 can be followed in the next article with further detailed appraisals.

Professional Discipline

In the two tier system, I am suggesting the planner’s strategic view of land use, economic movement and statutory needs would be paralleled by the continuous detailed operation conducted as an additive changing process; to which many people contribute; this being executed by architect, environmentalist and landscape artist

I see this operation as “detailing the environment,” a process capable of open discussion and common understanding separate from the

in-fight and blocking heat of the legal necessity. Both entirely vital operations seem blurred together at this stage of our development. Pursuing Unwin's point further about the form of guidance or direction to which suburbia must be subjected if it is not to degenerate aesthetically ... I believe this to be the role of the architectural profession, and that we have performed this way in the past for whole communities and are beginning to do so again in a formal sense. Near Christchurch by the sea, two architects, Hurst Seagar and Cecil Wood, both versed in the English cottage tradition, typified by Voysey from 1900 till 1930, built houses of such suitability to climate, beautiful use of available timber, and with such flexibility of plan and capacity for future change, that the style was adopted by carpenters, architects and home builders to produce a coherant aesthetic for many years or. the hills overlooking the Pacific. This degree of respect and common sense can create environmepts of pure style, successful by their true functionalism. We must put back to environments and buildings the sort of detail that can be understood by society, the heart, soul and memory of its citizens. The modern movement’s intellectual appeal has dissolved into form giving, and unnecessary rules, without the subtlety that truthful construction, local materials and environmental success gives. Village Centres Amongst our extended suburbs, we look for a sense of place or district, the familiar in our environment, something beyond our section

which could symbolise our inspirations. Maybe a little village centre, having a romantic or picturesque image, would give this. I don’t think this is absurd. English speaking peoples have always asked for the picturesque, romantic or artistic view of nature. All of England that we admire is man made like this, and is our primary inheritance; and we still travel overseas in great numbers and all ages to tramp or drive through this romantic past.

But back in New Zealand we say these things are not possible and sublimate spiritual and creative needs within the suburban section and our luxurious outdoor space. This is fine, but care is now needed for two primary reasons: (1) Reduction in income limiting travel, and (2) In our economic adversity, we need to intensify our national pride. Some corner shops of discordant style, a standard school tucked away nearby, a little service station sprawled across a corner in garish house style: nothing produces identity, pride or belonging; just another hot dusty chore done and legally finished with. Old People The village centre 1 am suggesting would have old peoples’ cottages; they need only be 12ft wide with a tiny garden for those who wish it, set out in an interesting line edging the village green, which lying to the sun should have a pond, bridge and pedestrian walk to some shops with verandas with parking at one end. The school could butt to the green, so children playing could liven the scene. The church would adjoin the green ... clumps of trees give shade and wind protection: bus stop; pub with wide veranda butting to the paved corner of the green; the whole laid out picturesquely with identity and great verve. Trees It is noticable that all our best suburbs are well tree-ed; also that trees are the finest way to screen industry, bring alive dead spaces and separate functions. I believe each council should have a tree bank; we grow trees so easily and it is a characteristic we should exploit The trees should be planted fully grown; the techniques are known and we could then begin to structure our too often formless environment Trees should be supplied, and subsidised as another useful component of our welfare state legislation. High Density A desire to live closer to the city centre, and nearer to the cultural and economic life of our communities, is growing in New Zealand, but the image is bad and inhibits true planning and imagination in new housing forms. Little exists but Housing

Department Star Flats or some extensive tall flats in Wellington. These appeal only to a narrow range of citizens, while occasional discussions on row housing and other dense forms, creates immediate emotional rejection. I’m sure that .until a popular visual understanding of what true high density living in social and imaginatively detailed terms really means, it will be difficult to make progress. Hampstead has a density of about 100 bedspaces per acre, and about one third have cars somewhere. 1 walk every day in Hampstead, in favourable directions. Hampstead is a compact hill village, composed of intricate stepped passageways with tiny cobbled squares and open spaces before tiny pub or group of piled up cottages. Lanterns glow through pale green plane tree leaves, leaning over brick walls. Simple Houses The overwhelming elegance of white, sweetly moulded, incredibly simple houses, with the same irregularly placed windows, and tilted walls all with polished brass knockers and black iron work. Fine railings to basement patios and flats, or steps up to maisonettes with gardens behind and up under the roof attic studios for the more vigorous of all ages. Such flexibility. The curve of the streets show glimpses of domes, high buildings, chimneys and the mist over London. An antique shop, with domestic windows, closes a narrow passage to inhibit random cars. A tiny pub, with big over-hanging warm white oriel window, glows with orange light with moving shadows of people behind the cut patterned glass. These scenes are the very heart and reason for intense city living. High densities for every taste and pocket are then possible. In Hampstead, the car ownership is very high and cars are tucked away like pot plants; such is the animated scene; their technological neatness complements brick and white paint. Real function, real detail, real functional design produces this environment. People love it and say so: this attitude is the very substance of human settlement.

This is the second of a series of articles on town planning by a Christchurch architect, Mr P. J. Beaven, who is at present in England to study town planning at the Architectural Association London School.