The Dominion FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1924. THE NEED OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 90, 11 January 1924, Page 6

The Dominion FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1924. THE NEED OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING

I Like many other cities, Wellington has grown and spread hitherto on rather haphazard lines, and the need of taking orderly measures to direct its future growth is already plainly apparent. It is apparent, that is to say, to those who are able to look a little way into the future, but it has to be admitted that such people are not infrequently regarded as amiable cranks. The facts of the case, however, are all with those who urge that the future development of the metropolitan area should’ be planned methodically. It is only necessary to look around to see that a heavy penalty is being exacted for tho past neglect of this policy. Apart from the congestion.that exists in parts of the inner metropolitan area, some of our suburbs are badly laid out as a whole and in detail. The replanning and improvement, before it is too late, of some of the principal avenues of metropolitan traffic ,is also an obvious necessity. As we have urged'repeatedly, a practical first step towards solving existing problems of this kind and averting similar problems in future would be the preparation of a comprehensive development plan. Such- a plan would not only pay particular regard not only to outlying suburbs now lightly developed', but would take account of other areas that are bound to be included ultimately within the metropolitan boundaries. . ... Local advocates of this common-sense policy evidently are faced still by an uphill task in securing its adoption by the City Council and by the authorities administering areas adjacent to the city. It may assist progress in the right direction, however, to point out that in England “regional planning schemes,” administered by groups of local authorities, under the general supervision of the British Ministry of Health, are being developed on an extended scale, and promise to yield splendid results. A scheme applied tp the town of Doncaster and its adjacent areas may be selected as a typical illustration of the aims pursued in ro gional planning. Until recently the country round Doncaster was mainly agricultural, but coal measures are now being opened up. Formerly this would have involved the conversion into black country” of a once pleasant countryside. For the Doncaster region, however, better things are in store. A regional plan prepared last year provides for the systematic development in new conditions of an area of one hundred thousand acres around Doncaster-an area which includes about fifty villages. The general aim is “to make the most of the natural wealth of the area, while conserving its amenities and safeguarding the health and happiness of the inhabitants of the town and of the immediate neighAB°th e plan was outlined in the London Times, the land of the area is to be divided into three classes, certain, low-lying land being industry, agriculture, and the higher to housing i. I <lcommunities, dependent not. however, promiscuously, but as thf social primarily on themselves, bi it still looking to v therefore, and civic capital, as I%are not to bo it is not sought matenall? to CBlarue, the new fnmilv” and autonosuburbs, but members, rather, of a ' well-regdated family • mous. The scheme provides for the " "-X and for the preservation of SSWXfXI?■&TWU&. am. Newspapers which here just arrived by mail report Uro proceedines of a Regional and Town-planning Conference in London, at which a representative of the Ministry of Health (Mb. G. L. Pepler) state that a considerable area of England and Wales was now covered by regional planning schemes. In all, 18 committees were engaged n evolving'regional planning schemes. The largest schema-hat in the Manchester area-included 90 local authorities about 500,000 acres, having a rateable value of near y , , At the conference, Pkoeessob A. E. Richakdson said that the realisation of these schemes would uot only dwl with and tho preservation of «d,n»t of ftWones tte dortWmrt oi ™ ~ „„id be be concentrated more profitablj