TOWN PLANNING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16566, 2 June 1914, Page 5

TOWN PLANNING.

LECTURES IN THE CITY.

MR C. C. READE’S MISSION

Mr Charles' C. Reade, the apostle of town-planning, is now in Christchurch, as the advanco agent of a series of free public lantern lectures on townolanning, which ho and Mr W. R. Davidge, F. 5.1., A.M.1.C.E., A.R.1.8.A., will deliver some time during July. The tour has been made possible bv the fact that the British Association for the Advancement of Science has invited Mr Davidge to give lectures atthe meetings of the Association in Melbourne and, Sydney during August. At the same time Mr lteade has been asked to read a paper on the Australasian aspects of town-planning. Mr Davidge will arrive in Auckland from London early in July, and with Air Reade will commence the campaign in the north, working downwards with lectures in all the important towns. The tour will cost about. £750, although this docs not include any remuneration to the lecturers, who will give their services free so long as put-of-pockct and travelling expenses are met. The Government lias promised £350, and Air Reade-s present mission is to arrange for the lectures and obtain financial support to cover the expenses. LOCAL INTEREST.

For the last two and a half years Air Reade has been connected with tbo Cities and Town Planning Association of Great Britain, and since his return to New Zealand he has noted a widespread Interest in the subject of town-plan-ning, which ho ascribes in a large measure to the efforts, among others, of Lord Islington, Air Arthur Myers, ALP., and Mr Hurst Seager, of Christchurch. He has been in communica-

tion with many local authorities, and all have commended the visit of Air Davidge and himself, and offered halls and other facilities. The lectures will .>3 illustrated with photographs and diagrams of the latest town-planning achievements in England, Europe and America. There are over a thousand ;iidc3 to draw on, and the lecturers nope to place their material, before the public in a form that will he valuable m meeting local problems. LOCAL EXPERTS NEEDED. The application of the town planning principle in England, Air Reade says, is largely a matter for the local engineer, the' local architect and other local experts, in combination with the town-planner, who has had experience of the problems of more advanced cities. Therefore the lectures will bo divided into two classes—public discourses and technical lectures to professional men and. members of local authorities and Government departments. In all cases they will be free. After the New Zealand tour the lecturers will go to Australia, commencing their campaign in the Sydney Town Hall on September 1. under the presidency of the Lord Mayor. After Mr Davidge returns Home in October, Mr Reade will have engagements taking him from the North of Queensland to Kalgoorlie, 400 miles inland ’ from Perth. ROOTING OUT SLUAIS.

Mr Reade was asked whether any good result's had come from his lectures in Auckland and Wellington a. .•ouplo of years ago on the slum quarters.

‘'Oh, yes,” he said, “a large number of those houses have heor, condemned and pulled down, but, as far as I know, notwithstanding the representations I have made, no ‘ attempt has been made to provide houses for the peopleidispossessed, and this policy ■tends only to intensify the evil in other parts of the city. Liverpool made the same mistake twenty years ago. . , “There appears to be some misunderstanding about slums and town planning,” Mr Reade continued. “Broadly speaking, the subject is divided into two distinct problems, the. first dealing with the centre of cities overcrowding, and the possibility of electing improvements, without landing the ratepayers in enormous expen c e, mid the second dealing with the planning of suburban districts, in anticipation of tbeir growth and preventing tho repetition of central blunders.” AIM OF THE TOWN PLANNER. Without a special knowledge of Christchurch, Mr Reade preferred not to enlarge on its town-planning problems. Pie said that by tho time tho lectures were delivered lnjre he would be able to show that thero were better and perhaps more economical methods of laying out suburban roads. To attempt to explain the problem now, »however, would bo to court misunderstanding, as illustrations were; necessary to a proper understanding. The feature of a place like Hampstead Garden Suburb, compared with a moderately well-to-do suburb of Christchurch, was the attention paid to securing architectural effect, to minimising : the risk of accident at traffic centres, and to securing ahead the necessary sites for schools, playgrounds, churches and recreation grounds. The garden city people were absolutely opposed to anything in the nature of charity houses, and the problem at Home was to provide the working man with a house and garden much more attract-; ive than he had been accustomed to, while generally giving residential amenity to the district. It was only by > the organisation of social and educa-1 tional facilities in suburban life in England that a healthy public opinion and good citizenship could be inculcated. Mr. Reade has been made a member of the Canterbury Club during bis stay] in Christchurch. At present he is get- j ting in touch with members of local , authorities, architects and others, who | have the movement at heart. PTo is given to understand that not only have halls been secured already in Christ- J church, but that all expenses will be j met locally.