TOWN PLANNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 6

TOWN PLANNING.

Interest in town planning should be revived throughout Australasia by the addresses on the subject to be delivered by Mr. Davidge, a member of the Town Planning Association, in Sydney and Melbourne in connection with the forthcoming congress of the British Association. In Auckland the subject has been allowed to drop, nor is it likely that: great public attention will be paid to it until expert advice has been : secured, and a considered scheme of 1 city improvement is open for consid- i eratioD Few cities can compare : with Auckland in offering oppor- 1 tunities to the town-planner. It is richly endowed by nature; its com- J parative youth makes the obstacles to town planning relatively few; its future is so abundantly assured as to exclude the risk of wasted effort in planning ahead of the present population. In old and crowded cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, and even Greater London, great improvements are being effected and contemplated by modern town planning; in young and growing Auckland infinitely better results can be secured at much less cost. Up to the end of March last 33 schemes, dealing with over 78 square miles of land, had been approved by the English Local Government Board, and since then a number of important improvements have been authorised, including a scheme for preserving scenery | in the Thames Valley and beautifying the surroundings of Kew Garj dens. In Auckland we are still contern, to let our city grow in haphazard fashion. Some *.>' tie enfch.itiiasm for town plans,La,, now being Lasted in England may be aroused in Australia by the discussions at the British Asso ,iiion. A new impetus might also be given to thf. movement in !New Zealand if the Government i/r-ited Mr. 'Davidge to extend hi's tour to tre Dominion, and lecture in the leading cities.