Scott Brechin

1
Town Planning 1900-1948

• Scott Brechin
• Greg Britton

2
The 1900's

• The years of transition between the l9th and 20th
  centuries were marked by a great number of
  cultural, social and political events.
• Industrialization and colonization outside of the
  European continent were rapidly moving forward.
• Emergence and exchange of political powers took
  place, which observed two world wars within its
  time.
• The beginning of land and community planning as a
  profession emerged with the help of several
  significant contributors. The 20th century
  brought many cultural movements and life-changing
  advancements that help influence life for us
  today.

3
Post-War Planning

• WORLD WAR II
• The new towns following WW2 were far from being
  the first of their kind. There was little
  coordination involved in the development of these
  communities like there is today.
• This era marked the first signs of change to
  more inner-city growth.
• Mainly, a town or village still grew around an
  area of industrial importance or agricultural
  worth.

• WORLD WAR I
• Planning in short, was looked at as a political
  and social response to the conditions of early
  twentieth century, both before and after WWI.
• The application of community planning developed
  into post-war reconstruction.
• This became the cornerstone for the growing
  practice of city planning, which was completely
  legitimized as a profession after World War I.
• City planning was still badly impacted by the
  struggle between the actions of private parties
  and public/governmental control

4
Ebenezer Howard

• Originator of Garden City concept. Considered a
  Grandfather of planning.
• Author of many books, most successfully known
  for Tomorrow a Peaceful Path to Real Reform in
  1898.
• Howard's basic concern was social reform, but he
  believed calling his town plan a Garden City
  would better set an aesthetic standard for the
  future influences on planning.

5
Patrick Geddes

• Stressed the importance of knowing a towns
  geography, history, economy, social conditions
  and means of transport and communication before
  planning
• Conservative Surgery suggests removing as few
  buildings as possible as a means of urban
  renewal.
• Believed that the populations overrunning
  natural landscape and agricultural resources
  would lead to problems in the future.

6
Sir Raymond Unwin

• A man very much involved technically with
  planning and has a good grasp of sociological
  issues.
• Was also very much politically involved in town
  planning.
• Unwin publishes "Town Planning in Practice" as a
  text book reviewing historic towns and
  residential development and putting forward his
  arguments on housing density and layout.
• Followed in Adams footsteps as Chief Town
  Planning Inspector to the Local Government Board
  once Adams left for Canada.
• Also became Chairman of the British Building
  Research Board after WWI.
• Knighted in 1932 for his outstanding achievements
  for Britain.
• Awarded honorary doctorate by Harvard University
  in 1937 before dying in America in 1940.

7
The Garden City Movement

• Ebenezer Howard was a respected author and
  founder of the Garden City Movement.
• Letchworth was the first garden city built.
  Letchworth was plan finally went into development
  in Britain, 1904.
• The first North American garden city wasnt
  developed until another 5 years later, in 1909.
  It was located in New York, called Forest Hills.

8
Garden City Ideals

• Strong resemblance aesthetically between all the
  Garden Cities and Suburbs.
• That persons of all classes of society and
  standards of income should be accommodated
  properly.
• That the cottages and houses should be limited
  on an average to eight to an acre.
• Roads should fit with ample space on both sides,
  with gardens, or paths occupying the intervening
  space.
• That the plot divisions should not be walls but
  hedges or wire fences.
• That every road should be lined with trees,
  making when possible, a colour scheme with the
  hedges.
• That noise should be avoided at all costs for
  quieter, family living spaces.
• That the houses be so planned that no one should
  spoil each others outlook or rob its neighbour
  of its beauty.

9
Thomas Adams

• Born 1871, in Edinburgh.
• Played significant roles in the developments of
  many cities, and garden cities alike, especially
  during wartime of WWI.
• He was very much active politically in town
  planning and concerned himself most with
  residential planning.
• Founder and first president of the British Town
  Planning Institute in 1914, and later first
  president of Town Planning Institute of Canada.
• He helped pass the 1909 Housing and Town Planning
  Act in Britain, organize local government boards
  in Britain, as well as managing the first ever
  garden city, Letchworth.