by jock78 » Wed Sep 16, 2015 6:48 pm
Hi Cyclo 2000,
never thought I would have to defend planners but here goes 'Down goes stumpy i' the ink' as the great man wrote.
Planning a new town is difficult because all the good sites are occupied and only the marginal land is available,.
Scotland was the home of the father of town planning, Patrick Geddes who saw towns based on a 'Valley Section' and functioned by the interaction of Work, Folk and Place, if you like, where you live, where you work and the environment around you. I see this as transport, communications economic activity and environmental impact.
I worked at Livingston in the mid 60s, planning main drainage until the traffic guys left and I was re-treaded as a highway engineer. Put together the basis for a computer model of the town and thought planning was all about that.
Subsequently studied for a planning diploma at Strathclyde Uni where a lecturer who's name I unfortunately do not recall, pointed out that the problem in planning a newtown was that they were conceived as in two dimensions, but existing towns had multiple dimensions, or interactions. Putting this simply, you do not have your old neighbours, the local pub or the wee corner shop.
I was knocked back initially on my thesis as it was 'too transport orientated' so I re-submitted a load of 'tat' that was
considered OK!
Please do not knock the planners they get a lot of stick doing a difficult job.
Incidentally cyclo 2000.
I processed all the Barclays cycle stations in Westminster while pointing out to all that would listen that promoting cycling in these congested streets would lead to many fatalities given the action of HGVs at gyratories- Was I wrong?
John Minelly C eng, MICE, Dip TP, MRTPI (ret)