Post by Poundbury on Sept 6, 2006 9:22:12 GMT 1
icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0300business/0100news/tm_objectid=17691555&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=planning-with-a-sense-of-place-name_page.html
Planning with a sense of placeSep 6 2006
David Williamson, Western Mail
WE ALL seem to aspire to Designer Clothes Labels, so why not Designer Label Homes?
Venice's mayor, Massimo Cacciari, concerned for the impact of 16 million visitors on the city's unique architecture and buildings, has recently announced the prospect of an entrance charge.
In the UK, Georgian Bath similarly bulges with its traditional intake of summer tourists, as does Regency Cheltenham and Tudor Stratford-upon-Avon.
Closer to home, visitor numbers to Pontprennau and North Pentwyn in Cardiff are not recorded, but conservative estimates would suggest that they are unlikely to exceed those enjoyed by more architecturally inspired counterparts.
Not that there is anything wrong with these areas. They offer a broad range of "cradle to grave" housing with all modern fittings, close to a local centre, community facilities and probably a new school. But unique they are not.
For most cities of the UK, there will be a similar development somewhere. For example for Swindon it is Hayden Wick, in Bristol, it is Emersons Green.
What has led to this somewhat bland and rather uniform approach? Well, one reason is a planning system which over the past 20 years has adopted a "comprehensive approach", based on the concept of drawing a line around the outside of a town and placing the 10-year housing allocation in the area to wait for the volume housebuilders to get on with it.
Unfortunately however, because of market domination, these volume housebuilders then build, by and large, exactly the same house types, be it in Cardiff, Caerphilly or Coventry. With the supply of new housing not meeting demand, we clearly need volume housing, and this would seem to imply that the uniform approach to development will remain, and it may still prove difficult to distinguish exactly which suburb of which town you are actually in.
But does this need to be the case? Well, possibly not, if architecture and town planning could work more closely and we rethink the way our towns and cities are going to develop in the future.
The city of Bath has a restrictive approach to new development, and the building that does take place must be built to complement its Georgian style of architecture as well as an adherence to the use of local building material. Having learnt the lessons of the past, the council is now anxious to retain Bath's uniqueness, and ensure it remains a desirable place in which to live and work.
Poundbury, the new community of mixed urban development promoted by the Prince of Wales on the outskirts of Dorchester, whilst admittedly taking on the designs of the past, nevertheless achieves a genuine "sense of place", in stark contrast to the large local authority development which adjoins it.
What is also surprising is that Poundbury was largely developed by national housebuilders, demonstrating that even the big guys can offer something different if they know what the ground rules are.
Perhaps one answer is not to go for big schemes around major conurbations, but instead consider relaxing the green belt around some of the smaller settlements, while allowing the development to reflect either the existing style of architecture, or a more creative contemporary approach where this is appropriate.
At the same time this might also allow a more sustainable community in terms of supporting local shops, schools and other facilities.
And who knows, maybe Robert Adams's design proposals for the new urban village at Llandarcy will mean that we in South Wales will ourselves have to grapple with the same problems as Massimo Cacciari is currently experiencing in Venice?
Planning with a sense of placeSep 6 2006
David Williamson, Western Mail
WE ALL seem to aspire to Designer Clothes Labels, so why not Designer Label Homes?
Venice's mayor, Massimo Cacciari, concerned for the impact of 16 million visitors on the city's unique architecture and buildings, has recently announced the prospect of an entrance charge.
In the UK, Georgian Bath similarly bulges with its traditional intake of summer tourists, as does Regency Cheltenham and Tudor Stratford-upon-Avon.
Closer to home, visitor numbers to Pontprennau and North Pentwyn in Cardiff are not recorded, but conservative estimates would suggest that they are unlikely to exceed those enjoyed by more architecturally inspired counterparts.
Not that there is anything wrong with these areas. They offer a broad range of "cradle to grave" housing with all modern fittings, close to a local centre, community facilities and probably a new school. But unique they are not.
For most cities of the UK, there will be a similar development somewhere. For example for Swindon it is Hayden Wick, in Bristol, it is Emersons Green.
What has led to this somewhat bland and rather uniform approach? Well, one reason is a planning system which over the past 20 years has adopted a "comprehensive approach", based on the concept of drawing a line around the outside of a town and placing the 10-year housing allocation in the area to wait for the volume housebuilders to get on with it.
Unfortunately however, because of market domination, these volume housebuilders then build, by and large, exactly the same house types, be it in Cardiff, Caerphilly or Coventry. With the supply of new housing not meeting demand, we clearly need volume housing, and this would seem to imply that the uniform approach to development will remain, and it may still prove difficult to distinguish exactly which suburb of which town you are actually in.
But does this need to be the case? Well, possibly not, if architecture and town planning could work more closely and we rethink the way our towns and cities are going to develop in the future.
The city of Bath has a restrictive approach to new development, and the building that does take place must be built to complement its Georgian style of architecture as well as an adherence to the use of local building material. Having learnt the lessons of the past, the council is now anxious to retain Bath's uniqueness, and ensure it remains a desirable place in which to live and work.
Poundbury, the new community of mixed urban development promoted by the Prince of Wales on the outskirts of Dorchester, whilst admittedly taking on the designs of the past, nevertheless achieves a genuine "sense of place", in stark contrast to the large local authority development which adjoins it.
What is also surprising is that Poundbury was largely developed by national housebuilders, demonstrating that even the big guys can offer something different if they know what the ground rules are.
Perhaps one answer is not to go for big schemes around major conurbations, but instead consider relaxing the green belt around some of the smaller settlements, while allowing the development to reflect either the existing style of architecture, or a more creative contemporary approach where this is appropriate.
At the same time this might also allow a more sustainable community in terms of supporting local shops, schools and other facilities.
And who knows, maybe Robert Adams's design proposals for the new urban village at Llandarcy will mean that we in South Wales will ourselves have to grapple with the same problems as Massimo Cacciari is currently experiencing in Venice?
