Town Planning

Feroze Alam, B.Arch 4th yr.

SIR PATRICK GEDDES (October 2, 1854 - April 17, 1932)

was a Scottish biologist, known also for his innovative
thinking in the fields of urban planning and education. He
was responsible for introducing the concept of "region" to
architecture and planning and is also known to have
coined the term "conurbation".
First man to speak of The New Humanism which is
comprehensive philosophy aiming at the co-ordination of
man and his environment and also, the sole man
responsible for linking social theories with modern Town &
Country Planning.
Patrick Geddes on planning ideals :
Our whole life is governed by ideals, good and bad,
whether we know it or not. North, south, east and west are
only ideals of direction: you will never absolutely get there;
yet you can never get anywhere, save indeed straight
down into a hole, without them. Patrick Geddes.
Through his own work and through Lewis Mumford, the
influence of Patrick Geddes on twentieth century town
and country planning has been profound. He is
remembered as an advocate of Survey-Analysis-Plan scientific planning but, as
the above quotation reveals, Geddes also had a full appreciation of the
importance of ideals and imagination in guiding the planning process.
Planning Philosophies
HE HAD THE CONCEPT OF SURVEY BEFORE THE PLAN
1. The concept of Place, Work and Folk
2. Diagnostic Survey and Conservative Surgery
3. The Outlook Tower and Public Participation in planning
4. Section Principles
5. Classification of settlements and emphasis of regional planning of view in
planning.
The Concept of Place, Work and Folk
1. Termed as Geddesian Trad
2. An outcome of Geddes visit to India in 1915
3. There should be a relationship between the three fundamentals- Place, Work
and Folk otherwise the whole process ceases to be planning.

Town Planning

Feroze Alam, B.Arch 4th yr.

Town Planning is not mere place planning, nor even work planning. If it is to be
successful it must be folk-planning Sir Patrick Geddes
4. The task should not be to coerce people into new places against their
associations, wishes and interests; instead its task is to find the right places for
each sort of people; places where they will flourish.
5. When we talk of work, place and folk, comes Economics, Geography and
Sociology. Thus Geddes had the importance of socio-economic survey while
improving a town or planning entirely a new town.
The urban ideal of a place-work-folk balance
wasrealized in Tel Aviv and thanks to the
foresight,flexibility and broad-based knowledge
evinced byGeddes back in the mid-1920s has
withstood thetest of time. His plan was intended
for a populationof 100,000, but already by the
end of the BritishMandatory rule the city
comprised some 8,000 build-ings and a
population of 150,000. The drift to TelAviv, and
its rapid development and expansion into
aleading urban centre, vastly exceeded the
expectationsof the local authorities and of
Geddes
himself.
Yeteven
today,
notwithstanding the exponential growthof
business activities and traffic (during the
weeksome 100,000 commuters arrive in town,
joining anequal number of residents of the citys
historic corealone), Tel Aviv remains a green
city, with a clear dis-tinction between
residential and commercial areas, afair quality of life, easy access to centres of
activityand a well-developed social and cultural life.The architectural concept
set out by the Geddes Planand realized in the White City is reflected in
TelAvivs characteristically free and easy atmosphere aphenomenon that finds
vivid expression in local lit-erature and poetry.Nitza Szmuk, from her book
"Dwelling on theDunes - Tel Aviv, Modern Movement and BauhausIdeals
Diagnostic Survey & Conservative Surgery
Diagnostic Survey: City Planning must constantly keep in view the whole city old
and new alike in all its aspects and at all its levels and then the problem of city
planning is to improve the situation by turning its difficulties into opportunities.
Town Planning and City Design are not a new science but the recovery of the
life and thought that is related to our civilization.

Town Planning

Feroze Alam, B.Arch 4th yr.

Conservative Surgery: It is more or less a renewal process than a removal from

places. It brings out different and encouraging results with a far less financial
outlay. It demands long and patient study.
While preparing general design for the improvement of areas it may be done
with or without reference to the old town but should be either regular and
formal or individual and informal and the latter is to be encouraged especially
for old towns. e.g. Madurai and Balrampur.

Before

After

The Valley Section Principles

1. The geographical features, the contour and relief are associated with the
primitive occupation of man.
2. Accordingly the miner, the woodman, and hunter on the heights, the
shepherd on the grassy slopes, the poor peasant on the lower slopes, the rich
peasant on the plain and finally the fisherman at sea coast.
3. They are not only controlled geographically but also conditioned by their
environment and occupation which is manifested in their settlements.
4. The violation of these principles will not only result in daily economic waste but
also end in aesthetic ruin.

Miner

Woodman

Hunter

Shepherd

Peasant

The valley section with basic occupation

Gardener

Fisher

Town Planning

Feroze Alam, B.Arch 4th yr.

The Outlook Tower and Public Participation in Planning

1. A tall old building high on the ridge of old Edinburgh overlooking the city and
the surrounding regions.
2. The topmost storey allotted for visitors and artists and children to have a
broader outlook of the city and acted as an open air gallery.
3. The storeys below allotted for sciences starting from Geography, Astronomy,
Geology, Meteorology, Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, History, Economics and
so on.
4. The storeys further below having city maps, survey data pertaining to the
place continued till the ground floor which consisted exhibition on the oriental
civilization and general study of man.
5. The Outlook Tower should be in each city having civic observatory and
laboratory, with its efforts towards correlation of thought and action, science
and practice, sociology and morals besides the participation of public.

Canera
observatory

Edinburgh
Scoland

Language

Europe

World

Town Planning

Feroze Alam, B.Arch 4th yr.

The importance of Geddes' gardens:

With a background of recent news of crime and antisocial behaviour
committed by young offenders, Geddes offers a way of turning attitudes by way
of
creating
a
network
of
inner
city
gardens.
The restoration of Geddes gardens could include the following elements
amongst others.
1.-Part of a network.- The value of the Geddesian garden lies in being part of a
network complementing each other and also complementing the system of
local parks and ultimately the green belt and the countryside.
2.- Biodiversity. They should have an element of bio-diversity. That is a section of
the garden has to include wild species of plants and small animals.
3.-Accessible and welcoming. They should allow users direct contact with nature
and nature's processes.
4.- Artistic leisure activities. They should foster leisure activities for higher
individuals through all forms of art: music, open air theatre, sculpture, pottery
and dance.
5.- Peaceful and educational. The gardens should replace former violent uses
(war, drug ad alcohol abuse, crime etc) for new green areas with peaceful and
redeeming uses. (e.g. meditation and calming areas, spaces for open air
concerts, etc spaces for children to cultivate their own plants).
"Despite all that is commonly said about rough population and the rest, no
mischief worth mentioning is ever done. Quite the contrary, the gardens are
thoroughly appreciated, and their educating, civilising influence already plain is
spreading in ways too varied and complex for consideration here." From: PG
Transactions of the Cities and Town Planning Exhibition. Edinburgh. 1911.
Negative points in planning:
The absence of status symbols in the faade.
A central courtyard which includes the shared facilities: the dining room, a
laundry and a nursery.
The alignment of the buildings along the streets so their doors opened directly
onto the street.