Planning History Bulletin
Volume 3 Number 3
Planning History Group Chairman's Note
1981 has seen no diminution in the number of planning history publication s now flowing from so many pens. The 1,400 titles listed in An thony Sutcliffe ' s annotated bibliography (The H1:story of Urbrm and Reg-£ona~ P~anning ~ Mansell , 1981) offers an i nternational benchma rk of e ndeavours , but the appen dix of additional entries largely covering t he last two or three years shows the nea r i mpossibility now of ever keeping such a compendium inclusive o r up to date . The Planning llistory Group will be indeb t ed to the editor of the 1 l l ~ tir for bringing to our attention new titles either as notes or lengthier reviews . The Group will have noted developments in the Bulletin towards this end.
The steady literature flow reflects the growing field of planning history from various disciplinary perspectjvcs . If this were just a matter of a contribution to academic scholarship it might be regarded (albeit unfairly) as rather s e lf-indulgent , and , with no great obvious conseque nces to be foreseen, dismissed as a passing whim. But there is an important additional d i mension t o our collective research and writing : it is that we can observe g rave de f icie nc i es in forms of planning education where history is absent or poorly developed. Too many practitioners of planning in its various aspects are s imp l y not aware of the past and its significance for understanding the present . In Britain at least we can note the quite extraordinary rise of planning as a State activity this century as a response to a range of economic, soci al , political and institutional forces; it developed because t here was a demand for it and it proceeded to take certain forms, shaped by broadly cultural determinants . Many things about it could have been different; the unfolding of 20th century planning was not pre- ordained . The way the planner and his institutions react today to the problems they have to face has a historical context. Problems have origins; solutions have consequences . Planning educa tio n, unless firmly rooted in contemporary historical knowledge and understanding , is unlikely to produce practitioners of g r eat per ception .
This is the last Bull etin prepared by Or Mi chae 1 Nas las. !le is e xpecting to take up a new appointment shortly and does not feel able to continue with the editorship. I should like to take this opportunity of placing on record iii ii
Dr. M. Naslas , new appointment to be announced the Gr o up ' s appreciation for his work over the past years Or Helen Me ller, Dep t of Economic and Social History , in getting the Bulletin o ff the ground in its present for m. University of Nottingham This ha s been a tremendous achie vement. Or A.R. Sutcliffe , Dept of Economic and Social History, University of Sheffield I am h a ppy to welco me Or John Sheail as o ur new Editor. Author of Nature in Trust : the history of nature conservation in non-U.K. britain (Blacki e , 1976) and Rural Conservation in Inter War Br ita1·n (Clarendon Press , 1981), he is a historical geographer Professor P. Mar cuse , Division of Urban Planning, Columbia servin g as a Principal Scientific Officer , Monks Wood University, New Yo r k , USA Experimental Station , the I n s titute of Terrestrial Ecology , Professor M. Ros e , Dept of Social Sciences , Michigan Abbots Ripton , Huntingdon . He looks forward to hearing Technol ogical Univer sity, Michigan, USA f rom me mbers of PHG with a v i e w to having a steady flow Mi ss Loret te Rus senberger, Wi sconsin, USA of copy . Professor J. Salazar, Architectural School of San Sebastian, Bilbao , Spain Executive Committee Elections , 1982-84 Or I.C. Taylor, Dept of Social Sciences, Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada The annual election system, which commenced in 1981 on Or S. Wa tanabe, Building Res ear ch Institute, Tokyo, Japan the basis of a postal ballot , satisfactorily produced an Professor W.H. Wilson , Dept of History, North Texas State Executive, half the membership of whic h will serve for a Un iversity, Texas, USA period of two years. Our Constitution determined that half the Executive retire annually (half UK members , half no n- UK) though the neatness of this arrangement was I e xtend a ll good seasonal greetings to our far- flung Group . immediately complicated by the fact that Officers of the You will see (p age2~ the n ames of new members and institutions, Executive are elected (by the Executive) for three years. and we welcome them to the fold . No doubt 1982 will have much Hence we are now somewhat out of phase, but the spirit of in store for us! the annual turnover is being maintained.
Listed below are the names of those members of the Executive due to retire in 1982 ; they ma y of course offer themselves for r e -election . The submission of ne w names for the 1982-84 Executive is now invited . If there are more than Gordon E . Cherry a required number there will be a n election, and slips for a postal ballot will be inc luded in the April 1982 Bullr?tin. The August 1982 Bulletin will announce the result of the election and the new Executive will assume its duties .
Will those PHG members wishing to offer themselves for election , or re-election to the Executive , 1982-84 , please indicate this in writing to me not later than 1 March 1982 . There a re no requirements for proposers o r seconders, simply a statement that you are willing to serve , if elected . Up to six UK members and seven non- UK members a r e r equired to fill the vacancies .
The following Executive members are due to retire in 1982 (but may offer themselves for re-election):
U.K. Mr P.A. Booth, Dept of Town and Regional Planning, University of Sheffield Pr ofessor G. E. Cherry, Centre for Urb an and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham Mr A.D. King, Dept of Sociology/Building Te chnology, Brunel University Planning r r r ca~u rcr's l"lote
I am pleased to say we hav0 History been able to hold subscription-. a t £4.00 for 1982 . This mears Bulletin that for many of you from ovpr seas the subscription is now actually lower than last year! Perhaps that will be an incen 1981 Vo1.3 No.3 tive for you to seek to expan d membership .
Methods of payment are the Planning History Gr oup same as last year and are spelled out on the form cncl<- Ce ntre for Urban & Regiona l Studies sed with this BuUc>tin. I J . G. Smith Building hope as many of you as can wj l University o f Birmingham choose to pay by standing Birmingham order . But however you pay , B1 5 2TT please pay promptly . Tel . 021-472 1301 Ext. 2693 You may be pleased to know Planning History Bulletin that the British Inland ReveP u have confirmed our status as Edi t o r : Michae l Nasla s a learned society , and incom£• tax relief may be claimed on nt of Town and Re g ional Departme subscriptions from 6th April g Pla nnin 1980 . University o f Sheffield Sheffield SJO 2TN Philip Booth T 4 e2 l . 0 7 - 7 8 5 5 5 Treasurer Dis tribution: Centre f or Urban & Regional Studies University of Birmingham Pl anning History Group Single copie s : Centre for Urban & Regio n al Studies M eetings Unive rsity of Birmingham Tony Sutcliffe is pleased to a1e Cover design : Gordana Naslas announce that arrangements being finalised for a meetinq of the Group in Dublin on 24- 25 September 1982, as part Signed artic les in the Planning of our bi- annual series . Th0 History Bulletin contain the views organiser is Dr Michael Bannon of the autho r which are not neces of the Department of Urban and s a rily those of the Planning Regional Planning, University History Group. The Group as a College Dublin, Earlsfort body is not responsible for views Terrace , Dublin 2. Papers wi ll expr essed and statements made by inc lude : individuals writing or reporting in this Bulletin. Mary Daly , ' Dublin housing No part of this publication may be condit i o ns a nd policy up to 1921' r e produced i n any form without pe rmission f rom the Planning Michael Go ugh, ' Urban condi History Group. tions and the genesis of planning in Cork ' 3 2 building by Peabody a nd later the outcome of continental influ ~nc both in design, layo ut and lhc ~i chacl Bann ln, ' Geddes and tive for the short lived period of LCC at Boundary Street and other s ystem o f constructi on which was Dublin plann ing ' high rise which constitutes only sites was inevitably at high den a small fraction of modern build s ities . Walk up flats at Bound used . Several further papers are being ing. a ry Street rose to five storeys negotiated . A full programme but Queen Anne Mansions, built in To some e xte nt a wider public and booking fo rm will be circu What were the factors which led 1873 as luxury accommodation for grew accustomed to the " vertical l1ted with the April 1982 PHB . eventually to the adoption of t he middle classes , was as hig h i mage " through the exampJ0s of high density solutions for the as thirteen storeys . Numerous non-residential development t n slum clearance programmes of the blocks of "mansion " flats for the the thirties , a nd exposure 1930s and subsequently to the era middle classes were built during through the c inema to s cenes of of high rise in the fifties and t he latter half of the nineteen th American c ities . The most Historians o f planning are hold s ixt i es? Or Sutcliffe ' s paper , century in London during the potent influen ce of ne w designs ing a luncheon at the meeting of a nd the contribution from George building boom of the e i ghti es a nd from the contine n t was , however the Organiza Lion of American Atkinson on technological a spects, some of these cont ained the earl transmitted via the architcctur1l Historians i n Philadelphia at the indicated some of the more general iest examples of lif ts. Although profession . A small group , Franklin Pla ~ a Hotel , noon, factors , while the papers by this latter inven tion was a pre Modern Archit ectural Research Friday , 2nd ~p ril , 1982. The Patricia Ga rside on housing pol requisite f o r h i gh building, lux (MARs) , founded in 19 31 , vras luncheon is 5ponsored by the ici es of the LCC , and by Michael ury blocks of flats, wh ich e njoyed the s pearhead of the Modern Planning His t o ry Group. John L . Ryan and Alan Geeson on Birmingham, a nother boom in London durin g the Movement in Britain , exercisinr; Hancock , University of Washing traced the interweaving of these 1930s, were limited for the most a formative influence over a ton , will pre s ide, and Blaine A. factors within the more spec ific part to eight storeys until r eg new generation of young archl Brown ell , Un i versity of Alabama context of decision making by two ulations concerning building tects, trained in the late thir at Birmingham, will present an lar ge authorities . v7i th comments heights were c hanged in 1939. ties and the forties, who sub add r ess on '' 1 l anning History and from the audience, including Though a small part of the tota l sequently found employment in Pl
furthe r unde rlined in pub l i c de a lities with a clear vision , dr~~. Th e caree r o pportunities BRS showed that overall wo rk a t bate by a strong lobby agains t e n l ike Man z on i , a b le to dete r mine whic~ p ublic sector ho using has savings in land which were ach policies while o p e r atin g within offc1e d arc hitects in the post c roachment on productive a gri ieved by building upward were c ultural land, the introduc tio n of a complicated b ure aucr atic frame war period broug~ an unprec eden fairly marginal; moreover, man green belts and a birth rate whic h, work? How were the prot agonists ted rate of i nnovation in dwel a nd maintenance costs agement c ontra ry t o all expectations , of low dens iti e s , who were still ling d esign, not all of it with high rise, in a ssociated c ontinued t o rise until the mid active in t he post war era f]na successful in s ocial terms. care of public spaces cluding s i xties. With highe r den s ities lly ove rcome? Were flattcd Garsid~ su g~e sts that their own buildings was considerab a r o und a lready well establi shed for estates o n the continent really professi o nal inter ests e ncour ly higher than those incurred on inner London development , the more s ucce s sful than their aged designers and p lanners to low rise estates . It was the further step of high rise s eemed , Br i t ish counterparts , and jf so, accept higher de n s ities as a introduction of mandatory cost a t least to its protagonis ts, we r e t he reas ons connected with practi c al r e s po n se t o shortage yardsticks in 1967 which effectiv i nevitable. desi gn , ma n a geme n t or cultural of land , rather t h a n consider e ly halted high rise development differences? Why do we know so a more radi cal redistribution of in the public sector, to which Similar problems over l a nd occur little abo ut the type of manage l1nd resou rces. the collapse of Ronan Point added red in Birmingham but, l acking ment a dopt ed for lar ge blocks of a dramatic postscript in the the unwieldy scale o f Lo ndo n, a fla ts in the private sector in On the more technical side of following yea:t. this c ount ry , a n d why , though building , the Building Research severe shortage appea r ed at a r w ar o ften infer ior 1n design to tho! c> Stati o n ' s study in the thirties One must agree with Patricia l a ter date. During the int e ten in the p ubl ic sector , are these of dayl i ght in b u ildings in Garside that competition for land period , various bounda r y e x mmo f l a ts apparently acceptable to relati on t o densi ty a n d storey was of overriding importance in s ions were obtained to acco date low density council e s tat es their occupan ts? height gave r ise to the "floor decisions concerning the location o n the periphery. Land s hort age f'pace index", a tool for planners and consequently the density of only emerged at t he end o f t he The vintage f i lms were a timely which was t o have a marked effect public sector development. In r reminder that what are perceived on the f orm o f p ost war office London , the problem of land re t hirties , when plans fo r clea a nce a nd redevelopment o f central a s vital i ssues, colouring the 'evelopment and subsequently on sources was exacerbated by a two « reas r e vealed that some p r opor dec isions of o ne generation, ma the s p acing and arrangement of tier syste m of local government. t ion of the residents would need ha ve lost their significance wht n blocks o f v a ryi ng height on In the early inter war period, to be rehoused elsewhe r e . A fter the r esu lts of these decisions housing e sta t e s . As examples the LCC acquired large tracts of Wo rld War II , with an estimated are a ppraised by the next gener of h i gh r i se f lats accumulated land outside the county , as for need for 69,000 new dwe llings a tio n . I t is evident that high f~er World War II, analysis of example at Becontree and Edgware r e sulting f rom redevelo pment de n s i ty development , and sub 1esign a nd c o sts pointed to the which were developed as " cottage" alone , and s urrounding coun ties sequen t l y high rise, were pragmat ,eed for c he a pe r and more effic estates. Apparently the private firmly resisting f urt he r 'in va ic r espon ses to land shortage, . ent methodf, of construction and sector could more readily obtain sion' by co uncil estates , highe r a n d t hat t h is shortage its~]f w,s th~re followed furthe r research land closer to London, and dens ities we re adopte d for a ll rar ely s e en a s t he product of 1.nto t.he usE' o f tower cranes , housebuilding expanded at a ho using site s, and during the i n stitutional con trols which nti l ati o n of internal bath remarkable rate there, but the could presumably be changed. BHt " of more distant areas high rise era tall blocks a ppear rooms , s ingle s t ack plumbing and " invasion it must b e remembered that the met with strong re e d even on t he bounda rie s of t he he development of site casting by the LCC size of counc il waiting lists the authorities con t own. An a dditional factor of large c oncrete panels. By sistance by in the fi f ties, t he extent of a result, well governing, o ne suspe c t s , decisio n s 958 central gove rnment was cerned. As slum property, much of which still convinced that high before the drive on slum clear in many towns was t h at t all bloc ks sufficiently bore the scars of war damage, and a solution to land ance in the thirties , the LCC he l pe d to i n crease the annual rise o ffered the vision , as yet untarnished , of t he l a rge r cities to to cultivate those number of c omp l etio ns at a t i me shortage in was f orced a new Jerus a l em under the welfare attach a spe c i al subsidy to this London Boroughs who were least when councillors, whether L ab our stat e were a l l compelling reasons e lopment. In 1964 hostile to the idea of public o r Conse rvat ive, saw political form o f dev for immedi a te a ction o n a scale l Building Agency was sector building in their midst mileage in the rate of a nnual he Nationa hitherto unprec e dented in the to advise the indus authority. With the o utput which could be achieved . establ i shed by another publi c sec tor . In an atmosphere tr; o n indus t r i alised methods of supply of suitable land thus As with most successf ul meetings , o f emergency de cis i ons are bound ~u 1lding . The o bjective of the limited, flatted development the papers prompt many f urt he r to contain a n e lement of praqma1: NBA was to promo te efficiency was an obvious solution , with q uestions. How and by whom we r e ism. This does not of i tself t h er than h i gh rise as such, continental examples as a con -a the account for the mo re innov a t ory venient justification, rather decisions finally taken in but neverthe less the establish step of high rise , wh i ch o r igin than a direct inspiration. move towards higher densities, rrent of this group appeared to a t e d f r om a n ew stream of archi War II the LCC con and to what e xtent were the pos add fur ther official backing to After World tectural t h inking a n d a deve l op tinued to build mainly in the sibl e implications , tec hnical, he t r e n d t owards high building. ing technology. I t i s p erhaps more amenable (usually Labour social and economic, evaluated unf ort una t e that this innova tion controlled) boroughs and the during the c ourse of decision Meanwh ile, e vidence against high making? Did a general concensus o ccurred a t a t i me when hig h accumulating . Stone's shortage of housing land was ~ ise was e merge or were certain person- completion rat es we re a prima r y 7 6
The Political Economy of Canadian o ry , Mc Master University , and new town development , all of t~rget of central and local gov a nd American Urban Development Mi c hael Conzen , Departmenl of GI'O
a heri · omissions wh 1ch will b e not ed be with whom the ideology of common i n the Ministry o f Re constructi on a r chitects could point to t age of ur ban design including low . There a re also occasional causes can be ident ifie d , a nd files at t he Public Record Offi ce. ~7 r en , Nctsh, traces of the compress ion result plann ing was the benefici ary of Another wea kness of Gaske l l ' s the Woods o f Bath and ing from adaoting t he m a terial to the breadth of visi o n a n d commit a ccount lies in his treatme n t of a nd they now convened a tovm a nd embarked its n~w format : those famil i ar ment of those menti oned above . s tatutory planning. The permiss planning committee, wilh the o rig inals may regret the The present volume does not i ve emphasis of the l e gislatio n upon the organisation or an elimination of Hawtree ' s analyti present such a striki ng contr a st i nevitably resulted in t he prep Inter national Conference, held cal study of professional irleo with Gordon Cherry ' s recen tly a ration of schemes being r e l ated at the Royal Academy in 191 0 . loqy or Duy ' s excellent detailed published NonPer>s in British Plann ing t o local initiative and e nthus Unwin , although not a member of account of Wythenshawe. Wh i lst as might at first be supposed . iasm. Planning proposa l s in t he the ~IBA , was a key fioure, and the latter lies outside the cho north were related t o precise un l i ke most architects had broad sen period , Lt represented a Turnin9 to the i ndividual papers, a nd limited aspects o f suburba n ex9er ience of the type of plan the Act. lo~ical updat ing of garden cit y Gaskell focuses o n " the s uburb planning on garden city lines , ning e n couraged by planning and layout prin ciples salubrious", t he most c haracte r in contrast to the broad brus h En g ineer s were quick to detect a and a transit ion towa r ds the istic featur e of planning in the a pproach adopted by Nettlef old t hreat to their r ole as the loca l post-1945 first gener ation new early years of t he cen t ury, and i n Birmingham . The ambitio u s author ity jack- of- a ll-trades , t owns . Regre ttable too is the that codified by t he 1909 Housing Ruislip Northwood UDC s cheme whic h t hey we r e eager to extend paucity of i l lustrations, given and Town Planning Act . By 1900 me rits only a single me ntio n i n to include planning as part of wh 1ch o ne has serious doubts as the suburban ideal h ad f i l t e r e d t he whole book: eve n Day was po their orrmium gatherum of skills , to whether H.:trr ison ' s inclusion down to the more prosper ous l e vels s sibly unaware of Unwin' s exten and were the first body to organ of three plans of Burnage was of the working c l ass , and t hrough s ive involveme nt as c o n sultant ise t own- planning examinations. really justified. By contrast the workings of the bye- laws t o the maj o r landowne r s , King ' s Surveyors maintained a more de Day has chosen judiciously f r om even speculative hous ing was be College , Cambridge , a nd h i s dir tached stance , secure in their the rich material available to ginning t o a ttain a more ooen e ct approac h to Burns, who over positio n as advisers to the major the Parker and Unwin enthusiast, pattern of development . The r uled Adams ' rel uctanc e t o i n urban and rural landowners. though the lock of the classic extension of five per cent phil clude provisio ns for aesthet ic From his discussion of the ~rof block diagrams from Nothing Gained a nthropy t o co-partnersh i p s chemes , contro l . The s c heme s included essional bodies , Hawtree turns b, (lvo"mwdin{J (1912) is perhaps t he growth of building societies, by Gaskell are discussed purely to Adams, Geddes, Unwin and surprising in view of its semi nal and the striking examp les o f i n terms o f l o cal a ctivi ty , a nd Mawson who were each well equipp,.
physic al p l anning , t a king a s h is development fell within thr· pur Offi cer of the Public Records ' their lines were frequently writ model t ha t for statistic s and view of the Ministry of Health. Offi ce a bo ut 2 5 years after , ten by skilled administrators and defe nce as an outpost of t he Cab For Vi ncent , the only course was p r ior t o its transfer to the PRO . professionals whose obscurity is i net Office . In the yea r s immed t o i dentify those major issues The \vils on Committee recommends testament to their acceptance of j ate ly befo re the wa r , he had whi c h w e r e not the primary concern th0 g r eat e st vigilance and effic their role '. In the words of be e n Principal Assistant Secr et of other ministers . TI.NO v1ere iency in this process. Professor Cullingworth , the « ry t o the Committee on I mper i den tified . One embraced the Go r don E . Cherry achievements of those years owed i al Defe nce . The i dea was t o stabilisation of land values , the much to ' a relatively small group rollate a nd interpret data on con cepts of compensatton uayments of visionaries in the civil ser past and present trend s in land a nd the levy of betterment char vice ' (Cullingworth , 1975) . Hist o ry of Planning Methodology use , and to help predict the ges , and the acqui sition of land Wo rks ho p d irec tion a nd repercussion s of for p ublic use . Althouah the res One of these shadowy figures was f uture changes. It was not i n o lution of these problems would (Harold) Graham Vincent , who Brehe ny reports that sub i tself a new idea. Vinc ent mu st be fundame ntal to a ny planned re Michael died at the age of 89 on 5 No v confirmation , the Social ha ve heard much about i t on distribution of industrial anrl ject to ember 1981. His brief obituary Scienc e Rese arch Council in Political and Economic Planning , reside ntial development , no other in 1'he Times recounts how he took n h a s agreed to fund the und p a rticularl y from tho s e wh ose minister was p r epared to tackle Britai a First in the Mathematical of the Workshop during counsel he was to de pend on so s uch a tho rny subject in the activities Tripos at Cambridge and how , This is to be used to help heavily dur ing the wa r . It was , thick of war - least of all the 198 2 . a fter military service , he ent str a tion and travelling however, Vi ncent who turned the Minister of Health who had for admini ered the Treasury , where he ses for four/five Workshop c oncept int o a reality . mal responsibility for statutory expen became Private Secretary to the ns f or British members planning . The o t her issue was sess io Parliamentary Secretary in 1924 . the year, and pay some of Vincent qui ckly gathered t ogeth the impact of industrial and hous d uring He acted as Private Secretary to r a ve lling expenses for one e r a small group of special i s t s i ng development on rural land use. t he t successive Prime Ministers be small int ernational Workshop. a s t emporar y civil servants , un To investigate these two issues , tween 1928 and 1936. From the der the Pro fessor of Town Pla nning Vin cent arranged for the ap901nt biog raphies of Stanley Baldwin, also r eports that consid « t Liverpoo l , William Holford. men t of an Expert Committee under Brehenv it is clear that his gifts were is being given t o the [ t was a brilliant t eam, a nd i ts Mr Justice Uthwatt to cover the e r a t ion much appreciated by the incum esta b lishment o f a H .P.M. ar i nfluence was incalculab le forme r subject (Cmd 6386) , and a bents o f that offi ce (Tlze Times ~ t the University of Read (C he rry , 1981) . A c on s ultat i ve Committee under Lord Justic0 Scott chive a 7 .11. 81) . Vincent's consider announces the award of pane l of 20 experts wa s c reated to cove r the latter (Cmd 6378) . i ng . He able involvement in planning from the Social Science to provide information a nd ideas a g rant began in 1940 , when Winston Re sea r c h Council to help set up on specific issues (PRO , HLG 86 ). The aopointment of these committ Churchill appointed Lord Reith Members we r e drawn f rom local ees signified Vincent ' s achieve t he a r c hive . This will pay for as Minister of Works and Build a part-time c lerical assistant, government , university depart me n t in winning the resoect of ings , primarily in order to de ments and professional bod ies. othe r min i stries. Not many mon who wi l l g ather and record the managerial ploy his outstanding Liaison was establishe d with t hs previo usly , the Minister of ma t e ria l, and f or certain admin repairing blitz dam talents in s uch privat e ventures as the Agri c u lture , R. S . Hudson, had i strative c o sts . The award is ting munitions age and construc Nuffield Co llege Socia l Re con wr itten to Churchill , accusing for the c ale ndar year 1982. publi c works. These and other s truction Survey. Somewhat l a t e r, Reith of setting up a Ministry of were too terms of reference t he Chief Town Planning Officer , Cranks . He wrote, ' My fear is Reith and , after some narrow for George Pepl er , joined Re ith ' s that while we are busily engaaed inter-depa rtmental conside rable ministry . i n trying to win the war, these Sir John Anderson Sir Gr a h am Vincent: An Apprecia wrangling, cran ks will be concocting all the personal respon tion s e cured him Desp ite the impressive a rray of sor ts of scheme s , and when the sibility for planning the phys t alent , Vincent ' s sco pe for in wa r is over and we have the JOb The 1940s we re a turning point in ical reconstruction of post-war i tia tive was at first severely of putting a sane agricultur al , CAB 67/9). Vin stat ut o ry p l anning , when the role Britain (PRO c ircumscribed . The mo st obv ious poli cy i nto operation we shall of both cent ral and local govern cent a ccepted an invitation c ourse was to investigate the be faced with a who le seri es of me nt in land - use planning was from Reith to take charge of wide r ramifications o f the r eport theoretical plan s a nd vested tran s f o rmed. Clearly , the war this aspect of the minister ' s o f the Royal Commission on the inte r ests wh i ch will make o ur h a d a orofound, catalytic eff ect duties . Reith later recorded in Distribution of Industry and I nd t ask quite i mpossible ' (PRO , CAB on a ttitudes , and politicians his autobiography that 'no one ustrial Population (the Barlow 67/8) . Through correspondence r esponded to the unprecedent ed de could have shown greater assid Re port) of 1940 (Cmd 61 53) . The a nd me e tings wi t h individual ma nd for more centralised forms uity and devotion .. . the credit location of industry was , how offic ers , Vin c ent persuaded the of pla nning. In a remarkable for wh at was accomplished was in e ver, a matter for the Bo a rd o f Ministry tha t i t was in their Vincent ' s ' (Reith, burst of energy, legislation was large measure Trade , and the p r omotion of ho us own intere sts to assist in dis promo t e d , mi nistries restructured , 1949). ing and regulation of building c overing wha t ind us t ries might and f resh p r escriptions for the future writt en . Whilst the lead Vincent ' s aim was to set up a ing p olitici ans took the credit , central information service on 16 17 Lord Portal replaced Reith as min retary of Government Hoso ita lity in be approprintely located in the was poss ible to broaden his terms ister . A year later, the planning 1956 . A contemporary in the war countryside so that everyone of reference to include ' a report sector of that ministry was again time ministries described him as wo uld be bett er equipped to re o n the general issues ' raised by moved - this time to a new Minis charming, modest, helpful and very spond t o the drift of population the concept of national 9arks try of Town and Country Planning sincere - qualities that must have to the towns and the disturbance (Cherry, 1975 ; Sheail , 1975). In under W. S . Morrison . Throughout been invaluable in building up so of rtg r iculture generally after o rder t o gather data relevant to the structur al changes , Vincent talented a team of individuals in the war (PRO , HLG 80,1) . In r e coastal planning , a coastal phy remained a Principal Assistant Reith ' s new ministry , a nd in de sponse to criticisms from Arthur s iographer, J.A . Steers, was Secretary, continuing to promote veloping mutual respect and liai Grernwood, the Minister without appointed as ' advise r to the research and information services. son with government departments , Portfolio , who had a general Ministry on scientific ma tters !le became increasingly disen the planninq profession and pres responsibility for post-war re connected with the preservation of c hanted with the trend towards sur e groups . Vince nt c r eated d construction , Vincent insisted the coastline ' (Sheail, 1976). a n e xecutive central ~Janning au c redible base, from whic h the con that nothinq was being done to As Vincent told Pepler in June thority , which he later described cepts of post-war planning could usurp the prerogative of others. 1942, these would be the first as ' pitiful'. There was increas be launched . The Scott Committee would not instalments of a rural amenity i ng antipathy with the Permanent make a ny recommendations on the survey , which would ' lead up to Secretary , a former Hig h Commis John Sheail decentralisation of industry; it proposals which will ensure the sioner for New Zealand , and with Institute of Terrestrial Ecology wo uld r eport instead on how land adequate planning of all amenity the De~uty Secretary , a business References: use would be affected if such a a reas in the country ' (PRO, HLG man serving as a tem~or a r y civil policy were a dopted (PRO, CAB 92 ,1 ). servant . Both had been appointed Cherry , G. E ., 19 7 5, Environmr nta~ 118/79) . by Reith. Vincent ' escaned ' to Planning. Volume II~ National Vincent subscribed to the view Washington in 1944 to look after Parks and Rec ~eation in the Countryside The key to Vincent ' s success in that a central planning authority t he very inportant interests of . steering his Minister ' s way should be created to collect the Ministry of Production, where (Hr-1SO) I pp . 9 - 65 . through the thickets of inter survey data and collate govern his administrative experience and departmental jealousies was en me nt policies insofar as they re personality mu st have contributed Cherry , S . E., 19 81, P~onee~;; in capsulated uy a reference of lated to land use . It would not a littl e to Anglo- American B~itish Planning (Architectural Mrs Jaquettu Hawkes of the Re prepare a central ~lan of nation co- operation. Press) , pp . 15-1 7 . construction Secretariat to the al requirements , and recommend Cullingworth , J . B., 1 975 , /:..nvi~on n d tional parks issue . By May improvements to legislation a nd It would be facile to dismiss the menta~ planning. Volume I~ 1942 , Greenwood ' s Committee on the actual administration of i nitiatives taken in planning Reconstruction and land use planning ~ 19.39 Rcconstructjon Problems had be planning. This was not, however, during the 1940s as merely the - 191? . (I!MSO) , pp . xii-xiii and 2 53-2 come bogged down on the question e nough for Reith. He wanted to o utcome of a popular shif t toward 54 . of h ow a n ational parks author intervene in order to ensure that collectivism. As Professor Cull ity could be r econciled with the planning authorities were con i ngworth ha s commented, ' the more Reith , J .S .W., 1949 , Into ihe ~liruJ role of loca l authorities in the formin g with the national plan . that political issues can be made (Hodder & Stoughton), pp. 403-47. planning process . Having got in Vincent believed this could only into technical issues , the great touch with Vincent , Mrs Hawkes be achieved , particularly in er is the chance of achieving Sheail, J., 1975, The conceot of reported thn t 'while others talk wartime , by working through the political s uccess ' (Cullingworth , national parks in Great Brita in, he has been pla nning action - government departments which 1975) . For this reason, the in 1900-1950 , Trans . Inst. Br. Geog~ .~ he is a rranging to send suitable held the relevant powers and terpretative role and personal 6 6 ' pp. 41-5 6. expert s into the field to gather duties. Again, this was not calibre of individual civil ser information about individual e nough for Reith , who wanted to vants and their advisers can Sheail , J ., 1976, Coasts and plan park a reas a nd their special be his own chief planner , despite have a considerable bearing on ning in Great Britain before 1950 , problems o n the spot' (PRO, CAB his lack of executive powers . An how far success is achieved . Un Geog~. J . ~ 1 4 2, pp . 2 5 7- 2 7 3 . 117/ 123). inexperienced speaker in debate , fortunately , many of the key fig he strove to display activity and ures in war-time planning slipped Ra ther than, waiting for some achievement where there was in i nto comparative obscurity , and grandiose s c heme to emerge, reality none . With increasing those exciting years consequently In July 1980 the Senate of the Vincent preferred the more real stridency, Reith advocated the lost much o f their sharpness University of Liverpool agreed in istic, gradualist approach . transference of all (physical) (Cherry , 1981). One such figure principle " that, as the acquisition Having learned tha t John Dower , planning responsiblities to his was H. G. Vjncent . Having acted of im9orta nt archives is a useful a leading advocate of national own Ministry. as British Secretary of the way of promoting r esearch activity parks , had been invalided o~t of Anglo- American Committee of En in provincial universities and of the army , Vincent secured h1s Such a transfer of s tatutory ~ow q uiry on the problems of Europ attracting good academic staff appointment to carry out a ~act ers was eventually approved by ean Jewry a nd Palestine (Cmd and graduate students, the Univer ual enquiry into ' the pract1cal the Cabinet in February 19 42 , 6808) , he served three years in sity should be prepared to acquire needs in certain potential (park) with the creation of a new Mini the Civil Aviation Ministry . the archives of national bodies areas '. By December 1942, it stry of Works and Planning . He retired from the post of Sec- for which no existing repository 18 19
provides a natural home, which should be noted that by reason of Liverpool- the University ' s successful students in the adorn are at risk and which have a rel their nature and date , access to Students ' Union , 1910-13, the ment of every town of imnortancc evance to r sear c h within the certain of the papers will be c hancel of Holy Trinity Church , in this country , and indeed University ; and that , in oartic closed for some years or otherwise Wa vertree J9 11, etc. - and else throughout the British Empire , ular , initia tives be take~ in restricted . wh ere ) and the plans he drew with examples of modern archi those areas already identified up for the Anglican Cathedral tectur e which will remain land as important to research in the Readers who feel that they might Competition in 1902 and for var marks of a g reat movement that University : be a ble to assist the University ious University buildings (the has come to stay ' . in the implementation of its ar latter plans held by the Chief (a) records relating to children chive acquisition policy , perhaps Engineer) . In addition, amon One of the lar ge number of letters and records of charitable through their knowledge of ar gst the records of the School Pr o fessor Reilly received in re bodies , complementary to the c hives of national bodies in the o f Arc hitec ture in the Univer sponse to his autobiography was narnardo a rchive; planning field which are at risk , sity Archives are a series of f rom Mr T . Alwyn Lloyd, a Cardiff a re a sked to contact the Univers a lbums of photographs of the a rchitect , who wrote in 19 39 . (b) records of bodies in the ity Archives , P.O. Box 147, s tudio and other work of Liverpool was Mr Lloyd's n a tive field of town planning, com Liverpool , L69 3BX (tel. 051-709- Reilly 's students , a nd volumes c ity , and he states that during plementary to the collection 6022 Ext . 2315 or 3048). of press cuttings chronicling his ' period at the School (of of papers already deposited the work of Reilly and his Architecture and Applied Art) , in the University or ultim In this context , we are pleased students . 1898-1900 ... when it was a very ately intended to be deposit to reproduce,with the kind per small affair under F . M. Simpson , ed , i . e . the Holfo rd, Reilly , mission of the Un iversity Archi Sir Charles Reilly's autobio and being still at Liverpool at Forshaw and Abercrombie vist at Liverpool , a note on the g raphy has long been acknow the time , I well remember your paper s ." papers of Sir Charles H. Reilly ledged as one of the major sou arrival in 1904, and how within a (The University of Liver pool Reoorde r~ rces for oo rtraying the feel of very few y ears you made such a This archives acquisition policy No .81, October 1979) . The article the Univer sity in the first big difference, not only in the was agreed f ollowing the delibe r was written by Adrian R. Allan , three decades of this century . numbers, but in the inf lue nce of ations of a Senate Working Party Assist a nt Archivist , and Sheila I naccurate in parts , and ' goss the School and in the attitude on Archives which was chaired by M. Turner, a member of the Univer ipy ', as Sir Charles himself taken t o it by the City '. lie Professor E . P . Hennock of the sity Archives' STEP project staff . admitted it to be, it stands out recollected ' our horrible quarters Department of Modern Histo ry. as a brilliant pen portrait of in t he old days at the top of the The Papers of Sir Charles Reilly the Un iversity and those person Victoria Building , and those aw The Universi ty Archives already a lities who played a major role ful sheds over the tunnel in which holds the pnpers o f the late Lord The papers of the late Emeritus i n its early development. The we did "applied design". 'l'hen Ho lford (int er alia Lever Prof Professor Sir Charles H. Reilly comments of his reviewers and the re was the refecto r y , which essor of Ci vic Design at the (Roscoe Professor of Architecture f riends on Scaffolding in the Sky had previously been the mortuary University o f Liverpool, 1936-47), 1904- 33 ) have very generously a re themselves perhaps worthy of of the Infirmary , whe r e I made of Professor Sir Charles Reilly been deposited with the University quotation in part. Clough f riendshi ps with architectural and (Roscoe Professor of Architec Archives by his son , the Lord Williams- Ellis , in his Sunday other students which have lasted ture at Liverpool 1904-33) , and Reilly . Whilst the papers 7'imes review , commented that ' you until now ' . of another o ne of Professor mainly rela te to the period after will fine that most of his old Reilly 's dis tinguished students Sir Charles (who received his students still carry with them , Of his for mer colleagues at the Mr J .H. Forshaw (inter alia knighthood in 1944) retired from on top of their remarkable tech University, Oliver Elton (King Chi ef Architect and Housing Con his Chair and f rom Liverpool, nical proficiency and flair , an Alfred Professor of English Lit sulta nt to t he Ministries of they include three of his early abiding freshness of mind , a erature, 1900-25 ) d isagreed with Housing and Local Government letter books (1904- 11), and a social conscience, and a phil Sir Charles ' assessment of Sir and Health 1946-60). The Uni volume containing press reviews, osophical outlook that are the Alfred Dale , the last Principal versity Arch ives hopes to re and letters received from his honourable stigmata of "Professor and f irst Vice- Chancellor , whose ceive the papers of Professor friends , concerning his ' semi Reilly ' s Young Men" ' . The Journal ' natural kindness ' he had commen Sir Patri ck Abercrombie (inter a rchitectural ' autobiography , of the R. I . B.A. devoted two whole ded . Elton felt this was not ali a Lever Professor of Civic Soaffo lding in the Sky ( 19 3 8) . pages to its review, c o mmenting good enough; Dale was 'warm Design at Liverpool 1915-35) that ' perha ps it would be safe to hearted; he took his honours from Professor G.B . Dix, the To some extent the papers now de say that no living professor and modestly ; he was the friend and p r esent Leve r Professor of posited complement papers of Sir no living architect is better confident of hundreds of students; Civic Desiqn , when he has com Charles Re illy already held by known to more peopl e than Profes a nd his departure was much re pleted his biography of Sir the University : notably nine of sor Reilly , a nd the enormous gretted'. Miss Dorothy Chapman, Patrick . Those wishing to con his Letter Books (1909- 16 , in the success of his school, due entire Princ ipal of Westfield College , sult the papers in the Univer University Archives) , which illum ly to his consistent energy and University of London, 19 3 1-39, sity Archives ' custody are inate his work both as head of progressive methods, has resulted wrote as a former Warden o f asked to make a prior appoint the School of Architecture and as through the agency of innumerable University Hall, Liverpool (1911 - ment before making a visit ; it a practising architect (in 20 2)
31) , and disagreed with Pr ofessor Sir Charles had abstr acted by a (in Staffordshire) and Dudley (in an audience as his own reoorted Rcilly ' s comments on student Press Cuttin gs Bureau f r o m prof Worcestershire) in particular soeeches and comments , books and accommodation . ' You mention with essional journals , the national showing an inte rest. Acquiring arti cles , oublished Letters to distaste "hostels with shared and local press chronicling his special powers under a Local Act the Editor , and news of his ac rooms " as all the Universitv did work from his 're t i rement' in 1933 of 1947 , Dudley Corporation vig tivities had r eached in his life in p r oviding residence for its right up t o s e veral days before orously pursued a policy of pro time . Writing as a former students , ' she wrote . ' But our his death in 19 48 , aged 73 years, viding cultural and communal student , later a colleague and b~autiful University Hall made a nd related correspondence . Of amenities i n the older parts of friend of Sir Charles , Professor single rooms its rule, and many Reilly ' s ideas for town imp rove the borough . Already, in 1946 , W. G. (later Lord) Holford (Sen of your women students enjo yed ment , the ' Reilly greens ', as Slr Charles Reilly had been in ior Lecturer in Architcctur0 them fully a nd inhabited them they were popularly known, may vited to prepare an outline 1933-36, Lever Professor o f Civj c charming ly , makin g a c harming con perhaps emerge as one of the more scheme for t he development of Design 1936-47) opined that ' his tribution to the community. And enduring and influential of his Dudley ' s Old Park Farm site of finest monument may not be his though I say it, I hold that the concepts . It is in these post-1933 approximately 90 acres ~n accord own works of architecture but devotion of Wardens and resident papers tha t his visions of commun ance with the Village Green prin those of his many students and Lecturers there to the general ities planned around ' village ciple of layout ' , Mr Derek disciples ... Professor Reilly ' s interests of students was one of g r eens ', and with immediate access Bridgwater (another of Sir Charles ' school was not only at Liverpool , the most civilizing elements in to a community centre and other forme r stude nts) being later no m but wherever architectural stu the University! ' But the major ameniti es r equired by community inated to carry out the detailed dents happened to be, and his arc ity of his correspondents echoed life such as clinics , schools , etc. work in connection with this de now distributed about the world' the sentiments of Professor are expounded , and their realisa vGlopment scheme. The scheme (as indeed the press cuttings (later Sir) Robert E. Kell y , tion chronicled , particularly in provided for two-, three- and Sir Charles collected bear wit Professor of Surgery 1922- 39 , who the aftermath of the Second World four- bedroomed houses and flats ness). thanked Sir Charles for the plea War and in the climate which pro and incorporated, as basic essen sure his book had given him , add duced the Town a nd Country Planning tials , a community centre or ' Club A number of the plannina and ing ' distance does lend enchant Act of 1947. Articles such as ho use ' and nur sery school , and other concepts which Sir Charles ment - o r perhaps it is that age ' My I deal Town ', written in 1945 , the incorporation of district Reilly advocated have more re always puts o n rose tinted specs'. set out his ideas of communities heatin g for the individual houses . cently found favour both in off with all the necessary amenities The Council at the same time in icial circles and amongst the The three letter books (1904-11 ) for a satisfying cultural and 1947 agreed to invite a former general public, albeit their gen which Lord Reilly deposited com communal as well as domestic life colleague of Sir Charles, Profes esis and descent is perhaps known prise copies of Professor Reilly' s provided within them. sor Simey (late Lord Simey; only to a few. As regards h andwritten letters on a wide Cltarles Boot h Professor of Socia l Liverpool, he had wanted the r a nge of s ubjects , both to do The p rinciples of community plan Science 1939-69, Lecturer , later city to remain populated both with the University, with the City ning , of small houses grouped Senior Lectur er , 1931-39), of the with houses and commercially, of Liverpool , with architectural around village greens , were in University o f Liverpool , to disagreeing with the creation of education and with his own prac corporated in the scheme (detailed advise on the social problems suburbs so far out in the country ; tice. Here we read of the plans i n their Outline Plan foY' BiY'kenhead~ which it was fe l t would inevit at one time, most of the Univ he submitted (but which were not published in 1947) which Sir a b ly arise in an est ate developed ersity ' s professors had lived in chosen) for a Students ' Union in Charles Reilly and one of his on a commun ity basis . It was a n established community around As hton Street and for an e xten former students , Mr N.J. Aslan , unfortunate that Sir Charles the University , but the creation sion to the Victoria Build ing in proposed for the Woodchurch Es Rc illy did not live to see work of suburbs led to moving away , Liverpool , a nd fo r a County Hall tate, Birkenhead in r esponse to commence on the new housing much to his annoyance . He out for the LCC, of his work in Port Birkenhead Corporation ' s commis estate at Dudley on modified forward suggestions for assisting Sunlight , London (including his sion to produce an outline plan ' Reilly green ' lines in 1950, a slum areas in Liverpool , advo St Barnabas Missio n Church , Dal for Birkenhead. However, this year after which the University cating redecoration and the clo ston , the building he wished to be scheme, ' the Hexagon Plan ' - t he Pr ess of Liverpool published the sina off of streets from the main remembered by , if any) and else planning of housing together with Soci al Science Department ' s roads to make t hem safer and more where; also of his campaign to communal facilities as a series study of Dudley , Social aspects of pleasant . Advocating low-level save the buildings of the Blue of hexagonal courts with a gar a t own development plan. housing in the suburbs around Coat School, Liverpool. In both den and front door to each resid ' village g reens', he was against the style of the p r ose and in ence and a large open space f or The latest papers in date relat the erection of large blocks of the handwrit ing , one detects the common use - suffered the fate of ing to Sir Charles Reilly which flats except in cities where great enthusiasm , vision and being severely criticised by Con Lo rd Re illy has deposited are space determined this type of energy which he brought to the servative councillors, and sup the obituary tributes and artic housinq . But it is not only for causes in which he believed . ported by Labour councillors, and les which appeared not only in his advocacy of such concepts But the vast majority of the was finally rejected. However, the professional j ournals but that Sir Charles Reilly deserves paper s which Lord Reilly had de the ideas embodied in this p l an also in the national and local to be r emembered- there is, posited comprise cuttings which were not laid to rest, Bilston press , reaching perhaps as wide above all, the major role he 22 played in architectural education , Non U.K . memb e rs and in particular , the establish ment of the Liverpool School of Mr D. C. Hammack , Russell Saoe roun Architecture as a School with a dation, 633 Third Avenue , New Yo rk, reputation a nd influence which N. Y. 10017, U. S . A. reached far beyond these shor es . It is to be hoped that the depos Professor L.H . Lofland, Department it of Sir Charles Reilly ' s papers of Sociology , University of Cal with the University Archives, t o ifornia , Davis , California , 95616 , gether with the other p rimary a nd U. S .A. secondary sources that are already available in Liverpool and a n Mr L. Piet, Belgielei 48 bus 13, examination of the buildings he 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium. a nd his stu0ents erected, will e n courage resear ch and the pub Mr A.J . van der Valk , Brederodes lication of several studies where traat 112 III , 1054 VH Amsterdam, by his true signj ficance may be The Netherlands. revealed. Non - U.K . institutional member s The papers of Sir Charles Reilly together with the list o f the Serials Current Section, Morisset same , may be con~u l te d in the Library, University of Ottawa , University Archi,·es , University of Ottawa , Ontario , Canada K1N 9A5 . Liverpool, Arts l'eading Room , Bedford Street Sc •uth , Liverpool Vrije Universiteit Bibliotheek L69 3BX (tel . OS J - 709 6022, ext. Geogr afie en Planologie , Postbus 30 4 8) during norntal offi ce hours 7161 , 1007 MC Amsterdam, Holland . b y prior appoint1~nt.
Ne'" Members U.K. Members
Mr M.G . Horsey , Hoyal Commission on Historic Monuments, 53 Me l ville Street, Edinburgh . Mr M.T. Pountney , Building Resear ch Station , Garston, Hertfordshire WD2 7JR.
U. K. Institutional members
Mr M. R . Hughes , Senior Assistant Librarian , Hertfo rdshire County Council , Central Library, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AJ.
The Periodicals Section, Depart ment of the Environment Library , Room P3/186 , 2 Ma rsham Street, London SW1P 3EB .