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 .