URBAN DESIGN

PLANNING PRINCIPLES OF
SIR PATRICK GEDDES
SIR EBENEZER HOWARD
DOXIADIS

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

AR. RANJIT KAUR KRITIKA – 15120093

RAVNEET – 15120094
HARLEEN - 15120095
PLANNING PRINCIPLES OF PATRICK GEDDES

 Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17

April 1932) was a Scottish biologist,
sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and
pioneering town planner.
 He is known for his innovative thinking in the
fields of urban planning and sociology.
 He introduced the concept of "region" to
architecture and planning and
 coined the term "conurbation".
 Geddes was the founder of the College des
Ecossaise (Scots College) an international
teaching establishment in Montpellier,
France.
 He studied at the Royal College of Mines in
London under Thomas Henry Huxley
between 1874 and 1878, and lectured in
Zoology at Edinburgh University from 1880
to 1888.
 CONCEPTS
 Preservation of human life and energy, rather than superficial beautification.
 Conformity to an orderly development plan carried out in stages.
 Promoting trade and commerce.
 Preserving historic buildings and buildings of religious significance.
 Developing a city worthy of civic pride, not an imitation of European cities.
 Promoting the happiness, health and comfort of all residents, rather than focusing on
roads and parks available only to the rich.
 Control over future growth with adequate provision for future requirements.

In human terms this can be understood as a place

acting through climatic and geographic processes upon
people and thus shaping them. At the same time people
act, through economic processes such as farming and
construction, on a place and thus shape it. Thus both
place and folk are linked and through work are in
constant transition.
According to Geddes, it is from "stable, healthy homes“
providing the necessary conditions for mental and moral
development that come beautiful and healthy children
who are able "to fully participate in life".
Solution proposed by town Solution proposed by
planners for traffic Geddes for traffic
congestion, suggesting congestion, with minimum
grid iron plan demolition of existing
houses
a street in Madurai, Tamil Nadu
THE VALLEY SECTION
 Geddes first published his idea of the valley section in
1909 to illustrate his idea of the 'region-city'.
 The valley section is a complex model, which combines
physical condition- geology and geomorphology and their
biological associations - with so-called natural or basic
occupations such as miner, hunter, shepherd or fisher,
and with the human settlements that arise from them.
CONURBATION
 The term "conurbation" was coined in 1915 by Patrick Geddes in his book Cities
In Evolution
 A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and
other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have
merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area.
 He drew attention to the ability of the (then) new technology of electric power and
motorised transport to allow cities to spread and agglomerate together, and gave
as examples "Midland ton" in England, the Ruhr in Germany, Ramstad in the
Netherlands, New York-Boston in the United States, the Greater Tokyo Area and
Taiheiyō Belt in Japan and NCR of Delhi in India.
 CONSTELLATION THEORY

 prominent cities in Maharashtra are shown to be

connected forming a “CONSTELLATION‟ shape.
 This CONSTELLATION THEORY was coined by
Sir Patrick Geddes , “4 or more cities, which are
not economically, politically, socially equal come
together in developing a whole region”
 Such theory is most prominently used because
planning cities in a particular shape pattern is not
possible in Today‟s times.
CONSERVATIVE SURGERY
 Take into account the existing physical, social, symbolic
landscape of a place in order to allow its most favorable
future development.

Geddes' Conservative Surgery for Pajawa Tank,

Balrampur in 1917
 TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
 The area of Tel Aviv originally planned by
Geddes makes up approximately 7.5% of
the current day municipality of Tel Aviv and
is now known as Tel Aviv‟s “Old North”.
 It was designed to be an extension of the
much older neighbouring Arabic port town
Jaffa to the south and a home for the
increasing population of Jews emigrating
from other parts of the world
(predominantly Eastern Europe).
 The principles he employed for the city were strikingly similar to
what we now know as New Urbanism ideas of planning - an
emphasis was placed on pedestrians as opposed to motor car
traffic, a sense of community and civic life was encouraged through
the use of town squares and abundant planting of greenery
provided significant focus on a minimal environmental footprint.
 Private automobile traffic was minimised and the city was
envisaged on a pedestrian-scale. This neighborhood identity has
been crucial in the success of Tel Aviv as a city.

A street in Tel Aviv,

city was envisaged on
pedestrian scale
SIR EBENEZER HOWARD
INTRODUCTION

 Sir Ebenezer Howard was born

as the son of a shopkeeper in the
City of London, on 29th of
January 1850.
 After schooling, he took on a
number of clerical posts.
 In 1871, he emigrated to the
frontier country ofAmerica to
become a farmer.
 It was during this time, he began
to contemplate ways to improve
cities.
 Sir Ebenezer Howard is known for
his publication To-
Morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real
Reform (1898)
 ARISE OF THE PROBLEM
• It is important to understand the context to which Howard’s
work was a reaction.
• London (and other cities) in the 19th century were in the
throws of industrialization, and the cities were exerting
massive forces on the labour markets of the time.
• Massive immigration from the countryside to the cities was
taking place with London.
• This situation was unsustainable and political commentators of
all parties sought “how best to provide the proper antidote
against the greatest danger of modern existence” To
Howard the cure was simple - to reintegrate people with the
countryside.

CURE OF THE PROBLEM

• He set about comparing the ‘town and country magnets’ but
decided that neither were suitable attractors for his utopian
vision.
• Instead he believed that “Human society and the beauty of nature
are meant to be enjoyed together” – hence giving his solution
“the two magnets must be made one.”
"Town and country must be united, and out of this joyous union, will
spring a new hope, a new life, a new civilization."
THE THREE MAGNETS
 The Three Magnets Diagram (below)makes three points:
 Town life has good and bad characteristics
 Country life has good and bad characteristics
 Town-Country life can have all the good things about life in towns and life in the country –
without any of the bad things.
TOWN-COUNTRY

• combination of both aspects

• beauty of nature- peace all-over the places.
• social opportunity- cumulative growth.
• fields and parks of easy access- equal
chances.
• low rents- high wages.
• low rates- plenty to do.
• low prices- no sweating.
• field for enterprise- flow of capital.
• pure air and water- good drainage.
• bright homes & gardens- no smoke, no
slums.
• freedom- co-operation.
 GARDEN CITY
• Term means ‘a city in a garden ‘ or city of gardens’.
• By Garden cities and Town Planning Association,1919
“a garden city is a town designed for healthy living
and industry; of a size that makes possible a full
measure of social life; but not larger
;surrounded by a rural belt; the whole of the
land being in public ownership or held iin trust
for community”

1. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by

"greenbelts", containing proportionate areas of residences, industry, and agriculture.
2. The garden city introduced the use of greenbelts that have served many uses including
the preservation of agricultural and rural life, nature and heritage conservation,
recreation, pollution minimization, and growth management.
3. Garden city tradition endowed urban planning with a social and community
dimensions.
4. The garden city idea however, showed how both industrial estates and collective retailing
spaces could be used within a comprehensive planning approach to serve public
purposes 16
 CORE PRINCIPLES OF GARDEN CITY

1. Strong community
2. Ordered development
3. Environmental quality

PRINCIPLES OF GARDEN CITY

1. Co-operatve holding of land to insure that the advantage of appreciation of land
values goes to the community,not the private individuals
2. Economic and social advantages of large scale planning
3. Establishment of cities of limited size, but at the same time possessing a
balanced agricultural industrial economy..
4. Urban decentralisation
5. Use of a surrounding green belt to serve as an agricultural recreational area.
 FEATURES OF GARDEN CITY
 Contains open spaces and gardens around all the
dwelling houses and factories
 It is a city owned by all citizens on a co-operative basis
 Its is an independent entity having its own civic life
and affording all daily needs with adequate spaces for
schools and other functional purposes.
 It is a self sufficient unit having its own industries.
 It is surrounded by periphery by a green belt.

CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT
• Circular city growing in a radial manner or pattern.
• Divided into six equal wards, by six main Boulevards
that radiated from the central park/garden.
• Civic institutions (Town Hall, Library, Hospital, Theatre,
Museum etc. ) are placed around the central garden.
• The central park enclosed by a crystal palace acts as an
arcade
 GARDEN CITY EXAMPLES

 LETCHWORTH CITY

 Letchworth is the world’s first Garden City, created as a solution to the slum and
poverty of urban life in Britain in the late 19th Century. Based on the ideas of
Ebenezer Howard as published in his book of 1898 “Tomorrow: A Peaceful Path to
Reform”. Letchworth Garden City inspired town planning across the globe.
 Howard’s company- First Garden City Ltd began construction in 1903.
 The company appointed architects Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin to design
the masterplan for the new community.
 This Garden City is located in North Hertfordshire, 35 miles north of London
which is spread over an area of approx. 5000 acres.
 Designed for a population of 35,000 people.
 Having reserved green belt of 1,300 acres.
Garden City principles
 • The dwellings for all classes of people should be distributed about a large central
court in which public buildings would be located.
 The Shopping Centre to be located on the edge of the town.
 The employment facilities for all the people to be provided by starting a variety of
industries.
 The industries to be located on the outskirts of the town. • The city should have max.
population of 30 to 35 thousand people in an are of 1000 acres.
 The city should have the advantage of both rural life such as fresh air, gardens,
playfields, cottages etc. and amenities of urban life such as schools, theaters,
hospitals, recreational centers etc.
•Distance between each ring vary
between 3- 5km .
•A 420 feet wide , 3 mile long, Grand
avenue which run in the center of
concentric rings , houses the schools
and churches and acts as a continuous
public park.
• The streets for houses are formed by
a series of concentric ringed tree lined
avenues.
•All the industries, factories and
warehouses were placed at the
peripheral ring of the city.
•The municipal railway was placed in
another ring closer to the industrial ring
, so that the pressure of excess
transport on the city streets are
reduced and the city is connected to
the rest of the nation.
FACTORY
SITE

RECREATIONAL
GROUND
 WELWYN CITY

• Welwyn Garden City is a town within the Borough of Welwyn in

Hertfordshire, England.
• On 29 April 1920 a company, Welwyn Garden City Limited,
was formed to plan and build the garden city, chaired by Sir
Theodore Chambers. Louis de Soissons was appointed as
architect
 Land of 2378 acres Designed for a maximum of 40000
population
• In 15 years –developed with 10000 population & 50 shops,
industries.

• Streets are designed so as to give the

concept of a Neighborhood unit.
• Separation of the pedestrian walkways from
the main roads gives a sense of natural
beauty.
• Open and green spaces are Given on a
large scale.
• Personalization of Homes in Welwyn with
varying roofline, texture and composition
for each house.
RADBURN, NEW JERSEY
1. Radburn was planned by architects Clarence Stein
and Henry Wright in 1928.
2. It is America’s first garden community, serving as a
world wide example of the harmonious blending of
private space and open area.

• It consists of
• Residential areas
• 149 acres of interior parks,
• Walkways.
• 2 swimming pools,
• 4 tennis courts,
• 2 playgrounds,
• Archery plaza and a school,
• 2 outdoor basketball courts
• A community center, which houses
administrative
offices, library, gymnasium, clubroom and
service
 RADBURN, NEW JERSEY
 Park as backbone of the neighborhood.
 Specialized Highway system, Complete
separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic with
21% of road areas.
 Through the use of the superblock, houses in
Radburn were uniquely designed to have two
fronts.
 The ‘back side’ of the house, what we would
normally consider the front side, faced the culs-de-
sac and parking.
 The kitchen was normally placed in the back to
provide visitors a place to enter the house.
 The ‘front side’ of the house faced towards the
green spaces or parks encouraging pedestrian
traffic.

Plaza building the shoping Parks and greenbelt

center Housing Blocks
CONCLUSION
 Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City concept shows us a place where
genuine urban activities are carried at human scale.
 The garden city introduced the use of greenbelts that have served
many uses including the preservation of agricultural and rural life,
nature and heritage conservation, recreation, pollution minimization,
and growth management.
 Garden city tradition endowed urban planning with a social and
community dimensions.
 The garden city idea however, showed how both industrial estates
and collective retailing spaces could be used within a
comprehensive planning approach to serve public purposes.
C A DOXIADIS
C.A DOXIADIS