Urban Design Thinkers

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The Radiant City

• It was a city with a rectangular shape containing two cross axial


highways.
• Le Corbusier’s basic formula was both architecture and cities should be
machines for living.
• Different areas would be designated for commercial, business, leisure,
and residential purposes; a transportation deck in the city center would
connect city dwellers, via underground trains, to housing districts
consisting of towering premade buildings called “Unités
• At its heart was a six-level transport interchange – centre for motor, rail
lines (underground and main-line railways) and roof of which is air-field.
• key to reduce the congestion of city centres by increasing
their density by building up - high density, high-rise city cores
leaving land for green space and private transport
• 24 cruciform skyscrapers - 60 storeyed office building with
density 1200 ppa and covers 5% of the ground.
• Surrounding skyscrapers was apartment district – 8 storey
buildings arranged in zigzag rows with broad open spaces
with density of 120 ppa
• The buildings in the central area were raised on stilts (pilotis)
so as to leave panoramas of unbroken greenery at ground
level
• The general impression was more of a city in a park than of a
parkland in the city.
• The city espoused space, speed, mass production and
efficient organisation, but also offered combination of
natural and urban environments.
• integrated community services
• Day care facilities
• shops
• poured concrete sections and panels, textured and
sculpted with recessed windows and balconies
• inexpensive and amenable to prefabrication … the
grid
The Garden City Concept
• Sir Ebenezer Howard (1850-1924) was the founder of garden cities
• His main aim was to create a theoretical concept that would try to
correct or reduce problems that were now being experienced in the
city of London.
Problems leading to Development of the
Concept
• Lack of Space in the City
• Overpopulation
• Poor living conditions
• Disease outbreaks due to poor sanitation and air pollution
• Poverty, people lived in slums
• Civic unrest
Problems in the Country Side
• No jobs
• This led to rural urban migration
• As a result of this dilemma, Howard came up with the three magnets
diagram.
• His theory began by investigating ways to make the countryside more
attractive to future residents and investors
The Three Magnet Diagram
• to compare the merits and demerits of both town and countryside
• Howard thought in order to let people stay in their land, it was
necessary to combine the merits of both town and countryside.
• town can provide more jobs, better salaries, more opportunities, etc.
• But the negative sides of townships were high living expenses
• polluted environment, a congested traffic system and excessive
working hours.
• In the countryside, the natural environment is preserved but the
• negatives included a “dull” society
• His garden city was therefore a combination of the merits from both
the countryside and the urban areas.
• This is city’s job opportunities and the countryside’s natural
environment
• The combination was not a mix of physical characteristics but the
creation of a new society
• The model Garden City was described as a newly built city with
limited size and population,
• planned in advance
• surrounded by a permanent belt of agricultural land.
• Garden City was run independently and is managed by its citizens.
• The land of the Garden City was owned by the public represented by
a group of trustees, and leased to the citizens
Layout of the Garden City
• Garden City was built in the centre of a 6,000 acres land, and the whole city covers
about 1,000 acres. There is a permanent greenbelt surrounding the city
• In the city centre, there was a 5.5-acre circular garden
• Public buildings like city halls, public library, lecture hall, theatre and museum
surround the garden.
• On the outer ring, there was another public park called the Central Park that covers
a 145 acre area.
• In this park, there was a landmark building “the crystal palace,” it was a commercial
centre for local businessman and retailers
• On the outer ring, there were residential areas, where affordable housing is laid
facing the city parks.
Parks, Greenspaces & Greenbelts
• Parks and green spaces were highly recommended in Howard’s
Garden City.
• A 5.5-acre park was located in the centre of the city,
• on the outside ring, there was another 145-acre central park that
separates the public administrative areas from the residential areas
• The central park served as a gathering place, where people can trade
with each other and carry out outdoor activities.
• On the further outside circle, Grand Avenue separates the inner town
areas which were mainly for people to meet and live, from the outer
town areas which are for manufacturing and railways.
Traffic System of the Garden City
• The principle of the traffic design in Garden City is to encourage
pedestrians
• limit the use of auto cars in the inner city
• create a convenient railway system for business and commerce.
• There were six magnificent boulevards—each 120 feet wide—beginning at
the centre of the city and extending to the circumference.
• There were multiple concentric ring avenues going around the city.
• At the outskirt of town, the 420-feet wide Grand Avenue was the main
arterial for the city. Railways connect Garden City with other cities.
Strengths of the Garden City Concept
• It took into consideration the need to preserve the environment.
• It created liveable communities
• It addressed much of the urban problems i.e
pollution- separation of industries and residential areas
• Overcrowding- allocation of space to certain functions giving it specific area
• Dull communities- encouraging and enhancing the natural environment in
the urban area.
• Lack of housing and poverty- provision of high quality affordable housing
and ownership
Weaknesses of the Concept
• The street design proposed by Howard cannot conform to certain
terrain i.e steep areas cannot have a concentric ring avenue.
• The city was built up and accommodates a specific number of
people – 32 000, it is not futuristic and does not explain the
increase in population.
• It talked about creating a new city and not correcting the already
existing urban areas
Lessons for Town Planning
• Land-use segregation
• Road hierarchy
• Residential site planning
• Greenbelts
• Industrial Parks
• Planned Decentralisation
• Neighbourhood Unit (Notes to follow)
• Redburn Concept (Notes to follow)

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