The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1914. THE ART OF CITY BUILDING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2154, 21 May 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1914. THE ART OF CITY BUILDING

The town-planning movement- is making rapid progress in almost every civilised country. It makes its appeal with equal strength to the rational and aesthetical sidrs of tlio human mind. The contention ■ that beauty as well as utility should be taken into consideration in the original laying out and subsequent, growth of cities and towns seems sq obviously reasonable that one is inclined to wonder why it should be necessary to form societies in order to educate public opinion on tfc matter and bring pressure to bear on Ministries and municipalities so as to make town-planning something more than an- attractive theory. As a theory- it has hoe a fully established, and the time has com© to put it into practicc in a cefuprelrensive and systematic manner. * No city in New Zealand would benefit more from the practical application of the principles -of utility,• order, and beauty in its intension and development than Wellington. It lends itself readily to a well-thought-out beautifying scheme, ' which would make it as sightly as any city in the Dominion, and the Greater Wellington Municipal Electors' Association •deserves credit for the vigorous manner in which it has set out to educate the public mind in regard to this matter. The association intends to open its winter season debates with a discussion on the arfvisableness o£ presenting a petition asking Parliament to pass a Bill constituting town-planning boards, ■and at subsequent meetings various phases of town-planning will be considered with the hope of evolving a definite, policy. The movementshould have the full sympathy and practical help of citizens, and it is to be hoped that'before long a comprehensive scheme will be in working order Which will prevent the rcpnti--1 tion of past mistakes and direct i future development along right fines.

Parliament is not likely to throw obstacles in the way of a movement that aims at preventing the. formation of shun areas in the future, and as far as possible abolishing those already in existence, besides doing what it ean in other ways to promote Hie health and happiness of all sections of the community. The Legislature may bo relied tipoti to grant any, reasonable powers .which

may bo necessary to enable the. Gov-1 ei'nment- or the local authorities to - give effect to these aims. Tho Box, ■ H._D, Belt, ; informed a deputation, which waited upon him last week to ask for assistance in defraying the expenses of the tour of Messrs. Davidoe a-tjd l-t-EAM, of the English. Town-planning Association, that the Government was sympathetic "and willing to help. He did not fully' agree with all the suggestions of the deputation as regards the precise character of the legislation required, and gave the opinion that extensive town-planning powers are already in existence; but he expressed approval of tjie general' object in view. The points raised by Mr, BelL would, of course, havo to be fully considered in connection with my measure which may co-mo before Parliament, and in the meantime every opportunity should be taken by the leaders of the movement ' to educate public opinion and to indues, tho municipalities to make the test use of" the potfers they already possess, There is ample scope in New Zealand for town-planning activities both in the great centres of population and in connection with the townships which are growing up in all parts -of the country. It would be most- regrettable if those rc.-pon- ! sible for the foundation and early development- of these new townships' ; should fail to profit by the mistakes made in the older centres, or neglect to give the- fullest consideration to tho claims of use and beauty, and to tlio health of the present and future gMierat-iohs of citizens.

Town-planning is not a discovery < of the twentieth century, though it ' may be said to have had a new birth during recent years, In his interesting and timely hook on Ancient Town-planniti/f, . Professor Have-r----field states that the art of building cities on definite plans was known to the Koniafis. the Greeks; and the Babylonians. In certain towns in North Italy, like . Turin, > the rectangular system of Roman street construction has survived to the present, day. though probably Rome itself -and the moreancient Italian cities simply grew up without special guidance or deliborate design, in the Rowan provinces indications of the careful arrangement (?): streets and public buildings have been brought- to' light by excavations on the sites of ancient cities. Professor Havjbbfieuj states that the Roman town was .usually a rectangle broken up into four more or fcs equal and rectangular parts, by two maiii streets which crossed at right angles at or near its centre. To these two streets all the other streets raft parallel or at rightangles, the result being a chess-board pattern of rectangular house-blocks, square or oblong in shape. '-These towns_ had unity. Their various parts were in some sense harmonised, none being neglected and flotte gftevwislv over-indulged." Though the conditions of modern life make it impossible to adopt Roman methods in detail to any largo extent as regards town-planning,, we might Hvell emulate the systematic manner in which tho Romans made use of all the help that the best knowledge of their day could give them in building their cities. They were not content with arty such haphazard methods as .have in too many instances eharafitcrised the growth of modern towns* There are signs, however, of the- opening of a new and better 'era in this matter. Public, opinion ~js; being,.stirred up, and peopta are - beginning, to realise' that system and intelligence, and all t'ee resources of -science tod art should be brought into action in : order to make our centres of population as healthy, attractive, and convenient as circumstances will pcrI rait, . <S