HOUSING FOR WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 235, 30 June 1919, Page 6

HOUSING FOR WELLINGTON

THE "GAHDEN SQUAItE."

Sir,—l he old garden squares of the residential quarters in London are their greatest asset, and the observant resident or habitue ol the melropo'ii.j of the Empire woulu realise thai without them London would be deficient indeed. The course of the Thames forms the clearing "flue" of tile "lower parts of London, the parks and garden squares its playgrounds, and "lungs." In later years the many garden terraces which succeeded the demolition of the "West End" sluma, such as Lower Chelsea, or were erected upon the outskirts of the ever-expanding metropolis, by no means rose to the level of the old, well-kept communal London garden square, mostly surrounded by tall, ample residential buildings. And the purpose of this communication is to point out what an asset Wellington possesses (or could possess) in the sites trunting the Basin Itesei've on each side of a long expanse far exceeding tho length of any London square, and particularly suited for residential buildings. One has heard much and read much about town planning, which, so far as regards housing, revolves around schemes, in themselves excellent, of course, for providing separately enclosed houses for workmen—presumably mostly for those "in fustian"; and some stir is apparent when the erection of a group of 200 single houses is proposed. But tn a growing capital city like Wellington, we must think in thousands, or indeed, tens of thousands, when calculating to accommodate the teeming population of tho future, and should set about making the most of the facilities we have already got. or what has already been laid oiii within its present confines. AVe shall also find it necessary to adjust and renlan the present lines as well as to extend the city upon the very idealistic lines have constantly put before us.

Furthermore, it requires little demonstration to show that the cost of building the small houses is almost prohibitive.' Of course it is! And that, because we are not building vertically. One roof and one foundation in city residential buildings should. cover more than one or two stories in the vertical to bring tho outlay of capital within reasonable limits and allow rooms to be let at a normal rate.

And, Sir, besides the everlasting worker "in fustian" there are those sorelytried workers, the "blnck-coated" workers, those whoso black coats, through the difficulty of making their limited wages "meet both ends," become somewhat threadbare. There is the estimable girlworker of the office and the factory, the "bachelor girl" of limited means, the widow of limited means and often considerable responsibilities i • the man of years, isolated, <poor, )>ut often properly independent; young people who cannot find" houses, etc.; and these all make up a large number who should hc_ able to live near their town, work, or interests, and all with proper town-planning foresight could be provided for. 'Ihe Basin Reserve is fronted mostly l>y dwarfed—mostly mean—buildings of heterogeneous character, which are quite inadequately ftllinsi up the valuable spaco, and the newest buildings in scale do not. equal the opportunities. In this heart of this rising metronolis —under a Napoleon '■-a. great "Elace".-would have eom'e. .Tt astonishes the writer that he has seen no suggestion made in the sense of ideal town planning to develop the; low? frontages on each side of this garden reserve. Starting from Conrtenay Place, many stately uniform and dignified building fronts could he harmoniously, erected according to a concerted general iilnn—as now being thought out for Piccadilly; etc. —ground floor part shops, if you will. What an opportunity would occur for central heating, lighting, commercial altering, the establishment of hostelne3, and independent suites properly chaperoned. and other amenities. And how stately and elegant » feature these Ipngths of stately buildings in the heart of the city would mnte lending up to the plaving fields and coming developments l>c.vond,-I pECKi June 26, 1919.