Working Skyward

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 710, 9 July 1929, Page 10

Working Skyward

Buildings and Traffic Problems

SOONER or later Auckland must face the problem raised by its high buildings. Eventually it must share the difficulties which the big cities of the world have already' begun to encounter through thrusting skyward. Traffic congestion will show the first sign of trouble if the city builds too high for public safety. Reduced to figures, this prospect is not a pleasant one.

This city possesses all the elements o£ one of the greatest traffic problems of the world—the congestion in streets caused by high buildings. At times the pavements in Auckland are already overcrowded, and if pedestrians wish to progress at more than the proverbial snail’s pace, they must step occasionally on to the road. When the business offices disgorge their occupants at about the same hour every evening, fast pedestrian movement is almost impossible. Such a state of things is registered with comparatively few of the buildings in Queen Street reaching to the full height allowed by the city by-laws. Eventually it is reasonable to assume —the whole of Queen Street will be built to the limit of this regulation. What then, will be the position on the pavement? Briefly, three factors influence the control of high buildings. First there is the essential light, air and general health; secondly the Are fighting appliances must be considered; and thirdly, eclipsing the first two factors in its general effect, is the problem of traffic movement. PEDESTRIAN BLOCKADE If a building runs north and south, it is certain that the sun will shine along the street for a great part of the day. If it runs east and west — particularly if it faces the south—■the lighting and natural warmth are excluded. Moreover, fire fighting is hampered if buildings overreach a certain height. The pumping capacity of the Auckland Fire Brigade’s plant is 120 feet, and although many modern commercial buildings are reputedly fire-proof, an outbreak upon any particular floor must be checked before its spread endangers the whole structure. The possibility, too, of exceptionally high blocks of flats is raised by recent population tendencies. In London, Chicago, New York and other rapidly-expanding cities, the third and most vital factor—traffic—is exercising the authorities. Investigation has reduced the problem to statistics, which, it is believed will provide definite lines upon which to work.

For. instance, the amount of space occupied by one pedestrian and by one motor vehicle uijder different con-

ditions, has been worked down. Upon the basis arrived at, it has been determined that if the Woolworth Buildins in New York were emptied into the street within five minutes, its occupants would, on a 20 foot pavement, extend for a mile and a half. Similarly, in a five-storeyed building in the loop area of Chicago, on a site 160 feet by 172 feet, and having a day population of 2,018 people, it was found that if everyone arrived together for work they would occupy 504 feet of pavement 17 feet wide for. five minutes. These illustrations appear remote when applied, even as possibilities to Auckland. But they are grave problems in big cities abroad, and, constructional authorities affirm, will unquestionably trouble the City of Auckland if the height of buildings were unrestricted.. Today the Queen Street building limit is 102 feet above the pavement. This varies according to the width of the streets throughout the city. COMMON-SENSE PROBLEM Mr. IV. H. Gummer, the Auckland architect and town planner, who gives these interesting statistics, adds that the futility of exceptionally high building is emphasised by the growing private ownership of motor cars among the people. In, some American States, there is on an average, a car to every family. In New Zealand the proportion is growing rapidly every year—we now have one car to 11 people— and with it grows also the intensity of the city traffic problem. “It is a problem of town planning and of common sense,” Mr. Gummer ventured. “Some of our high buildings now look very fine, but when, in future, we have whole streets full of Vhem, it is difficult to anticipate how we will handle the people.” The fact that many buildings are out of architectural scale Is regretted by some building experts, who give illustrations of wide streets in big cities being dwarfed into appearance of small lanes by the immensity of their buildings. Auckland has its problem to face. The example of other cities has shown how things are tending. A vision of Queen Street filled on both sides by eight-storeyed buildings', each accommodating hundreds of people, is not terms of traffic.