TOWN PLANNING SCHEMES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 223, 20 March 1914, Page 8

TOWN PLANNING SCHEMES.

A-TRENCHANT CRITIC !*M. | AND SOME GUiDLXU JX^AS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Trenchant criticism of the town-plan-ningjcheuies which have been dominated by "the eternal straight road'and right angle" were made bv the Major 61' -Auckland (Mr C. J. Pair) this morning, in welcoming the delegates to the Conference of the New Zealand Institute of Local Government Engineers. Commenting on the fact that a paper on town-planning was to be rend to the conference, Mr Parii said: "1 am one of those who think wo have bliiudero.: almost''irreparably in the lading out ol cities'and' towns in is couu'-y. from the 'want of r.n elenientar.v k:io\vled<n' of ■;■ the subject of town-planniosr." Hitherto the laying-out-of towns, and suburbs had been left to the whims of incapable road boards, assisted by some person or other of verv poor information •on'the subject- The result hail been that they had gone -higgledv-nWledv, withoilt system, plan, rhyme nr reason. 'Was it not time that Parliament stopp 1 in and intimated that this should no longer obtain, and that cities and towns Should 'be governed in growth and ex'tengion by some system or plan? Tn his judgment no civil engineer who was an 'adviser to a local authority was worth his'job unless he kept himself abreast if modern views in regard to town-plan-ning. " "'fMay I .express the hope' that the pt'i'rna'l straight road will get a curve in ! t before 1 long, and'that the abominable 'right .anglfe■ Will have some alteration. •TloNjhfrt timings will be more lovoW to 'tU' eye and more useful tn the eoni-WtWi'tv-r continued Mr. Parr. "Was the 00ft road nowndn-s neeessarv? At present they hdd this minimum width irrespective'of ■ traffic +he road might earrv. whether, like Queen Street, it carried-; the traffic of 100,000 neonle, or merely . accommodated butchers and 'bakers'! carts." '

In the ,course of a Tory comprehensive and interesting pup-" - on Mr John''Kelly, the Southland Countv Engineer, remarked: "Town-pin nnin<r is ■'nnWnnon by many as tn\> liiyimr out of parks' and Erirdens, crectinir momimerits.'staiuary and fountains and curvstreet* and walks, etc. All this is •desirable and necessary, but should noi be' the mam featv" of town-plannin". Successful and economical town-nJannin" should be first laid Out by the municipal engineer; fixed bv a land surveyor, and then beautified by a landscape *»ardener and architect. The engineer must design his work in one comprehensive scheme, from the highest level of t>> '-own'to the lowest. ; The result of bad ♦own-planning has greatlv increased the cost of works of all .kinds and increased taxation, whica has brought crowding with its attendant evils."