Geddes Garden City Essay Example for Free

Geddes Garden City EssayIntroduction The American governmental Economist who authored the best read book titled Progress and Poverty (La lend oneself) defined urbanization as This support of great cities is not the natural life of man. He moldiness, under such conditions, deteriorate, physically, mentally, and morally . To consider his point, the author view that life must(prenominal) be maintained in a serene aviation and not in a busy urban center except like those old reliable days that red beans or the cocoa is enough to pass around e genuinely household child to a good school. Henry George began musing on this fantasy when the freshly railroad transport was developed in calcium that made an influence on high land values and influx of ordinary people to city life. That development in one place brought nearly overcrowding and had wayward implications on the sustainability of the natural environment. However, his idea provided economic reforms that made improvements of the life of the working classes possible. Cities be indications of developments and of the visible civilizations of the history of man. It takes a process of transformation that is unequaled and at the same duration diverse. This work is aimed at explaining the town suppositions during the period of industrialization from the beginning of mass transportation and birth of new cities in grouchy on how Geddes observed and analyze these processes.Sustainability of the Man-built Environment It was concluded by Henry George that the man-built environment is something that will not last. However, Patrick Geddes the Leonardo da Vinci of the 20th century teaches and reaffirms that our humanity environment could be sustained provided that man cooperates in the process. It has to be sustained in order that the life cycle of the young generations continues. His story is not a contradiction to Georges philosophy but a possible solution to mans current problems. His reaffirmation broug ht to the introduction a new hope that in time though life cycle is limited, this world is tacit something worthy to be cared for and it can endure. The positive attitude of George influences not sole(prenominal) his neighbors but the human settlement at large during his time to the present. T present are issues on industrialization which brings wealth but at the same time destroys the natural environment caused by pollutants. For this reason, Geddes made it clear that man do not live by the jingling of his coins. in that respect is always a filament effect if one resource is used in accordingly. He provided a solution written in the Evergreen book that a sustainable world is as simple as making it fosterably green. His conviction reminded even planners that if developments are unchecked it would create more disaster than improvements. Globally, e very(prenominal)one breathe the same distribute that a poor or a developed nation breathes. The current concern do not deals alon e with affordability but also sustainability. With the pressing row of modernization, comfortable living is expensive and value for money is usually a rare find. The problem of overcrowding in the cities and the lack of economic growth in the inelegant areas still remains to be a problem on poorly planned cities. The increase of deteriorating cities will lead to the decline of the orbiculate sustainability. The idea here is to provide developmental options that are definitely relevant to every cities of the world.His mottos by creating we think and by living we learn was made to good use by educating people nearly their environment (Grewar). The new housing design for workers, organizing his neighbors to renovate houses and build gardens made an indelible mark in his works which can still be seen in every postcard of the citys Royal Mile that even Albert Einstein admired and has honored him (Grewar).The Garden City casePatrick Geddes three dimensional thinking (geography, econo mics and anthropology) places accessible sciences above math and logic, biology, chemistry and physics. His belief that the earth as a cooperative planet must teach people on how to treat properly their environment and is aimed specifically on educating children, improving the physical quality of life by biological friendship by producing better medicines, and understanding human influence on ecology (Killiecrankie).Geddes bridging social sciences with biology even influenced his biographer Lewis Mumford on the simple idea that man just like plants and animals thrived in healthy conditions which are expressed in one of the extracts of Geddes writingsThe world is mainly vast leaf-colony, growing on and forming a foliolate soil, not a mere mineral mass, and we live not by the jingling of our coins, but by the fullness of our harvest. This is green world, with animals comparatively small, and all unaffiliated upon leaves. By leaves we live (Grewar). Mumford an architectural critic and is particularly noted for his study on urbanization of the environment regarded technology as the destroyer of environment even if he qualifies that electricity could lead to the improvements of the social spheres (University). His works are indications that technology must be regulated.During the late 18th century Garden Cities began to evolve through the works of city and town planners particularly the works of Ebenezer Howard in UK influenced by the philosophy of Geddes new approach in urban planning called the garden city accomplishment. Howard began to build self-sustaining towns that combines convenience and industries located on agricultural sites (Sir Ebenezer Howard).Howard realizes that no matter from what nation a man belongs, there is but one social issue which is difficult to solve and that is problems on housing and labor. This propelled many to advocate the new movement and increases the awareness on the concept of decency of surroundings and that includes, ampl e spaces, cleanse housing with gardens, and preservation of landscapes (Letchworth).The First Garden City Letchworth City is founded by Howard and is the first garden city of the world in 1905 the garden city movement became involved in the exhibits of new housing called the workers cottage or housing for the working class in which some of it still stood today.Those cheap but beardown(prenominal) and functional residences can be affordable to workers. Some of these cottages made of wood or concrete can still be found in Letchworth streets and is direct being conserved. Some of the prototype housing called the workers cottages influences the human settlement design of this century. This new housing designed sprawled even to the west for instance the workers cottages of Architect Maybeck of calcium and to the whole world at least giving man an accommodation that he humanly deserves.Mass Transportation Fast developments are due(p) to modify transportation and communications. The s treets affect the life of all its inhabitants and this vision is very much encouraged in order to serve a huge macrocosm. This is indeed very necessary but at the same time may lead to a city decline. This entails thorough planning on how to maintain a good life in a cellular metropolis. Victor Gruen a planning practitioner, mentioned in his last publicized works that auto sprawl would cripple the global ecosystem and brings about physical and psychological starvation of the urbanized man (Hill). Today, some cities plants a good number of trees for every parking slots or spaces created. Planning theories must be integrated to transit that is useful to automobile cities and providing more mass transit and more freeways. Automobile cities, needs more spaces unlike the old knight tracks during the colonial times. Human settlement today cannot tolerate a waste of space in places where living condition is dense. Somehow, these dense spaces are capable of providing the uttermost comfor t for man by means of mechanical equipments in buildings.In this cities life is fast and expensive. Technology is a provision for mans comfort and not a means to enslave but more often than not it is the other way around. However, there are many fast develop cities that is capable of coping with the new technology because work is valued in congruent with the dignity of man. Gruen proposes a plan that could justify economic productivity of astronomical cities and at the same time create sub cities that would adapt to what he calls megalopolitan sprawl. However, globalization could also mean going beyond ones land area. There is still vast area of lands wanting to be developed. There are many nations that are in need to cope with the present dynamics of the new world technology. And while there are other places where overpopulation is a problem there are affluent cities in the second millennium that the inverted population growth also presupposes danger.Conclusion In the abstract wr itten by Dr. Mervyn Miller, he mentioned the book written by the founder of Letchworth, Tomorrow a placid Path to Real Reform written in 1898 is very much true to our society of today. He recalls that the garden city is a potent concept in the emergence of the 20th century cities. Contemporary planners addressed the issue by following the course of people like Geddes. However, due to the increase in the demand on the lease to life, those familiar workers cottages are considered mini-mansions of many career oriented people of today. Ample spaces are defined as functional spaces due to the ever increasing cost per area of construction in square foot or in meters. Coping with life that is becoming unsustainable is becoming a depressing problem even more than how George views it in his time.The internationalist who believes that nothing is gained by overcrowding still support the issue on the green environment that is very relevant today. However, there are trends that are still needed to be discovered and be rediscovered especially within the new technology along on how this new ideas can be within the reach of everyone. The key here is what kind of technology should be provided to sustain the ordinary man of the streets.The approach that Geddes concept has provided in his time is for the working class of the industrialized period. That became the reason why todays environmentalist regarded Geddes a steward in land use and its sustainability. Today, a number of men with the same aspirations of those Internationalist described is very much needed. This fast growing old planet needs people who are a hundred percent human beings in the middle of the electro- mechanical world.Works CitedGrewar, Mindy. Vivendo Discimus Everything in the Garden Is Magnifique for the Anniversary Celebrations of a Great Scot. (2004). 11 April 2008 http//www.scotland.org/about/history-tradition-and-roots/features/education/geddes.html.Hill, David R. Sustainability, Victor Gruen, and the Cellular Metropolis. (2008). 11 April 2008 http//www.questia.com/googleScholar.qstjsessionid=H1TcfmZ4RRyJKG06dF94gjTT9hyHh99GrVvwdzytZzVnn6Lq771Y-798756091?docId=5001677813.Killiecrankie. Patrick Geddes 1854-1932. (2008). 11 April 2008 http//www.visitkilliecrankie.com/patrick-geddes.htm.Lause, Mark. Henry George. 11 April 2008 http//www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Quad/6460/bio/G/eorge.html.Letchworth. Letchworth the First Garden City (2007). 11 April 2008 http//lgc.amolad.net/heritage/index-3.htm.Sir Ebenezer Howard. (2007). 11 April 2008 http//www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-HowardEb.html.University, Regent. Lewis Mumford (1895-1988). (2007). 11 April 2008 http//www.regent.edu/acad/schcom/rojc/mdic/mumford.html.