Place of Roads in Town Planning
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By Lieut.-Colonel Mervyn O'Gorman,
CB., D.Sc.
THE Minister of Works and Planning says (" -The Times," 1.1.1943): " his task is to start building directly the war is over." Good! We want 4,900,000 houses. That is more than all Greater London. It means 12,60,000 people. The houses must open on to roads to take these millions promptly to their jobs.
As our population is 85 per cent. urban, if the Minister is to start right, it is our urban roads that must be replanned now. He will, start wrong if he Axes on ,us for years their existing congested and timewasting pattern.
Our towns, as evolved through the centuries, are congre' gations of buildings, mostly higgledy piggledy, but always set ,dose enongh together to have quick access from one to'another and to the urban foci of interest. This accessibility facilitates collaboration and is the -cardinal distinction between -the town plan -and the country plan; but nearness between houses results in all-round accessibility only so long as the town is small. When it grows big, heaiiy convergences of traffic (afoot or awheel) towards the centres of work and interest congest and impede movement, Delays, hold-ups, collisions and accidents(-14) result and reduce accessibility.
" Another effect also arises from the Centralization of urban
foci. It engenders, eventually, a conflict .of citizens' interests:—Those with property in the best situations enjoy a high -demand and high prices because of its superior access to the amenities of town life. They do not feel the urge to improve circulation by bettering the road plan. To do so would probably dissipate much of their advantage. On the other hand, the citizens, outside the lucky coterie, would gain greatly by a replan of roads to free circulation. The former, who favour doing the minimum, have so far carried the day in every country. They merely say that the town has grown too big.
In contrast with this there is the view which realizes that the big town has exceptional merits precisely because it is a big town.
Professor Mark Jefferson (" The Times," 18.1.1939) • says:—" In the 40 most important countries in the world the largest city in each of 35 is at least half as large againL inpopulation as the next lafgest. In 23 countries the largest' centre is twice as large as the next. In 18 countries it is
three times as large. ." " Once a city is established as the largest in the country thisonere fact gives it an impetus to grow; its greater opportunities attracf inhabitants from the provinces. , . ."
This strong urge to live in the big town is a clear indication that it provides something that is not to be disregarded
with impunity. In all these 40 towns the population increased in spite of the impeded locomotion, which had induced dearer living, slums, overcrowding and street accidents.)-4-2)
The notion that the big town (say London or Manchester) has grown too big, needs very critical scrutiny. Un doubtedly it has outgrow-n' its means for communication, but there are remedies, for that. First among them is to overhaul its road plan. If the citizens have courage they can do this. if not, their.town will suffer--and so will they.
To-day the motor and the enemy's bombs have given us a new chance. The power of the motor vehicle, the aptitude of which has, hithert0,• been obstinately wasted in town traffic, can yet give us (without the defects). every advan,. tage of the big town. Our authorities, if Well prodded, will give us the road plan the/ enlists the mobility, convenience, cheapness; promptness and adaptability of the motor vehicle.
The alternative tow-n design has a non-stop ring road near to which the main foci will gradually be located.t+s) They will go there as a matter of business, because everyone can quickly get to all of.thern, with fewer vehicles, .acci: dents, delaysr less cost, uoise; fuel waste, and with parking. space cheaply available where it is wanted.
Such. a ring is a motorway. It is carved as a circuit which does not traverse the area of valuable buildings that give the character to the existing town. This ring is not to be confused with a circuit of ordinary streets reserved for 'motors ttfat do not stop. It must he wide, dualized, raised to clear cross streets, have 1.0-ft. grass verges and, above all, have only" trumpet " junctions. These are of the design which injects the entering vehicles into the circulating central vortex of traffic without imposing any pause. As this also enables the citizens to get promptly and .cheaply to and from the countryside, they need no longer suffer from deficiency of actinic light', of open-air exercise, of fresh food, etc. The-evils' of urbanization disappear and with them the high rents that are the cause of over-crowded houses and slums.
Reciprocally, when we have bridged the time gulf that isolates the country man from the interests of the town.' the country gains. Agriculture will more readily retain its wOrkers; they will find themselves in closer touch with the Natiou's life. The village factory will be-able to prosper from its prompt access to urban purchasers. When it flourishes it will provide alternative jobs and interests for youth in the country.
The ring road is a wedding ring uniting the city and the. land. Donning the wedding ring and pursuading the, town foci to draw near to it does not complete the job. There are still the inconvenient itr-iets that need attention. Bottlenecks must be cleared—bombed patches must be utilized-as lay-byes for bus stops,(-1-4) as parking places‘and as cab,. ranks. Most' roundabouts need redesigning to ensure the non-stop circulation of their vor6x.
NO blind corner that has been bombed must be rebuilt blind—side junctions, must be given flared openings so that no vehicle entering a main street is obliged to thrust its length across a main traffic stream.. Street name plates (five to every T junction) must be eyerywhere standardized. All houses—even clubs and pubs— must bear clear numbers.
Central refuges must be moved back 20 yards from the -inter-sections of streets. Ramped pedestrian-crossings mul'tiplied. Many footways should be widened and arcaded, to give the shelter our climate calls for to shoppers. A shop-gazing limit should be marked on the pavements, so that the walker's right of passage may be restored to him. In every detail access between the citizens must be honoured as the first purpose of streets and roads, It has been gravely neglected. It must'be restored. Safe and prompt loconnotion is Objective No. 1 instreet planning.
have travelled about Europe for 60 years, and I have repeatedly. appreciated the superiority of the big town for the wide choice of supplies, of interest, occupations, professiOnal attention, art schools, libraries. meeting places, cinemas, clubs, churches, institutions, inns-ems, hospitals, hotels, markets, etc. I have been ,forced to realize that it is the big town that affords the best opportunities for human co-operation and provides the trade -contacts with the whole world which make civilized life worth while. I am' for giving each big English town a wedding ring—and making an honest city of her.
(-E 11 Long before there was 'a tootor..Froode, (be great-historian, wrote
. 1874:—" prude,nt man will now venture 4 11-4lic in London streets„,nnless his will is made, his affairs in order, and a. card case in his pocket that his body may be identified." (short, Studies by Fronde.) (+2) ACCIDENTS: Sir lffenry Alaybury. AS chairman of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisor • Committee, r oried:— ' Acareful examanatIon of the-reports tot the Afetropoh an Police) clearly
• indicates that there is an intimate connection between the number of street accidents end traffic congestion.'• (1927 report.)
(+Si In London the foci Would eventually includet—Citernas, big stores, sports grounds, hospitals; the 10 ra:lway termini (withtheir 5254000,000 passengers p.a.). the three food markets; the docks (which clear 54,000,000 tone, worth £300,000,000 DA.). the 3.2,000 factories, some of the 22,000 workshops, and the prates
, e:onal groups (medicine, engineering, law, theatrical, merchauting. finance, architects, each of which voluntarily congregates in a defined locality without the cars; of being compulsorily " zoned").
(+4) In London the speed of base' dominates all other vehicles to an average of in.ni.e.h. in central diametrical routes and 10 m.p.h. over the larger area. (Lord Ashileid at the R.I., 1953.) Mr.. Shave (general manager of the L.C.O.C.) said to rate:—" If I could increase the average bus speed 2 mph. I toted do tliee things: (a) take 100 buses off the streets; b) rusk; 4100,000 a year more profit; te) serve the same number better.' As the buses and trains take 3,000.000,000 paEsenger jOarneye !La; the importance of' this is Significant.