©© Kalpita BasuKalpita Basu

GARDEN CITY CONCEPT IN A MODERN PLANNINGGARDEN CITY CONCEPT IN A MODERN PLANNING

REGAINING PARADISE :REGAINING PARADISE :

THOUGHT AND PRACTICE IN UNITED STATES AND CANADATHOUGHT AND PRACTICE IN UNITED STATES AND CANADA

BY

KALPITA BASU

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

MCGILL UNIVERSITY

RESEARCH QUESTIONRESEARCH QUESTION

How did the How did the ��Garden City ConceptGarden City Concept�� originated and transferred originated and transferred from the British to the North American context ?from the British to the North American context ?

TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1Chapter 1

IntroductionIntroduction

Chapter 2Chapter 2

Garden City: Ideal and RealityGarden City: Ideal and Reality

Chapter 3Chapter 3

Garden City in accordance with the planning Garden City in accordance with the planning

principles of United Statesprinciples of United States

Chapter 4Chapter 4

The Garden City Movement in CanadaThe Garden City Movement in Canada

Chapter 5Chapter 5

ConclusionConclusion

Chapter 1Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this research paper is to study the evolution of the garden cities in North America and to meet efficiently the needs of their residents.

Rationale

! Urban decline and suburban sprawl in North American cities resulted in overcrowding and pollution since 18th century.

! Lack of community planning or zoning.

! To deal with these symptoms, Garden City concept emerged as an environmental alternative.

Theoretical Framework

The �Garden City� concept

! Aims at establishing an idyllic community.

! Offers residents some of the amenities of country living.

! Promised to redefine and strengthen community in a modern world.

Chapter 2

GARDEN CITY: IDEAL AND REALITY

This chapter is bifurcated with first part addressing the historical evolution of the Garden City concept and second part discussing its application in the planning world.

Ebenezer Howard�s definition of the �Garden City�

According to Howard

! neither city nor countryside can satisfy all human needs.

! their attractive features should be harmoniously united into a new �town-country magnet�, called �Garden City�.

Garden City Principle in Practice

The first Garden City evolved out of Howard�s principles is Letchworth designed by Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker.

The second one to evolve was Welwyn Garden City.

Chapter 3

GARDEN CITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLANNING PRINCIPLES OF UNITED STATES

Case Study 1: Radburn, New Jersey

! Radburn, �The Town of Motor Age�was planned by architects Clarence Stein and Henry Wright in 1929.

! It is America�s first garden community, serving as a world wide example of the harmonious blending of private space and open area.

! Radburn provided a prototype for the new towns to meet the requirements for �contemporary good living�.

Elements of �The Radburn Idea�

! Super Block.

! Specialized Highway system.

! Complete separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

! Park as backbone of the neighborhood.

! Turned around houses.

The Radburn plan Family Neighborhood

Radburn consists of ! 149 acres of interior parks, ! 2 swimming pools, ! 1 tot bathing pool, ! 4 tennis courts, ! 2 playgrounds, ! An archery plaza and a school, ! 2 outdoor basketball courts and many walks.

There is also a community center, which houses administrative offices, library, gymnasium, clubroom and maintenance.

CONCLUSION

! Compared to contemporary developments the Radburn plan is

more safer, orderly, convenient, spacious and peaceful.

! Many developers have used one or more aspects of the Radburn plan

and its implementation in their own suburbs.

! Radburn idea is now the suburban model of choice.

! From a sociological point of view, Radburn not only exemplifies an

ideally planned place to live, but it establishes a real mode or plan of

living.

! Cité Jardin is situated in the northeastern part of Montréal in the district of Rosemont. The boundaries of this area are Viau Street, Rosemont Blvd. Assomption Street and the municipal golf courses.

! The originators of the CitéJardin, Mr. Gosselin and Rev. Father Richard were influenced by the ideas of Radburn Plan.

! Cite jardin built in 1942, was an attempt to create a neighborhood of much higher quality then what had been produced up to that time.

Chapter 4

THE GARDEN CITY MOVEMENT IN CANADA

Case Study 2: Cité Jardin, Montreal

The Plan

The master plans for Cité Jardin have progressed through 3 stages:

Stage One

The first plan was prepared by architects Payette and Crevier

Stage Two

Stage Three

The Final Plan was completed in January 1942 by Jean Gagne, a draughtsman under the supervision of M. Gosselin.

The Community

! The cul-de-sacs: Houses are clustered along a narrow dead end street that serves only the residents

! Separation of the pedestrian walkways from the main roads gives a sense of natural beauty.

! Personalization of Homes in CitéJardin with varying roofline, texture and composition for each house.

! Streets are designed so as to give the concept of a �Neighborhood unit�.

Conclusion

! Cité Jardin lost its originality since it was evolved through time and was transformed by the economic situations, wills and interests.

! It is hoped that Cité Jardin�s ultimate size and unique physical form will enable the residents to exhibit the friendliness of a small village.

! The planners of the Cité Jardin used their �exemplary�achievements, to create a new vision of the garden city with their ideas and sources.

METHODOLOGY

Information required for the research was collected from the primary

and secondary sources.

The primary source of information came through the case studies.

The books, maps, journals and portals served as the secondary source.

I chose the Case-study as a primary method as it enabled me to be on

site thereby providing me with a clear picture of the contemporary

conditions of that area.

It also assisted me in accumulating prodigious information in the

form of site plans and pictures and more importantly the live

feedback from the members of Radburn association.

! Ebenezer Howard�s Garden City concept shows us a place where genuine urban activities are carried at human scale.

! The garden city introduced the use of greenbelts that have served many uses including the preservation of agricultural and rural life, nature and heritage conservation, recreation, pollution minimization, and growth management.

! Garden city tradition endowed urban planning with a social and community dimensions.

! The garden city idea however, showed how both industrial estates and collective retailing spaces could be used within a comprehensive planning approach to serve public purposes.

Chapter 5

CONCLUSION

Thank you !