#town planner

[scotianostra]

October 2nd 1854 saw the birth of modern urban sociology pioneer, Patrick Geddes in Ballater.

Geddes was a man of diverse interests and talents. Today he is probably best known as a town planner, but he has also been described as a biologist, sociologist, conservationist, educationist, and ecologist.

He did much to improve the living conditions in his local environment, but he was also a figure of international importance who travelled widely and who corresponded with key thinkers and writers of the time such as Charles Darwin and Mahatma Gandhi.Geddes became a demonstrator in practical physiology at University College London, and in 1879 he travelled to Mexico to collect biological specimens.

Whilst in Mexico he suffered temporary blindness and this left him with permanently weakened eyesight. It was during this period that he discovered his ‘thinking machines’ – a visual method of presenting and connecting facts and ideas to aid thought.Alongside this inspired utilitarianism he furthered his beliefs in incorporating culture and learning.

He commissioned a huge narrative painting on the ceiling of the dining hall in Riddle’s Court; worked with artist John Duncan to produce Evergreen, a publication endorsing the values of the Celtic Renaissance, and commissioned the design and building of Ramsay Garden in the tradition of the Arts and Crafts Movement. 

In the same period as all this he lectured in Botany at both Edinburgh and Dundee Universities; held summer schools in Edinburgh and London and set up The Outlook Tower. This innovative project encouraged people to observe the relationships between place, work and people within Edinburgh. Geddes himself was often the enthusiastic guide, bounding two steps at a time, to the top where a panoramic view of the city was revealed. 

Furthering his expertise in town planning, Geddes worked to improve the slums of Edinburgh - and, later, the planning of other cities, such as Tel Aviv and Bombay - by focussing on the relationship between inhabitants and their surrounding environment.

Patrick Geddes  was knighted in 1932, but died later that year in Montpellier, France.

[acnlmapped]

Animal Crossing New Horizons Mapped V3

I hope you all enjoy my map maker.

This version is base game compatible

It works for any photo editing program, including free software like GIMP.

I'll be updating this tumblr with any new additions such as new flowers, fruits, holiday fences etc.

[scotianostra]

June 23rd 1795 saw the death of Scottish architect James Craig.

Due to the amount of smoke that covered Edinburgh, which could be seen for miles, the city of Edinburgh earned the nickname "Auld Reekie", there was also serious overcrowding, rich and poor lived side by side with the more affluent taking accommodation on the upper floors of the tenements, leaving the lower floors to the poor.

Edinburgh was one of the most densely populated areas in the world at that time.

It was not uncommon for buildings to collapse and the overcrowding also brought disease to the City. Something had to be done so a competition was held to create a New Town in Edinburgh. James Craig, a young Architect aged 22 was the winner in 1766 with his design of a grid system and an area was chosen to the North of the old Town. It is by and large these streets you walk along nowadays, from St Andrews Square to the east, to Charlotte Square in the west.

Despite winning this and being well respected as an architect Craig was not a good businessman, records show he was a regular in the courts for people chasing unpaid bills and others wanting loans repaid.

Aged only 55, James Craig died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1795, he is buried in his unmarked family plot in Greyfriars, the family were not well off and with the death of James the line ended, his goods and books, drawings and equipment were sold at auction to pay creditors in the same year, with their matters for finally settled three years later.

In 1930 The Saltire Society honoured him when they paid for a memorial on the grave, the footpath between the old St James's Centre and Register house is named James Craig walk in his honour, he was also responsible for the planning of James Square, most of which was swept away in the sixties to accommodate the aforementioned St James's Centre.

[scotianostra]

On 17th April 1932, Sir Patrick Geddes, the Scottish biologist and social scientist, died.

Geddes was a man of diverse interests and talents. Today he is probably best known as a town planner, but he has also been described as a biologist, sociologist, conservationist, educationist, and ecologist.

Patrick Geddes was born on 2 October 1854, the son of Alexander Geddes, soldier and his wife Janet Stevenson. He was a biologist and was a professor at the University of Edinburgh. Geddes’ influential theories on civic planning, such as the importance of diagnostic survey as the vital first stage of planning and the planning of a city in its wider surroundings, helped to shape the 20th century development of planning and architecture in Britain, disseminated by practitioners in the field such as Raymond Unwin, Patrick Abercrombie and Geddes’ son-in-law, Frank Mears. Geddes actively campaigned for the protection and enhancement of historic Edinburgh, arguing that ‘the spirit and individuality of our city, its personality and character’ was vital for human self-fulfilment. For example, he founded the Town & Gown University Settlement with the object of creating staff and student residences within the Old Town. Sometime late in 1891 Stewart Henbest Capper became associated with him, and this resulted in the Ramsay Garden, Riddles Court, James Court and Blackie House development.

He hoped to extend the concept to Glasgow and, probably at Capper’s suggestion, wrote to John James Burnet who asked to see the Settlement’s accounts before taking the matter further. The association between Geddes and Capper ended in 1896 when Capper left to take up the position of first professor of architecture at McGill University, Montreal. Sydney Mitchell completed the Ramsay Garden project, and Geddes then formed a similar association with the much older George Shaw Aitken who undertook the restoration of Lady Stair’s House for Lord Rosebery at Geddes’ suggestion and provided architectural advice on the projects on which Geddes was consulted.The house is now The Writers Museum.

More on the man at the link below

[scotianostra]

October 2nd 1854 saw the birth of modern urban sociology pioneer, Patrick Geddes in Ballater.

A few biographies still say that he was born in Perth, not Ballater! It is generally conceded nowadays that he was born in the Deeside village, it is not known in which house and, but with his father a serving soldier; it may even have been in the barracks.

A few years after Patrick was born the family moved to Perth, where their house, Mount Tabor is still stands, young Patrick went to the local Academy, it is known that Geddes, from an early age was fascinated by plants and animals – he spent hours and hours botanising on Kinnoull Hill. As he grew up he initially wanted to be an artist but father put that idea out of his head.

He had a lifelong contempt for examinations, after a period of private study, he chose botany as his subject and joined Edinburgh University, leaving after just a week. He went on to study botany and zoology with individual teachers and mentors in London and Paris. It was in Paris that he became influenced by the work of the French sociologist Le Play.

With a career spanning the fields of biology, sociology and geography, he became known for his innovative thinking in the pioneering field of urban planning.

In 1887, while working at the University of Edinburgh, Geddes opened the first of a series of student residences at Riddle's Court, or Milne’s Court, depending on the source. It was an independent, extra-academical experiment, and University Hall remained autonomous and self-governing. It began with ten rooms and seven students who had the right to elect new residents and manage the internal affairs of the residence.

In 1892, Patrick Geddes bought the camera obscura on Edinburghs Castlehil and named it the Outlook Tower, he wanted to change people’s outlook on things. Geddes used the camera obscura to change the way people looked at life and the interaction between town and country.

Furthering his expertise in town planning, Geddes worked to improve the slums of Edinburgh - and, later, the planning of other cities, such as Tel Aviv and Bombay - by focussing on the relationship between inhabitants and their surrounding environment.

Geddes went on to become the Chair of Botany at University College Dundee, and the Chair of Sociology at the University of Bombay. He was knighted in 1932, but died later that year at the Scots College in Montpellier, France.

[scotianostra]

June 23rd 1795 saw the death of Scottish architect James Craig.

Due to the amount of smoke that covered Edinburgh, which could be seen for miles, the city of Edinburgh earned the nickname "Auld Reekie", there was also serious overcrowding, rich and poor lived side by side with the more affluent taking accommodation on the upper floors of the tenements, leaving the lower floors to the poor.

Edinburgh was one of the most densely populated areas in the world at that time.

It was not uncommon for buildings to collapse and the overcrowding also brought disease to the City. Something had to be done so a competition was held to create a New Town in Edinburgh. James Craig, a young Architect aged 22 was the winner in 1766 with his design of a grid system and an area was chosen to the North of the old Town. It is by and large these streets you walk along nowadays, from St Andrews Square to the east, to Charlotte Square in the west.

Despite winning this and being well respected as an architect Craig was not a good businessman, records show he was a regular in the courts for people chasing unpaid bills and others wanting loans repaid.

Aged only 55 James Craig died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1795, he is buried in his unmarked family plot in Greyfriars, the family were not well off and with the death of James the line ended, his goods and books, drawings and equipment were sold at auction to pay creditors in the same year, with their matters for finally settled three years later.

In 1930 The Saltire Society honoured him when they paid for a memorial on the grave, the footpath between the old St James's Centre and Register house is named James Craig walk in his honour, he was also responsible for the planning of James Square, most of which was swept away in the sixties to accommodate the aforementioned St James's Centre.

[scotianostra]

On October 2nd 1854 the biologist, sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner, Patrick Geddes, was born in Ballater.

Some sources  say Geddes was born in Perth, not Ballate ! It is generally accepted nowadays that he was born in the Deeside town, possibly in the army barracks there, as his father was a soldier.

A few years after Patrick was born the Geddes’s moved to Perth, where their house, Mount Tabor is still standing. Geddes was educated at Perth Academy. In addition to formal schooling, it is known that Geddes, from an early age was fascinated by plants and animals – he spent hours and hours botanising on Kinnoull Hill. As he grew up he initially wanted to be an artist but father put that idea out of his head.

He had a lifelong contempt for examinations and never took a university degree. After a period of private study, he chose botany as his subject but left Edinburgh University after one week. He went on to study botany and zoology with individual teachers and mentors in London and Paris. It was in Paris that he became influenced by the work of the French sociologist Le Play.

Geddes became a demonstrator in practical physiology at University College London, and in 1879 he travelled to Mexico to collect biological specimens. While there, he suffered temporary blindness and this left him with permanently weakened eyesight. It was during this period that he discovered his ‘thinking machines’ — a visual method of presenting and connecting facts and ideas to aid thought.

Geddes spent most of his life outside normal academic channels. He seemed to have difficulties expressing his ideas in writing. However, he had a gift for mobilising others and for putting his ideas into practice.Geddes successively demonstrated or lectured in Physiology at University College, London, in Zoology at Edinburgh University from 1880 to 1888, and held the Chair of Botany at University College Dundee from 1888 to 1919. At the University of Bombay, India, he organised a department of sociology and civics and held the Chair of Sociology there from 1919 until 1924.

Although trained in Biology, Geddes had generalist interests and these soon led him to become a social geographer, practical administrator, historian, dramatist and philosopher. He involved himself in the renovation movement in the Old Town of Edinburgh and it was in the Old Town too that he situated his famous Outlook Tower, a museum of local, regional, Scottish, and world history.

In 1919, Geddes who was 'considered one of the greatest living authorities in civics and social survey’ was entrusted by the International Zionist Commission to plan New Jerusalem and its proposed university. He was also the founder - in 1924 - of the College Des Ecossais (Scots College), an international teaching establishment located in Montpellier.

In the British Mandated Territory (part of which later became Israel), the new city of Tel Aviv (the White City) was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s based on an urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes - a plan which reflected modern organic planning principles. He was also involved in Indian town planning work.

[scotianostra]

June 23rd 1795 saw the death of Scottish architect James Craig.

Born in Edinburgh, Craig made his name as an architect for his layout of that city's New Town. The Old Town sprawled along the spine of volcanic rock between Holyrood House and Edinburgh Castle, and in many ways, mostly unsavoury, it was an extraordinary site. In 1603, the time of the Union of the Parliaments, it probably contained more people than any other city in Britain, except London and perhaps Bristol. There were about 30,000, with another 5,500 in Leith.

The population continued to increase, but not by building outwards; rather by building upwards, by sub-dividing the fine old houses into many one-roomed flats, and by building over the gardens. By 1700, some tenements reached a horrendous 14 stories high on the sloping side. Not only were they over-crowded, they were filthy, even by Scots standards, which were regrettably filthy enough even in rural areas. 

'Every street shows the nastiness of the inhabitants: the excrements lie in heaps' In a morning the scent was so offensive that we were forc't to hold our noses as we past the streets and take care where we trod for fear of an accident disobliging our shoes, and to walk in the middle at night for fear of an accident on our heads. The lodgings are as nasty as the streets, and wash't so seldom that the dirt is thick eno' to be par'd off with a shovel; every room is well-scented with a close-stool, and the master, mistress and servants lye all on a flour, like so many swine in a hogsty. This, with the rest of their sluttishness, is no doubt the occasion of the itch which is so common among them.'

So wrote Joseph Taylor in 1705, and this was not about the poorest of the town, but the middle-classes. Enough was enough, even to the Town Council, and in 1766 they held a competition, for plans to extend Edinburgh on the far side of the Nor' Loch. Six plans were received, with James Craig's being the winner. His plan was quite straightforward, consisting of a rectilinear plan of three main streets, Princes Street, George Street and Queen Street, running parallel, with a square at each end. The whole plan was a grid some five streets deep and seven streets wide, the broad central axis terminating in grand squares at each end. St George's Church sat at the western end of the scheme, St Andrew's at the eastern.

In the New Town, the filth was not quite as evident as it had been in the Old Town; the middle classes were by now gaining a new respect for sanitation, at least as far as the main thoroughfares and their own living quarters, the sanitation for the poor areas still had a long way to go.

Craig's career was brief and was mainly based in Edinburgh. Other work included: Observatory House on Calton Hill 

He was never really successful after the New Town, and died in debt.