The Prince of Wales - Online Forum

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/forum/
<http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/forum//>      

URBAN REGENERATION
The Prince of Wales asks: "Should we revive urban areas rather than build on
green fields?" 

"Should we try harder to revive the fortunes of our towns and cities, and of
the empty land and buildings that many of them contain, rather than see so
many
poorly designed developments on green fields? And if we do need to build on
green fields, how can the quality of town planning and building design be
improved so as to foster community spirit and more sustainable use of
resources?

"Our towns and cities can be both the best, and the very worst of places. At
best, they are vigorous, exciting, elegant and deeply interesting places to
live, to work and to visit. At worst, they are polluted, soulless and
devoid of
opportunities.

We are told that changes in lifestyle are causing more people to need a home
than ever before. In the coming twenty years, nearly four million new
households are likely to be formed not least as a result of longer life
expectancy and a tendency for people to remain single for longer. To put this
into perspective, this means that we may need to find land for more homes than
currently exist in the whole of Greater London.

It seems to me that this poses one of the greatest challenges of our
generation. Can we find the means to build these new homes, or at least
most of
them, in ways which enhance the quality of people's lives and of the wider
communities around them? Can we take the opportunity to breathe fresh life and
wealth into some of the most run down and needy areas of urban Britain? And
can
we reclaim the thousands of wonderful historic buildings, many of which lie
derelict, for new uses?

These questions have concerned me for many years, and I have sponsored
attempts
to find answers to at least some of them through the work of various
organisations which I have initiated.

At Poundbury, on the outskirts of Dorchester, on land owned by the Duchy of
Cornwall, a new community is being built with homes for sale and for rent,
alongside new factories, shops and a farmers market. Here, we have
attempted to
draw from the rich architectural and building traditions of Dorset to build a
series of urban quarters which properly belong to the neighbouring town and
the
surrounding landscape, rather than a soulless housing estate, used by its
residents, but loved by nobody. Poundbury is a place where people can meet
casually in traditionally laid out streets, squares and courtyards, but where
the homes are built to the very highest standards of modern design and
construction. Poundbury attracts many visitors, from all parts of the United
Kingdom and abroad and, for most, seeing becomes believing. I sense it is
beginning to help change attitudes towards housing design, mixed communities
and estate layouts.

We are told that there is a pressing need for new homes in this country, and
where it is simply not possible to find previously used brownfield land, then
surely the approach at Poundbury has more to commend it than does the rather
depressing spectacle of standardised new housing designs which tell one
nothing
about the local setting and which lack either the stimulation of a varied
neighbourhood or the harmony of careful design and architecture?

Yet within many of our towns and cities there is a considerable amount of
spare
or under-used land, much of it left over from abandoned industrial uses. Here,
I believe, there are great opportunities for rejuvenating our urban
environment.

But, again, there must be a better approach to site layout, mixed tenures and
architectural manners than is so often the case. An organisation which I
helped
to establish nearly ten years ago brings together many in the building,
architecture, planning and housing sectors in order to promote the
construction
of just such projects. This organisation, known as The Urban Villages Forum,
works closely with project partners around the country, and its small projects
team has become a widely respected adviser on urban regeneration plans in many
cities. It is currently working on more than twenty such schemes, making the
case for community led planning and design which, as I have frequently
witnessed, can so often lead to remarkably interesting and successful
outcomes.

I have recently established my Prince's Foundation, a new charitable umbrella
organisation which will bring The Urban Villages Forum together with my other
initiatives in the field of architecture and the built environment. My
Foundation will be based in Shoreditch, East London, and it will work from a
converted former warehouse, refurbished specifically for the purpose of
educating, training and disseminating the advantages of a more people-focused
approach to matters of planning, design and construction.

The Prince's Foundation will include the efforts being made by two
organisations which were created to help the conversion of derelict buildings
of historic value; The Phoenix Trust and Regeneration Through Heritage. There
are literally thousands of remarkable heritage buildings, ranging from empty
mills to former lunatic asylums.

Many are outstanding examples of the architectural self confidence of the
times
in which they were built and, in many cases, they continue to articulate a
sense of history, status and character to the communities in which they stand.
I am convinced that far more can be done to find new uses for these buildings,
and I am pleased that in just three short years both The Phoenix Trust and
Regeneration Through Heritage have been able to assist in saving around a
dozen
endangered buildings, with the promise of many more to follow.

This is not an exercise in sterile conservation, but a practical case of
commercially viable conversions. At Stanley Mill in Perthshire, Scotland, The
Phoenix Trust is converting a huge 18th Century Arkwright mill into new homes
at affordable prices, along with a visitor centre.

Regeneration Through Heritage is helping with similar projects in Wakefield,
Stockport, Sowerby Bridge and other places, bringing new housing, art
galleries, workspaces and community amenities into fine heritage buildings.

There is no doubt that our lives are deeply affected by the physical
environment around us, and that ugly buildings and bland public spaces depress
the spirits. Yet, of course, the opposite is also true; that our enjoyment of
life is hugely enhanced by marvellous places.

It is for this reason that I continue to sponsor training and educational
opportunities for those concerned with architecture and the wider design and
management of our urban environments. I am convinced that more holistic and
practical training, which celebrates the timeless arts of observation, drawing
and making, might help to improve the quality of what is built today. Again,
these activities will be a very important part of the new Prince's Foundation,
in what will, I hope, be a thoroughly lively and inter-disciplinary centre for
discussion and for learning. 

I am interested to know how others feel about these issues. We live on a
crowded island, with a deep and rich history of towns, cities and
buildings. We
are rightly concerned at the loss of greenery and open countryside. Isn't it
time that we recovered some sense of respect for both town and country, by
building places which people can feel properly proud to belong to?"

The Prince of Wales,
St James's Palace,
September 1999

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See also The Prince's speeches and articles on
<http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/forum/../speeches/speeches_index_2.html>ar
chitecture and The Prince's Work in
<http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/forum/../about/princeswork/architecture.ht
ml>architecture.

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