Southern England Rapidly Being Developed
2/3/00
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Title: Southern England Rapidly Being Developed
Source: Environmental News Network
Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: February 9, 2000
Byline: Charles Lockwood
When most Americans think of the English countryside, they envision
grassy meadows, winding two-lane roads and picturesque villages
filled with thatched-roof houses. Unfortunately, within the past
decade, suburban sprawl, American style, has blighted some of Great
Britain's most beautiful land.
Strip malls, industrial parks and parking lots have consumed meadows.
Subdivisions, hyped as "housing estates," have replaced ancient
fields and forests. An estimated one million homes will be built in
southern England over the next 20 years.
Taming the Sprawl Beast
Visionary architects and environmentalists are proposing ways to
accommodate growth yet protect the environment and the land. Prince
Charles is a chief proponent of these measures. He has not only
spoken out against poor development practices but has also risked his
money and reputation to create the environmentally sensitive, land-
conserving village of Poundbury on 400 acres owned by the prince in
Dorsetshire in southern England.
Poundbury, which broke ground in 1993, is being developed in various
phases on a 20-year timetable. Of the 2,500 houses planned for the
town, 204 dwellings were completed by the end of 1999. The next
construction phase, which should start in 2001 or 2002, will add
another 158 houses.
Workplaces are an important component of Poundbury. An office
building and two industrial-warehouse buildings were completed in
1999.
Poundbury's Beneficial Lessons
Poundbury is being developed with traditional English architecture,
and the buildings are constructed of local materials. But the
community's attractive traditional appearance is only a small part of
its significance. Prince Charles' village offers an environmentally
sensitive development model for Great Britain and other nations for
several reasons:
* Land conservation. Poundbury does not waste large amounts of land
with American-style, six-lane thoroughfares or one-story office parks
and strip retail centers surrounded by vast parking lots. Poundbury
is a compact traditional English village. Houses are set close
together along narrow streets. Each house has a rear garden and
parking. Because the Poundbury development is so compact, land has
been set aside for a town square and small parks.
* Energy efficiency. Poundbury homes are remarkably energy-efficient,
earning a mark of 99 out of a possible 100 on Britain's Standard
Assessment Procedure. High-efficiency condensing boilers, extra
insulation and computer-controlled energy management are standard
features in the homes.
* Fewer automobile trips. Poundbury is a community of homes,
workplaces, shops and schools. As the community develops, more and
more residents will be able to walk or bicycle to work or school.
* Traffic calm. Poundbury's winding roads and narrow streets slow
traffic to 20 miles per hour - without speed bumps or stop signs.
Poundbury offers other benefits:
* Mixed incomes. Of the initial 142 homes, 87 were sold at market
rate and 55 were leased at subsidized rates to moderate-income
households. This "social housing" program is an aesthetic and
financial success. Most visitors can't distinguish between the
market-rate and subsidized housing. Moreover, homeowners don't mind
the mix. The resale value for market-rate housing has risen
substantially in the past three years.
* Quality of construction. Poundbury is constructed with high-quality
materials and workmanship. Both are approved by managers of the
Prince's Duchy of Cornwall property holdings, which owns the 400-acre
Poundbury site.
A Work-in-Progress
Many British architects have criticized Poundbury because it reverts
to traditional English village architecture. But most people like
living in Poundbury, and some residents have affectionately nicknamed
the village "Charleyville."
Poundbury's popularity has impacted new projects in Great Britain.
Several planned developments, including a large, mixed-use expansion
of Cambridge University, are using Poundbury as their model.
More significant, recent government regulations in Britain encourage
land-conserving, Poundbury-style residential development rather than
American-style sprawl.
Because Poundbury is being developed in phases over 20 years, the
community suffers from a shortage of shops and services. Many stores
are still on the drawing board, leaving residents to drive to food
markets and drug stores in other communities. The continued growth of
Poundbury will solve this problem.
Poundbury's advantages greatly outweigh its disadvantages. It is a
real-life community, not a visionary proposal that is considered,
sketched, praised and then consigned to a bookshelf.
Although Prince Charles' model village is still a work-in-progress,
Poundbury already offers a model to Great Britain and other nations
for accommodating growth and protecting the environment at the same
time.
Charles Lockwood, who visited Poundbury in July 1999, is the author
of seven books and many articles on architecture, cities and the
environment.