Or, why we should look to the past for a vision of the future of our new towns
“You need a prince to make a town in an intellectual sense. Developers want to make money. If they cared about architecture, they’d become architects. I’ve had so many projects that never came off because they had no sponsor, and not because they were utopian. I just want to build a town that’s normal.” – Léon Krier
At the time Poundbury was criticised for being twee and pastiche to the max, but today, in urban design terms, there is much to be said for this particular take on Dorset vernacular.
It is actually a proper mixed-use development – housing, shops, schools, health facilities, a pub and cafés and some larger scale commercial / industrial all mixed together.
But: why aren’t we learning its lessons as we embark on a significant house-building agenda over this parliament?
Find out in this week’s Sketch…
#leonkrier #newurbanism #urbandesign #poundbury #janejacobs