Influential Urban Thinker

Ralph Erskine

In the reading selection, Three Theories of Urban Spatial Design, from Roger Trancik’s book, Finding Lost Space, Ralph Erskine was mentioned as an influential place theorist and designer.  The description of Erskine’s emphasis on organic and vernacular design, the human and historical meaning of place, and his creation of village-like spaces was very interesting to me so I chose to research his urban contributions.

                                                           www.essential-architecture.com

Ralph Erskine was born in 1914 in Northumberland (England).  His parents were members of the Fabian Society - basically, a political socialist group who promoted a gradual change to a universal welfare state. He studied architecture and planning at Regent Street Polytechnic, worked for a time with Louis de Soisson at Welwyn Garden City, and then moved to Sweden in 1938.

Some major influences on Erskine’s views and design values include:

•   A Fabian socialist and Quaker upbringing
• ·The co-ownership and participatory housing ideals of the  English Garden City (but not the anti modern style)
•   The Stockholm Exhibition (1930) which showcased Swedish Modern and Functionalist Architecture as humane and practical
•   Disappointment with the abstract style and use of new materials by modern architecture in Britain without considering the needs of the users
•   Alvar Alto whose architecture was seen as progressive and humane modernism
•   His early practice in Sweden during the evolution of its social democratic welfare model and social housing program (Vall, 2013, 225-227)

In Sweden, Erskine:

found a wider belief more in accord with the early Functionalism of Central Europe, a faith which included the search for new, juster and more humane society as well as for satisfaction of the intimate daily needs of families and old people and small children…the new, fresh and inspiring architecture and industrial design of the golden age of ‘Swedish Modern’ was…rich with experience of a long history of form: a history of the practical and beautiful use of the simple materials of a poor country. (qted in Vall, 227)

Erskine felt that the Swedish Modernism use of less abstract vernacular forms without ‘nostalgia’ offered more possibilities, was an ‘architecture of democracy,’ and was instrumental in the development of his design principles (Vall, 225-226).   He said, “Don’t imitate forms from other cultures or times, but do imitate the enormous inventiveness with which they meet the needs of their situations and their time.” (Larkin, 1998,24)

Erskine’s architecture design values were a reflection of his political vision, considering architecture to be a social art.  He defined the meaning and purpose of architecture as ‘the art around that which is useful and to the enhancement of our environment’  and believed that buildings and communities should meet his criteria of serving individuals, groups of individuals and, not least, our society (Larkin). 

His urban village concept evolved through the above influences to include the following principles, forms, and ideals:

•  An integrated, socially balanced society

• · Social interaction encouraged with housing plans including space for recreation and meeting.  The emphasis on communal space could be a force in the production of good citizenship (social engineering).
•   Geometric layouts around a village green, low rise housing, small scale neighborliness (Garden City)
•   Separation of traffic from pedestrians (Radburn Principles)
•   The user is the most important client – community participation through formal and informal meetings and discussions and provide for tenant self-build projects.
•   Incorporate and include existing structures, account for climate, site, culture, and history of place (Vall).

                                          Byker Estate    www.urbanrealm.com

                                         On-site office (at Byker) to promote community participation
                                         www.architecturetoday.co.uk

                                          Greenwich Millennium Village   www.e-architect.co.uk

References

Larkin, C. (1998). Man of the people [Ralph Erskine]. Architects' Journal, 207(15), 24-25.

Trancik, R. (1986). Three Theories of Urban Spatial Design. Finding Lost Space. New York: Van Nostrand.

Vall, N. (2013). Social engineering and participation in Anglo-Swedish housing 1945-1976: Ralph Erskine's vernacular plan. Planning Perspectives: PP, 28(2), 223-245.

Contemporary Urban Design Theories
5 March 2015

Can one design an authentic place?   According to Seamon and Sowers (Place and Placelessness) Edward Relph believed that it was necessary to understand how people experience space – their feelings towards certain places and the meaning places have for them - in order to fix existing places no longer functioning well or to make new places that are successful.  His seven modes of insideness and outsideness give a way to describe these intangible experiences because it is necessary to be able to describe them in order to know how to develop places that foster insideness rather than outsideness . 

He also looked at ways a place is experienced authentically vs. inauthentically, genuinely vs. fashionably expected trend.  For example:  Why are these people running along the Portland Waterfront?  

 

(image Jenette Danes)

Are they running because it is what they genuinely want to do to be healthy and enjoy doing it on the path along the river or are they doing it because it is trendy, expected by their peers, to be seen doing the popular thing in the popular place?  (Maybe a mix of both).   My hypothesis is that a place created unself-consciously by people will be authentic but a place created deliberately will usually start out inauthentic and will only become authentic over time as people use it and adapt it.  A place that is only trendy for a time, is not adaptable, or does not generate a good experience (outsideness) will fail over time unless it is repaired.

 Is The Village in Meridian a trendy or authentic experience?  It seems to me to be trendy – only time will tell if it will become authentic.  How about The Grove in downtown Boise or the Boise River Greenbelt?  These are popular places and have been around for long enough that many use them authentically.

Singapore presents a good example of a country facing the issue of losing authentic places to sterile placelessness.  During a 1960’s urban renewal phase to sanitize the environment through slum clearing resulted in many of the traditional 2 and 3 story shophouses being replaced by the podium and tower model for banks, hotels, and shopping centers.

 

(image bruclass.com)

The lively pedestrian oriented streets were replaced by a car oriented business district.

                                                              (image google earth)

In the 1980’s the State began to realize that a significant part of the urban heritage and culture had been lost.  An effort to build a tourist economy through imitation reconstruction of historic streets and public spaces (inauthentic places) failed and resulted in a conservation effort to preserve the remaining historic urban fabric.  Many remaining shophouses have been renovated for reuse as small businesses, 

social venues, and housing.  Some streets have been closed to vehicle traffic and life has been restored to these streets.

                                                              (image smh.com.au)

The government supports the conservation efforts to preserve the city’s unique character because it helps to promote a sense of national identity (sense of place) and it is an economic driver, attracting residents, tourists, businesses, and investors.  But, because of limited land (Singapore is an island), a growing population, and an agenda of aggressive economic growth there is a constant struggle to balance the needs of space for business, industry, and housing with the need to preserve the remaining cultural and natural spaces.  The authentic places are rapidly being lost to placelessness.  (Singapore, case study by Jenette Danes)