by Astra Burka, OAA Architect and Filmmaker
“The aim of urbanism is comprehensibility, i.e. clarity of organization. The community is by definition a comprehensible thing. And comprehensibility should also be a characteristic of the parts.”
- CIAM 9, Aix-en-Provence, 1953. A/P.S. 1954, “team 10 primer”, edited by Allison S Smithson, November 1974. (Congrès internationaux d'architecture moderne – International Congresses of Modern Architecture)
I was just browsing through the “team 10 primer” and found the quote discussing urban infra-structure. The words “comprehensibility”, “clarity of organization” and “characteristics of the parts” seemed very CLEAR to me.
I spoke with Blanche van Ginkel(formerly Lemco) who along with her husband Sandy were invited participants to the Team Meetings in the 1950’s. Blanche asked me what I was writing about. I said that I was writing for the AFHTO Blog about urban infra-structure. I explained that I was taking some photos of College Street to illustrate the results of chaotic planning compared with logical and comprehensible planning in Holland and France.
Blanche explained that Dutch town planning, whose basic roots started in the 17th century, still exists today. City plans derived from regional plans. The draining of the land created cities. The “old” Amsterdam is a series of islands surrounded by canals. Why can we not think like this? Is it because we have the luxury of too much space versus Holland that has no space?
Toronto has this obsession of producing community plans and street studies ad nauseam. How can we plan a street or a community when we do not have a plan for the city or know what is the larger picture? The examples shown of College Street illustrate the lack of consistency in creating urban infra-structure. We have over 14 jurisdictions involved with the space between buildings and it seems that no one is planning on the same page.
Maybe this is the Canadian way of planning, starting with the micro vision to confuse us and then create so many rules and bylaws that it becomes like the Wild West with everyone out for themselves.
Are we afraid to create a vision? Or are we afraid to rock the boat? Why can’t we be creative and plan our futures in a comprehensive way?
Anyway, I am ranting again. My belief is you can plan clear ideas. So why is it not happening?
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