Coffee in the Square

Milton Keynes Digital City

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Take a look at the two images above.  They struck me as remarkably similar.  The one on the left was drawn by a dissident Argentinian scientist who became an artist, the one on the right was drawn by an eastern European immigrant. They both date from the '60s.  The one on the left is "art" the one on the right is "town planning".
I came across the painting by Victor Grippo in an exhibition which is on (until 4th February) at the Camden Arts Centre London.  The image reminded me so much of a file image I had copied some time ago from the original designs for Milton Keynes. 
Why are they both so similar?  I think its the influence of the printed circuit which was a popular image at the time and anticipated the rise and rise of computers.
What I think those town planners failed to realise is that the city is not logical - people and traffic do not move round it as electricity moves around a circuit board.  Traffic is much more haphazard.  Given no other motive people will walk in straight lines, but they will deviate to see a view, to follow a crowd of to get to a destination.  The circulation system is much more like that of the human body.  There are routes but there is ebb and flow.  If one route is cut off or damaged another route may form.  But if the beast is fundamentally wounded it may expire.  The loss of importance of a river crossing - or the like often signals the death of a city, just as the bringing of a canal, a motorway or railway can breath new life into the animal that is the city.
However the city analogy with a body breaks down in one key respect, which these town planners also failed to realise.  The plan for Milton Keynes religiously separates cars, pedestrians and public transport.  In reality many modes can and in my view should take the same route!

London, Hampstead Garden Suburb

 

This is the Institute at Hampstead Garden Suburb.  I decided to revisit the suburb in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the development of Milton Keynes this week. Hampstead is to me the archetypal English Garden Suburb of which Milton Keynes is a sort of americanised bastard. Of course the styling is the first difference.   But as I walked around, on what turned out to be a sunny but bitingly cold day, I realised that the central square of Hampstead Garden suburb has no commercial activities.  Instead it has three churches and three schools - if you include the Institute which was once the focus of adult education.
Even though this model of large houses and long tree lined avenues is difficult to reconcile with public transport provision and we would expect everyone to go by car, there were in fact quite a lot of people just walking around.  In fact the institute now runs a series of walk and talk days, which sound very good.  I had stumbled upon one of them.  The course leader is a trained councillor and I could see that everyone was walking and talking and I'm sure the effects on the psyche and the health were great.  They pointed me in the right direction of a cafe, which of course is at the edge of the scheme on a main road - just where shops ought to be.  Its interesting how often we are encouraged to keep neighbourhood centres in the centre of things, but of course in small scale places they can not survive.  In Hampstead the focus is spiritual and educational and I'm pleased to see that the walking tours are continuing the tradition.  This is a much better focus that retail!
Obviously others agree with me. The going rates for purchase of a house start at £1million and goes up to £4Million!  I've included a series of images which you can download.  Though I'm not  a fan of retro the detailing is very fine and all the houses seem to be in very good condition.  My only regret is that there are very few smaller scale units, or flats.

New Super Agency Announced

No time to add much news I'm off to Plymouth to launch the Efford Vision which will appear on these pages soon - so for now catch the show at Plymouth Arts Centre!

I enclose press release for the new superagency - (Note how many times the words modernise and rationalise are used.)

Communities and Local Government News Release

Pioneering agency to drive forward housing and regeneration

Communities and Local Government News Release 2007/0005

17 January 2007

The Government has today announced proposals for a new agency to deliver regeneration and housing in a major shake-up of the way it supports the delivery of new homes and develops mixed, sustainable communities in England.

The proposed agency - Communities England - will bring together the functions of English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation, and a range of work carried out by the Department, including delivery in the areas of decent homes, housing market renewal, housing PFI, housing growth and urban regeneration.

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly said the new agency will further enhance the Government’s ambitious agenda to ensure social mobility and economic inclusion.

“With the expectation of over £4 billion of public spending at its disposal, Communities England will pioneer innovative and more efficient ways of working with our key partners in the public, private and voluntary sector to get better outcomes from public investment in places.

“Central to meeting its challenge the agency will not only ensure greater value for money but also guarantee the very highest standards of quality, design, energy efficiency and sustainability.”

“Above all Communities England will reflect the Government’s on going drive to ensure that the ambitions of local people for their communities and their families are realised. This will enable Communities and Local Government to focus more on strategic policy making.”

English Partnerships chairman Baroness Ford warmly welcomed the creation of Communities England.

“My Board and senior colleagues are delighted by the outcome of the Housing and Regeneration Review. We have consistently supported the creation of a single, new agency and a streamlined supply chain and we look forward to playing our part in creating that new agency.”

“On a personal note I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to lead the team which will undertake the planning for the new organisation. The staff of English Partnerships, The Housing Corporation and Communities and Local Government have an enormous amount of talent and experience and I am looking forward to working with them in creating Communities England”.

Housing Corporation Chair, Peter Dixon also strongly welcomed the announcement about the formation of Communities England.

“The new agency will bring the strengths of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and the Department together to form a single agency dedicated to creating places that people choose to live and stay in. We look forward to working with new colleagues, building on past successes to create a body which can deliver even more to communities and the country as a whole."

Today’s announcement follows a nine month Review by the Department, in very close co-operation with the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.

Notes to editors

1. The Housing and Regeneration Review was launched in April to assess the institutional structures for housing and regeneration delivery carried out by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation. The review was asked to consider the best way of organising national delivery mechanisms to maximise the use of private investment, public subsidy and land holdings, and assets funded by past public investment, to support the delivery of new homes and mixed, sustainable communities. 

2. In July the scope of the review was extended in three areas:

• to examine the Department’s delivery functions (in addition to the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships) to determine the scope for rationalising existing delivery-focused activities across the piece;
• to include a specific work-stream on modernising the regulation of affordable housing, particularly in the light of the increasing involvement of the private sector; and
• to evaluate a range of potential modernisation and structural options for reform.

3. A separate review of the regulation of affordable housing, the Cave Review, was announced on the 14 December. This will look at how the regulatory system should be reformed to better support tenants, reduce burdens on social housing providers and to reflect current and future Government priorities. It will report in the Spring 2007.

4. English Partnerships is the national regeneration agency, helping the Government to support high quality sustainable growth in England.

5. The Housing Corporation is the national Government agency that funds new affordable housing and regulates housing associations in England.

6. The decision to devolve the Department’s delivery functions in the areas of Decent Homes, Housing Growth, housing PFI, Housing Market Renewal and urban regeneration to Communities England is part of building a new strategic Department.  A streamlined delivery chain is vital for transforming the Department into a more strategic and policy focused Department.

7. Communities England is expected to have an annual budget of over £4 billion (based on current budgets), with the final size of the budget and the arrangements for delegating the Department’s budgets to be determined as part of CSR07.

Media Enquiries: 020 7944 3049; out of hours 020 7944 5945 Public Enquiries: 020 7944 4400; Email: press@communities.gsi.gov.uk News Releases: www.communities.gov.uk

Is it all a load of rubbish?

I've been reading Kevin Harris's blog Neighbourhoods and thinking about rubbish.  He is complaining that this whole recycling thing gets so complex and that he now has four bins.  I got to thinking that most of our rubbish comes from supermarket packaging so I decided to check out what M&S had said in their recent press release about going green This is what they say:
"Using packaging materials from sustainable or recycled sources, for example cardboard, metal, glass
and plastic.
Restricting the range of materials we use in packaging to ones which are easy to recycle or compost, so customers do not have to throw rubbish away. This will include focusing on using four types of plastic (corn starch derived plastic PLA, PP, PET and PE)
Printing simple symbols on all our packaging, to make it easy for customers to recycle or compost waste
Reducing our use of carrier bags by 33% and making all our plastic bags from recycled plastic."

But its the consumer not the shop that has to contend with all this waste.  So I have written them asking the following question?

"I was pleased to see that M&S are taking climate change seriously.  There has been a lot of discussion on the Internet recently about packaging.  I see that you still plan to use plastic packaging, and though I'm sure it might be recyclable in time - if I buy something in all that packaging then its still highly likely to just end up filling up a dustbin.  What about reducing packaging all together.  You could a)put fruit and veg in reusable boxes (as greengrocers have done for years) or b) use glass or ceramic recyclable pots for ready meals and offer a small inducement for returns."

We await an answer!

Green Cars 3 The Urban Mover

No I know its not a car - but it can fold into one!

This must be the future for urban travel as we all get a little older and in need of a little bit more puff.  The Urban Mover is a Cheltenham company who have perfected the lightweight battery.  This bike, which works as an ordinary pedal bike has a rechargeable battery which cuts in when you flake out.  It detects the torque or pressure you are expending on the pedals and adds more power as the pressure increases.  Its got a range of about 40miles if you pedal and takes about 4-6 hours to charge up at night.  Its got six speed of gears and it only weighs 22.5KG.  I've found them at £699.00 for sale over the Internet. Go to Urban Movers Website for more info.  There is a very good comparison chart and don't forget to catch the video clips of the Gadget show and an Aussie TV report, both of which really sell the machine.  Now that's a lot cooler than any of the electric cars I've so far reviewed.  I'm off for a test ride!

M&S see the light

Finally M&S seem to have seen the light in green retailing.  Every business must by now be aware that taxes for landfill of rubbish, high emissions and energy costs will hit them sooner or later.  Also its great PR to be green.  Just think of the "out of town" Sainsbury on the Greenwhich peninsular which assuages its guilt at being located in the middle of a giant car park by hoisting a couple of windmills!
So will M&S be any different?  Well they have had Jonathon Porritt  helping them set it up and a read of today's press release seems to offer some cause for optimism.  However will this mean that M&S starts to abandon their out of town locations, will they be importing less by air, will they be using renewable resources in their clothing lines?  At the moment its fleece from recycled plastic bottles - is that all there is?
A major cost of energy in their stores must be the lack of natural ventilation and natural light even though a lot of stores are only two storey.  It would be interesting if just as John Lewis start filling in their atria (designed in the 40's to bring in natural light and ventilation) M&S start adding atria to their stores. 

Download ms_press_release_070115.pdf

Green Cars 2 The Chevy Volt

This concept car was launched at the Detriot motor show last week.  Its Chevrolets answer to the increase in petrol prices that have shocked the states.  But in true US style this car may not be the green machine that it seems.  OK it seems that you can go 565 miles per gallon - now that sounds cool, but read the small print and you will find that the batteries can be charged by running the petrol engine while stationary.  Er... I thought we were trying to save fuel - not just convert it. 
However the concepts do sound similar to those of the Toyota Prius, so why do we have to wait until 2010 to see this car on the road and why is its design so vile.  Can a car not be green and beautiful?
However one little problem for people like me who park their cars on the street - no electrical sockets around!

The car uses something vcalled the E-Flex Drive System this is what GM say about it.

Concept Volt utilizes the GM-patented E-Flex Propulsion System to bring you an electric drive vehicle that can run on various sources of energy. It consists of:

• Electric drive system
• Range extender: 53 kW direct engine-mounted generator and 3-cylinder 1.0L Turbocharged, intercooled internal combustion engine
• Dual (left- and right-side) charge ports
• Onboard battery pack
• 12-gallon fuel saddle tank

Running Gas-Free
Concept Volt uses an E-Flex Propulsion System to run gasoline-free. A 16 kW hour lithium ion battery connects to a 53 kW direct engine-mounted generator. This powers the electric Traction System which in turn drives the wheels.

Recharging
There are two charge ports: one on each side between the front door and front wheel. To recharge, simply plug Volt into a 110-volt, 15-amp outlet — the same kind you have in your home. It takes about six to six-and-a-half hours to fully recharge. Then you can drive up to 40-miles on pure electricity.

Charging As You Go
If your battery needs to be charged while driving, the generator will automatically work with the 1.0L Turbocharged gas engine to begin recharging the battery pack when depleted. It all happens seamlessly while you're concentrating on getting to your destination.

Quick Charge
If you don't have the time to leave Concept Volt plugged in to fully recharge or don't have access to an outlet, the vehicle can also begin to charge itself while in PARK with the engine running. The range-extending engine and generator will do all the work.

Using Fuel
An onboard 3-cylinder 1.0L Turbocharged, intercooled internal combustion engine allows you to keep driving when your electric battery needs to be recharged. This range extender can be configured to run on gasoline, E85 or biodiesel. The model shown will use gasoline or E85 interchangeably and can hold up to 12 gallons of fuel.

Additional Benefits

• 120-kW electric motor is equivalent to a 160-hp engine
• Instantaneous torque in electric mode means acceleration faster than traditional torque curve in certain gasoline-powered engines
• 0–60 in 8 to 8.5 seconds
• Battery life is about 10 years

See what Top Gear say

Green Cars 1 The Toyota Prius

This is Max Mosley a very rich man in a car that costs under £20,000 - and why?  Because its a hybrid car working on electrical power and petrol only when required for high speeds.  The Toyota Prius seems to be fast becoming the hybrid car of choice because of its normality.  It doesn't look as funky as a Smart car neither is it as poky as those little electric things which buzz around London.  And of course for London these cars are great because they are exempt from the congestion charge.  The car runs at slow speeds on electricity only gearing into dual power when speeds or acceleration require it.  In fact on the open road its the electrics that gives the extra boost for acceleration.  In towns the quiet engine uses only electrical power. Though some users report that the quietness of the car can be a problem as jaywalkers just don't know you are creeping up behind them!
Surplus power from the petrol engine and from the wheels charge up the batteries - a bit like a bike.

Vital statistics:
PRICE: £17,495 to £19,995
ENGINE: 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine delivering 76bhp, with 50kW electric motor delivering 67bhp, driving front wheels via automatic transmission.
PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 10.9sec, top speed 109mph.
ECONOMY: 65.7mpg average, 56.5mpg in town.

Here are a couple of useful links if you want to find out more:

Mr Max as interviewed by the TimesToyota Prius

The coffee bar

Sitting in a coffee bar in Marylebone High Street - I'm struck by how successful these less than perfect places have become.  It is the antithesis of busy - to relax with a coffee - but coffee itself is a stimulant.  I gather that in Seattle where the phenomenon was born people started drinking coffee in order to keep themselves awake for working the strange hours that computer programmers keep.
It's also a great place for single people to go to.  One does not feel out of place, and in general a coffee bar is quite friendly.  Local coffee bars - not the chains in London - can become the focus of local networks.  I observed some really nice ones when I was last in Seattle.  The locals in the housing neighbourhoods have comfy sofas and always a noticeboard overflowing with local information.  The buzz in the morning with joggers coming in for coffee and a muffin and in the afternoon weary moms come in to chat with their friends. 

The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit

Please take a look at this website from Detroit - and weep.  Its amazing for a Londoner like me to see such extraordinary buildings unused.  I'd like to know what steps are being taken to bring them back into use but the website does not seem to tell me.

More later ...     Detroityes.com