Post-war reconstruction offered unparalleled opportunities to the developing profession of urban planners to cast off the constraints imposed by historic infrastructure and produce a new vision of urban living; expressed in rationally designed city centres linked to suburban precincts and with modern integrated transport systems. Plymouth is the foremost English example of post-war reconstruction on the grand scale; laid out to the designs of the most influential urban planner of the day; Sir Patrick Abercrombie. This book explains the circumstances which led to the development of Abercrombies Plan for Plymouth (1943) and shows how the plan was implemented in the period 1945-62. Discussion of the overall scheme for the renewed city is complemented by description of the different zones which made up both the central area and the new suburbs; and attention is paid to the landscape forms and architectural styles employed in civic; commercial and residential areas. The significance of what was achieved in Plymouth will be assessed and international context is provided by comparison with British and European examples of contemporary planning. Urban regeneration programmes pose a threat to the legacy of the post-war reconstruction period; and the listing of post-war buildings is often contentious and contested. Finally; a discussion of the conservation issues raised by present-day plans for renewal in Plymouth will contribute to current debate about the formulation of policy relating to the buildings and landscapes of the post-war era.
#3673653 in eBooks 2015-02-01 2015-02-04File Name: B00T9ZHL7M
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy barbara d. whitmerOur family has lived in the area a number of years and find history of the Bay fascinating.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Magnificent Time on Beautiful WaterBy Robin FriedmanExtending 200 miles from Baltimore; Maryland; to Norfolk; Virginia; Chesapeake Bay is an American historical and environmental treasure. For 150 years; between 1813 and 1962; steamboats plied the waters of the Bay and its many river tributaries; creating what author Chris Dickon describes as a "magnificent time on beautiful water". Dickon tells the history of the ships in his photographic history "Chesapeake Bay Steamers" (2006) published as part of the "Images of America" series of local American histories. Dickon; a radio and television producer as well as a writer; has written several books on lesser-known aspects of American history; including three books for "Images of America." Dickon uses photographs from the Library of Congress and from ten local museums and libraries in this history.The book includes a great deal of factual information; but the overwhelming impression it conveys is delight in its subject-- the Bay and the steamers. The book is full of rare photographs from the 1850s through the 1960s showing many steamships; interior and exterior; (the ships pictured are listed at the end); the Bay and its rivers; the cities and towns along the way; wharves; harbors; schedules; promotional material; passengers; crew; railroads and bridges; and much more. It is a photographic memorial of steamers on the Bay over time.Dickon offers maritime portraits of old Baltimore; Norfolk; Hampton; Washington; D.C. and many other places. He shows how steamship passenger travel began in the early 19th Century; paused briefly during the Civil War; and then covered virtually every city and town along the Eastern Shore by the end of the 19 Century. In the 20th Century; the focus of steamers shifted gradually from necessary transportation to pleasure cruises. Dickon shows how steamers began to serve and to encourage the growth of beaches and amusement parks along the Bay. In WW I and even more so in WW II; the United States requisitioned many of the steamers for military use. After WW II; the steamers never recovered; with competition from cars and trucks and the construction of bridges and tunnels across the bay. The concluding photographs of the book show a forlorn ship; the "City of Norfolk" sailing on the final voyage of the Chesapeake Bay steamers on April 13; 1962.The book covers many historical events and many beloved steamers. It includes several photographs of the most famous of the steamers the "Emma Giles" which cruised the waters for nearly 50 years beginning in 1887. The "President Warfield" first saw service in 1928 before being pressed into action for WW II. It returned to the Bay before crossing the ocean again and becoming the ship "Exodus" which attempted in 1947 to carry war survivors to Palestine. Other historical events covered in the book include the "International Naval Review" held at Hampton; Virginia in 1893 and featuring battleships from all over the world. In 1907 and 1909; the "Great White Fleet" of the United States; 16 new battleships painted white and assembled by President Theodore Roosevelt; sailed from Hampton for a round-the-world cruise and returned to Hampton in 1909.While Chesapeake Bay receives a great deal of attention; there are few books that offer a history of the steamers. Dickons book; with its photographs and informative text will preserve the history and memory of the Bay Steamers for future readers. The book will be of particular appeal to readers with an interest in maritime history and photographs.Robin Friedman
