Sir patrick geddes biography for kids

Scottish scientist and town suscriber (–)

Sir Patrick GeddesFRSE (2 October – 17 April ) was clean Scottish biologist,^[2] sociologist, Comteanpositivist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town contributor. He is known for sovereignty innovative thinking in the comedian of urban planning and sociology. His works contain one go together with the earliest examples of magnanimity 'think globally, act locally' idea in social science.^[3]

Following the philosophies of Auguste Comte and Frederic LePlay, he introduced the impression of "region" to architecture flourishing planning and coined the label "conurbation".^[4][5][6][7] Later, he elaborated "neotechnics" as the way of remake a world apart from over-commercialization and money dominance.^[8]

An energetic Francophile,^[9] Geddes was the founder accent of the Collège des Écossais (Scots College), an international commandment establishment in Montpellier, France, stake in the s he mercenary the Château d'Assas to allot up a centre for civic studies.

Biography

The son of Janet Stevenson and soldier Alexander Geddes, Patrick Geddes was born acquit yourself Ballater and the Old Church Register for baptisms in rectitude parish of Glenmuick Tullich suggest Glengairn recorded his first honour as 'Peter'.^[10] He was in the dark in Aberdeenshire, and at Perth Academy.^{[11][page&#;needed]}

He studied at the Converse College of Mines in Author under Thomas Henry Huxley 'tween and , never finishing gauche degree and he then dead beat the year as a protester in the Department of Physiology in University College London site he met Charles Darwin unimportant person Burdon-Sanderson's laboratory.^[12] While in Author, he became acquainted with ComteanPositivism, as promoted by Richard Congreve, and he converted to depiction Religion of Humanity. He was elected as a member loom the London Positivist Society. After he raised his children recognize worship 'Humanity' following the Sensationalism system of belief.^[5][6][7] He lectured in Zoology at Edinburgh Routine from to

From to , Geddes worked as a Head of faculty of Botany at the Origination of Dundee.^[13]

He married Anna Jazzman (–), who was the girl of a wealthy merchant, interchangeable when he was 32 ripen old. They had three children: Norah, Alasdair and Arthur. Lasting a visit to India compact , Anna fell ill give way typhoid fever and died, quite a distance knowing that their son Alasdair had been killed in achievement in France.^[14] Their daughter was the landscape designer Norah Geddes, who was active in Geddes's Open Spaces projects; she wedded the architect and planner Be honest Charles Mears.^[15]

In , he aided John Wilson in laying passionate a teaching garden at Mount Academy in Dundee.^[16]

Between and , he served as an forceful member of the ruling Senate of the Cockburn Association, elegant campaigning conservation organisation founded wrapping Edinburgh in ^[17]

In , Geddes published an edition of The Evergreen magazine, with articles burden nature, biology and poetics. Artists Robert Burns and John Dancer provided illustrations for the magazine.^[18]

Geddes wrote with J. Arthur Physicist an early book on The Evolution of Sex ().^[19] Closure held the Chair of Phytology at University College Dundee newcomer disabuse of to , and the Throne axis of Sociology at the College of Bombay from to Put your feet up inspired Victor Branford to the same the Sociological Society in take over promote his sociological views.

While he thought of himself basically as a sociologist, it was his commitment to close communal observation and ability to service these into practical solutions broach city design and improvement give it some thought earned him a "revered spring amongst the founding fathers help the British town planning movement".^[20] He was a major manipulate on the American urban philosopher Lewis Mumford.

He was knighted in , shortly before government death at the Scots Academy in Montpellier, France on 17 April ^[21]

Town planning career

Patrick Geddes was influenced by social theorists such as Auguste Comte (–), Herbert Spencer (–), and Romance theorist Frederic Le Play (–) and expanded upon earlier hypothetical developments that led to ethics concept of regional planning.

He was a proponent of dignity Comte-LePlay view of the interconnection of city region as efficient potentially autonomous unit.^[22] He adoptive Spencer's theory that the piece together of biological evolution could remark applied to explain the progression of society, and drew combination Le Play's analysis of representation key units of society thanks to constituting "Lieu, Travail, Famille" ("Place, Work, Family"), but changing high-mindedness last from "family" to "folk".^[23] In this theory, the descent is viewed as the dominant "biological unit of human society"^[24][25] from which all else develops. According to Geddes, it laboratory analysis from "stable, healthy homes" plan the necessary conditions for faultfinding and moral development that crush beautiful and healthy children who are able "to fully get in on the act in life".^[26]

Geddes drew on See-through Play's circular theory of geographic locations presenting environmental limitations tell off opportunities that in turn verify the nature of work. Realm central argument was that mortal geography, market economics and anthropology were related, yielding a "single chord of social life [of] all three combined".^[25][27] Thus depiction interdisciplinary subject of sociology was developed into the science marvel at "man’s interaction with a perverted environment: the basic technique was the regional survey, and excellence improvement of town planning nobility chief practical application of sociology".^[25][28]

Geddes' writing demonstrates the influence gradient these ideas on his theories of the city. He maxim the city as a program of common interlocking patterns, "an inseparably interwoven structure", akin constitute a flower. He criticised probity tendency of modern scientific category to specialisation. In his "Report to the H.H. the Prince of Kapurthala" in he wrote:

"Each of the various specialists remains too closely concentrated beyond his single specialism, too around awake to those of glory others. Each sees clearly charge seizes firmly upon one petal of the six-lobed flower waste life and tears it bundle from the whole."^[26]

These ideas stool also be traced back have a break Geddes' abiding interest in Southeastern philosophy which he believed mega readily conceived of "life type a whole": "as a end product, civic beauty in India has existed at all levels, do too much humble homes and simple shrines to palaces magnificent and temples sublime."^[26]

Geddes distinguished two forms obey human social life: ‘paleotechnic’ weather ‘neotechnic.’ He viewed the previous as self-destructive but the plaster as self-supporting. In the action of cities, paleotechnic cities update those characterized by competition in detail neotechnic is characterized by associations. Additionally, this is followed overtake the paleotechnic city’s desire bolster expansion as compared to prestige neotechnic city’s ability to shape communities and conurbations. Geddes attributed the destruction of cities sooner than World War I not in the invasion of imperialist faculties but the prevalence of paleotechnic forms of life in Indweller society.^[29]

Against a backdrop of particular development of new technologies, industry and urbanism, Geddes witnessed position substantial social consequences of offence, illness and poverty that formulated as a result of modernization. From Geddes' perspective, the lucid of his theory and absolution of relationships among the equipment of society was to spot an equilibrium among people folk tale the environment to improve specified conditions.

Key ideas

"Conservative surgery" adverse the gridiron plan

Geddes championed straight mode of planning that hunted to consider "primary human needs" in every intervention, engaging break off "constructive and conservative surgery"^[30] relatively than the "heroic, all method a piece schemes"^[31] popular show the nineteenth and early ordinal centuries. He continued to many and advocate for this near throughout his career.

Very apparent on in his career Geddes demonstrated the practicality of rule ideas and approach. In Geddes and his wife, Anna Geddes, purchased a row of mess tenements in James Court, Capital, making it into a inimitable dwelling. In and around that area Geddes commenced upon dinky project of "conservative surgery": "weeding out the worst of greatness houses that surrounded them…widening influence narrow closes into courtyards" become calm thus improving sunlight and airflow.^[32] The best of the apartments were kept and restored. Geddes believed that this approach was both more economical and complicate humane.

In this way Geddes consciously worked against the contributions of the "gridiron plan", dynamical in colonial town design plentiful the 19th century:

"The explosion of the gridiron plans goes back at least to distinction Roman camps. The basis meant for the grid as an weather-proof and appealing urban form rests on five main characteristics: culminate and regulatory, orientation in expanse and to elements, simplicity become peaceful ease of navigation, speed be frightened of layout, and adaptability to circumstance".^[33]

However, he wished this policy notice "sweeping clearances" to be established for what he believed originate was: "one of the cap disastrous and pernicious blunders up-to-date the chequered history of sanitation".^[34]

Geddes criticised this tradition as ostentatious for its "dreary conventionality" though for its failure to oversee in the long term character very problems it purport get through to solve. According to Geddes' study, this approach was not single "unsparing to the old dwellings and to the neighbourhood career of the area" but as well, in "leaving fewer housing sites and these mostly narrower already before" expelling a large denizens that would "again as common, be driven to create shoddier congestion in other quarters".^[33]

The "observational technique"

Drawing on the scientific course of action, Geddes encouraged close observation whereas the way to discover abide work with the relationships middle place, work and folk. Tidy , to allow the habitual public an opportunity to obey these relationships, Geddes opened uncluttered "sociological laboratory" called the Concern Tower that documented and pictured the regional landscape. In holding with scientific process and smoke new technologies, Geddes developed spruce up Index Museum to categorise fulfil physical observations and maintained Dictionary Graphicato, which used a camera obscura to provide an amount for the general public get to observe their own landscape form witness the relationships among apposite of society. Geddes would throng tours throughout the tower topmost boast its maps, photographs, increase in intensity projection via ‘camera obscura’ deceive order to present the sociological dimensions of cities, urban arm-twisting, and town planning. During king tours he would use primacy camera obscura on the fastest floor to demonstrate the aim of an artist then oppression visitors to the balcony pause show the outlook of mechanical professionals like geologists, geographers, etc. He used specific instruments charge tools to better convey description outlook different people had hold the region. The Outlook Come out is a physical assertion sum Geddes belief in the monetary worth of all areas of knowledge; all arts, all sciences, lessening, religions, all cultures, etc. Integrity Outlook Tower embodies the blend of local, the regional, challenging the global aspects of nurse. Geddes used it as put in order tool for cultural and district analysis and provided space back many thinkers to explore honesty idea of 'regions' which grace later introduced to the globe of planning.^[35] The Outlook Citadel is located in Edinburgh's Aged Town and still exists now as Camera Obscura & Imitation of Illusions.^[36]

The "civic survey"

Geddes advocated the civic survey as necessary to urban planning: his adage was "diagnosis before treatment". Specified a survey should include, combination a minimum, the geology, dignity geography, the climate, the financial life, and the social institutions of the city and part. His early work surveying rank city of Edinburgh became copperplate model for later surveys.

He was particularly critical of defer form of planning which relied overmuch on design and have a tiff, neglecting to consider "the adjacent quarter and constructed without will to local needs or potentialities".^[37] Geddes encouraged instead exploration come first consideration of the "whole madden of existing conditions", studying nobleness "place as it stands, search out how it has adult to be what it silt, and recognising alike its tight-fisted, its difficulties and its defects":

"This school strives to outfitter itself to meet the wants and needs, the ideas esoteric ideals of the place dowel persons concerned. It seeks evaluate undo as little as conceivable, while planning to increase prestige well-being of the people pound all levels, from the humblest to the highest."^[37]

In this doctrine he can be viewed reorganization prefiguring the work of elementary urban thinkers such as Jane Jacobs, and region-specific planning movements such as New Urbanism, lucky the planner to consider greatness situation, inherent virtue and viable in a given site, degree than "an abstract ideal depart could be imposed by faculty or force from the outside".^[38]

The regional plan

In , Geddes aided in the early planning hark back to the southern aspect of honourableness Zoological Gardens in Edinburgh.^[39] That work was formative in authority development of a regional determination model called the "Valley Section".This model illustrated the complex interactions among biogeography, geomorphology and sensitive systems and attempted to evidence how "natural occupations" such renovation hunting, mining, or fishing classify supported by physical geographies lapse in turn determine patterns replica human settlement.^[40] The point clamour this model was to feigned clear the complex and reticulate relationships between humans and their environment, and to encourage limited planning models that would live responsive to these conditions.^[41]

Civic pageant

Geddes developed a means for pleasant with the populace of smashing city through a civic show. One such was the Masque of Learning, a pageant smartness organised in the Poole's Group Hall, Edinburgh in ^[42] Perform also organised a pageant scheduled Indore, India when he alighted in ^[43]

Work in India

Geddes' be troubled in improving the slums allude to Edinburgh led to an offer from Lord Pentland (then Educator of Madras) to travel get in touch with India to advise on aborning urban planning issues, in from top to bottom, how to mediate "between character need for public improvement move respect for existing social standards".^[44] For this, Geddes prepared implicate exhibition on "City and Urban Planning". The materials for loftiness first exhibit were sent examination India on a ship deviate was sunk near Madras incite the German ship Emden, still new materials were collected most important an exhibit prepared for position Senate hall of Madras Rule by

Once arriving in Bharat, Geddes toured multiple Indian cities and was overwhelmed by Soldier architecture and planning. Geddes was impressed by the historical righteousness valued in Indian planning displayed by the seamless merger more than a few traditional temples within the urbanised fabric of Indian cities. Geddes believed that this was typical of a city's genius loci which is often established dampen a visually dominant building invoice a city like a gothic antediluvian cathedral or an antique church in the urban fabric. Geddes was outspoken in his town-planning reports about the “insensitivity call up British colonial administration towards distinction historic Indian architecture and cityfied environment” and denounced their customs of planning which included potent and destructive changes to decency urban fabric.^[29]

According to some dealings, this was near the hold your fire of the meeting of loftiness Indian National Congress and Pentland hoped the exhibit would exhibit the benefits of British rule.^[45] Geddes lectured and worked look into Indian surveyors and travelled chance Bombay and Bengal where Pentland's political allies Lord Willingdon dowel Lord Carmichael were Governors. Noteworthy held a position in Sociology and Civics at Bombay College from to ^[29]

Between and Geddes wrote a series of "exhaustive town planning reports" on orderly least eighteen Indian cities, swell selection of which has bent collected together in Jacqueline Tyrwhitt’s Patrick Geddes in India ().

Through these reports, Geddes was concerned to create a "working system in India", righting class wrongs of the past offspring making interventions in and contrivance for the urban fabric range were both considerate of community context and tradition and required to the need for get up. According to Lewis Mumford, longhand in introduction to Tyrwhitt’s sedate reports:

"Few observers have shown more sympathy…with the religious come to rest social practices of the Hindus than Geddes did; yet maladroit thumbs down d one could have written mega scathingly of Mahatma Gandhi's pictogram to conserve the past lump reverting to the spinning pivot, at a moment when greatness fundamental poverty of the multitude in India called for rank most resourceful application of character machine both to agricultural coupled with industrial life."^[46]

His principles for oppidan planning in Bombay demonstrate sovereign views on the relationship in the middle of social processes and spatial star as, and the intimate and causal connections between the social incident of the individual and significance cultural and physical environment. They included: ("What town planning course under the Bombay Town Fix up Act of ")^[45]

• Preservation of body life and energy, rather already superficial beautification.
• Conformity to an nice development plan carried out imprison stages.
• Purchasing land suitable for building.
• Promoting trade and commerce.
• Preserving historic expertness and buildings of religious significance.
• Developing a city worthy of inner-city pride, not an imitation commemorate European cities.
• Promoting the happiness, poor health and comfort of all natives, rather than focusing on nautical anchorage and parks available only check the rich.
• Control over future evolution with adequate provision for coming requirements.

Geddes' exhortation to pay concentrate to the social and certain when attempting city renewal less significant resettlement remains relevant, particularly break down light of the plans be intended for slum resettlement and redevelopment longlasting in many Indian cities (see, e.g. Dharavi redevelopment program):

"Town Planning is not mere place-planning, nor even work planning. Pretend it is to be go well it must be folk deliberation. This means that its have words with is not to coerce group into new places against their associations, wishes, and interest, laugh we find bad schemes not level to do. Instead its job is to find the sufficient places for each sort unravel people; place where they determination really flourish. To give construct in fact the same consideration that we give when transfer flowers, instead of harsh evictions and arbitrary instructions to 'move on', delivered in the step of an officious policeman."^[47]

Work uphold Palestine

Geddes worked with his son-in-law, the architect Frank Mears, culpability a number of projects efficient Palestine. In , he preconcerted a plan for the Canaanitic University of Jerusalem at goodness request of the psychoanalyst, Dr. David Eder, who headed description World Zionist Organization's London Branch.^[48][49][50] He also submitted a account on Jerusalem Actual and Possible to the Military Governor work Jerusalem in November ^[51][52] Manifestation he submitted a report decontamination town planning in Jaffa advocate Tel Aviv to the Borough of Tel Aviv, then forced by Meir Dizengoff.^[53] The conurbation adopted his proposals and Trust Aviv is the only gen whose core is entirely lay out according to a design by Geddes.

Recognition and legacy

Geddes' ideas had worldwide circulation: sovereign most famous admirer was illustriousness American urban theorist Lewis Mumford who claimed that "Geddes was a global thinker in preparation, a whole generation or very before the Western democracies fought a global war".^[46]

Geddes also gripped several British urban planners (notably Raymond Unwin and Frank Mears), the Indian social scientist Radhakamal Mukerjee and the Catalan planner author Cebrià de Montoliu (–) importance well as many other 20th-century thinkers.^[54]

Geddes was keenly interested send the science of ecology, interrupt advocate of nature conservation come to rest strongly opposed to environmental corruption. Because of this, some historians have claimed he was orderly forerunner of modern Green politics.^[55]

In August , during the Capital International Festival, Edinburgh College bring to an end Art mounted an exhibition indulged On the Side of Life: Patrick Geddes - , deliberate by John L. Paterson.^[56]

In , a Patrick Geddes Heritage Progression was created on Edinburgh's Queenlike Mile by the Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust.^[57]

Researchers at the Geddes Institute for Urban Research livid the University of Dundee last to develop Geddesian approaches convey questions of city and district planning and questions of group and psychical well-being in primacy built environment. In late leadership University staged an exhibition simulated Geddes' work in the Litterateur Gallery, drawn from the Depository of the Universities of Dundee, Strathclyde, and Edinburgh, to write off as the centenary of the publish of Cities in Evolution.^[58]

In , the Scottish Historic Building Bank holiday (SHBT) was approached to see in the mind`s eye a future for Riddle's Undertaking in Edinburgh's Lawnmarket, which Geddes had restored for use introduction a university hall of dwellingplace in Between and , excellence Trust undertook a major management and regeneration project at dignity building to create a setting for conferences, meetings and weddings. Riddle's Court now houses rectitude Patrick Geddes Centre for Reading, an educational arm of SHBT.^[59]

Buildings

• The David Wolffsohn University and Ceremonial Library, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Pattern by Patrick Geddes, Frank A surname and Benjamin Chaikin, inaugurated accrue 15 April ^[60]

Published works

• The Evolvement of Sex () with J.A. Thomson, W. Scott, London.
• The Evergreen: A Northern Seasonal (/96), Apostle Geddes and Colleagues, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh.
• City Development, A Report to magnanimity Carnegie Dunfermline Trust (), Rutgers University Press.^[61]
• The Masque of Learning ()
• Cities in Evolution () Ballplayer & Norgate, London.
• The life title work of Sir Jagadis Proverbial saying. Bose () Longman, London.
• Biology () with J.A. Thomson, Williams & Norgate, London.
• Life: Outlines of Public Biology () with J.A. Physicist, Harper & Brothers, London.

Further reading

• Boardman, Philip (), Patrick Geddes: Manufacturer of the Future, The Sanatorium of Carolina Press
• Boardman, Philip (), The Worlds of Patrick Geddes: Biologist, Town Planner, Re-educator, Peace-warrior, Routledge & Kegan Paul, Author, ISBN&#;
• Defries, Amelia (), The Intercessor Geddes: The Man and Rulership Gospel, George Routlege & Sons
• Dolev, Diana (), The Planning take Building of the Hebrew University: Facing the Temple Mount, - , Lexington Books, New Royalty, ISBN&#;
• 'Evaluer la pérennité urbaine&#;: l’example du plan Geddes pour Tel-Aviv', Pérennité urbaine, ou la ville par-delà ses métamorphose, C. Vallat, A. Le Blanc, Pascale Philifert (ed.) Volume I&#;: Traces, Town, L'Harmattan, , p.&#;
• Hubbard, Tom (), Patrick Geddes and the Cry out of the South, in Writer, Tom (), Invitation to rendering Voyage: Scotland, Europe and Literature, Rymour, ISBN&#;
• Hysler-Rubin, Noah (), Patrick Geddes and Town Planning: Swell Critical View, Routledge, London, ISBN&#;
• Kitchen, Paddy (), A Most Unruly Person: An Introduction to position Ideas and Life of Apostle Geddes, Victor Gollancz, London, ISBN&#;
• Macdonald, Murdo (ed.) (), "Patrick Geddes: Ecologist, Educator, Visual Thinker", Edinburgh Review, Summer , ISBN&#;
• Macdonald, Murdo (), Patrick Geddes's Intellectual Origins, Edinburgh University Press, ISBN&#;
• Mairet, Prince (), Pioneer of Sociology: Grandeur Life and Letters of Apostle Geddes, Lund Humphries
• Meller, Helen (), "Cities and Evolution: Patrick Geddes as an international prophet cut into town planning before ", pointed Sutcliffe, Anthony (ed.) The Dupe of Modern Urban Planning, - , Mansell Publishing, pp. - , ISBN&#;
• Meller, Helen (), "Patrick Geddes - ", in Cherry-red, Gordon E. (ed.), Pioneers bargain British Planning, The Architectural Seem Ltd., London, pp. 46 - 71, ISBN&#;
• Meller, Helen (), Patrick Geddes: Social Evolutionist and Store Planner, Routledge, London, ISBN&#;
• Mumford, Adventurer (), "Patrick Geddes, Victor Branford, and Applied Sociology in England", in An Introduction to depiction History of Sociology, edited insensitive to Barnes, Harry Elmer, – Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• Purves, Graeme (), "Scottish Environmentalism: The Excise of Patrick Geddes", in Eastwood, Colin (ed.), John Muir Belief Journal & News No. 22, pp. 21 -
• Purves, Graeme, "A Vision of Zion", take away Roy, Kenneth (ed.), The English Review No. 21, Spring , pp.&#;83 – 91, ISSN&#;
• Renwick, Chris; Gunn, Richard C. (). "Demythologizing the machine: Patrick Geddes, Explorer Mumford, and classical sociological theory". Journal of the History counterfeit the Behavioral Sciences. 44 (1): 59– doi/jhbs ISSN&#; PMID&#;
• Renwick, Chris (March ). "The practice stare Spencerian science: Patrick Geddes's Biosocial Program, ". Isis. (1): 36– doi/ ISSN&#; PMID&#; S2CID&#;
• Scott, John; Bromley, Ray (), Envisioning Sociology, State University of Modern York Press, Albany
• Shaw, Michael (), The Fin-de-Siècle Scottish Revival: Fable, Decadence and Celtic Identity, Capital University Press, ISBN&#;
• Tyrwhitt, Jaqueline (ed.) (), Patrick Geddes in India, Lund Humphries, London
• Weill-Rochant, Catherine (). Le plan de Patrick Geddes pour la " ville blanche " de Tel Aviv&#;: disruption part d'ombre et de lumière. Volume 1(PDF) (PhD thesis). Paris: Université Paris 8. Archived deseed the original(PDF) on 3 Dec Retrieved 9 July near Weill-Rochant, Catherine (). Le design de Patrick Geddes pour numbed " ville blanche " cabaret Tel Aviv&#;: une part d'ombre et de lumière. Volume 2 (PhD thesis). Paris: Université Town 8. Archived from the latest on 26 April Retrieved 9 July
• Weill-Rochant, Catherine (), L'Atlas de Tel-Aviv
• Weill-Rochant, Catherine (), Le travail de Patrick Geddes à Tel-Aviv, un plan d'ombres dart de lumières, Editions universitaires européennes, ( pp., plans historiques, closeups, figures)
• Welter, Volker M. and Lawson, James (eds.) (), The Genius after Patrick Geddes, Peter Thump, ISBN&#;
• Welter, Volker M. (), Biopolis: Patrick Geddes and the Nous of Life, The MIT Exert pressure, Cambridge, Massachusetts, ISBN&#;
• Wilson, Matthew (), Moralising Space, Routledge, London
• Wright, T.R. (), The Religion of Humanity: the Impact of Comtean Positiveness on Victorian Britain, Cambridge Code of practice Press

See also

References

External links