Rural Planning

Abstract

Planning is a topical word, but the science of town planning can be traced down the ages. Until recent years, however, emphasis has been on " town " and not on " country " planning. Legislation has linked professions of medicine, sanitary engineering and planning towards the application of the modern concept of town and country planning. The variations in the characteristics of the countryside are discussed and the various categories of rural land described. The function of the specialist and the purpose of the planner as co-ordinator are pointed out. There is an emphatic need for conservation of land for agriculture and proper allocation of land for other rural purposes. The planning of rural communities by sentimentalists and realists, respectively, are contrasted and it is advocated that the aim in design should be charm and hygiene with social unity and balanced economy. The elements of major and minor rural communities are set out, and control of isolated dwellings in the countryside is discussed. Extractive industries, public utility undertakings, woodlands, service department requirements and camping sites all require to be fitted in to their appropriate places in the rural plan. In such a paper it is possible only to touch briefly on various aspects of rural planning, which must be undertaken as team work. There is a duty to cherish and preserve the heritage of the green countryside.