Patrick Geddes
Encyclopedia
Sir Patrick Geddes was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning
and education.
He was responsible for introducing the concept of "region" to architecture
and planning and is also known to have coined the term "conurbation
".
An energetic Francophile
, Geddes was the founder of the Collège des Écossais (Scots College) in Montpellier, France.
Geddes was the father-in-law of the urban planner Frank Charles Mears
.
, Aberdeenshire
, and educated at Perth Academy.
He studied at the Royal College of Mines in London under Thomas Henry Huxley between 1874 and 1878, and lectured in Zoology at Edinburgh University from 1880 to 1888.
Geddes wrote with J. Arthur Thomson
an early book on sexology
, The Evolution of Sex (1889). He held the Chair of Botany at University College Dundee from 1888 to 1919, and the Chair of Sociology at the University of Bombay from 1919 to 1924. He died in Montpellier
, France
on April 17, 1932. He was knighted in 1932 shortly before his death.
that social processes and spatial form are related. Therefore, by changing the spatial form it was possible to change the social structure as well. This was particularly important in the late 19th and early 20th century when industrialization was dramatically altering the conditions of life.
Geddes demonstrated this theory through his work in Edinburgh
's Old Town. Here, in this most dilapidated area, he used associations with prominent thinkers who lived there in the 18th and 19th century (like Adam Smith
), to establish residential halls. The building in question, Milne's Court, is still part of the University of Edinburgh complex. Here he situated his famous Outlook Tower
, a museum of local, regional, Scottish
, and world history
.
He collaborated with his son-in-law, architect
Sir Frank Mears on projects in the Middle East
. In 1919, Geddes was commissioned by the British Mandate to draw up a masterplan for Jerusalem. In 1925, he submitted a master plan for Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is the only known city whose core is entirely built according to Geddes' plan.
Geddes was the founder of the College Des Ecossais, an international teaching establishment located in Montpellier
, France
. In India, Geddes provided planning consultancy to the rulers of Princely states. His principles for town planning in Bombay included: ("What town planning means under the Bombay Town Planning Act of 1915")
In Madras, Geddes worked with Lord Pentland
, whom he knew from Edinburgh. Pentland invited Geddes to hold an exhibit on town planning in 1914. This was around the time of the meeting of the Indian National Congress and Pentland hoped the exhibit would demonstrate the benefits of British rule. The materials for the exhibit were sent to India on a ship that was sunk near Madras by the German ship Emden. New material was collected and exhibited at the Senate hall of Madras University in 1915. Geddes lectured and worked with Indian surveyors and traveled to Bombay and Bengal where Pentland's political allies Lord Willingdon
and Lord Carmichael were governors. He held a position in Sociology and Civics at Bombay University from 1919 to 1925.
Geddes was keenly interested in the science of ecology
, an advocate of nature conservation and strongly opposed to pollution
. Because of this, some historians have claimed he was a forerunner of modern Green politics
.
Geddes' ideas had a worldwide circulation: his most famous admirer was the American
urban theorist Lewis Mumford
. Geddes also influenced several British urban planners (notably Raymond Unwin
), the Indian social scientist Radhakamal Mukerjee
and the Catalan architect Cebrià de Montoliu
(1873–1923) as well as many other 20th century thinkers.
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and education.
He was responsible for introducing the concept of "region" to architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and planning and is also known to have coined the term "conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
".
An energetic Francophile
Francophile
Is a person with a positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc...
, Geddes was the founder of the Collège des Écossais (Scots College) in Montpellier, France.
Geddes was the father-in-law of the urban planner Frank Charles Mears
Frank Charles Mears
Frank Charles Mears was one of Scotland's leading planners in the 1930s and 1940s.-Projects:* Master plan for Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1919* County Planning in East Lothian * Renewal of Stirling's Old Town...
.
Biography
The son of Janet Stevenson and soldier Alexander Geddes, Patrick Geddes was born in BallaterBallater
Ballater is a burgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland on the River Dee, immediately east of the Cairngorm Mountains. Situated at a height of 123m in elevation, Ballater is a centre for hikers and known for its spring water, once said to cure scrofula.-History:The medieval pattern of development along...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (historic)
Aberdeenshire or the County of Aberdeen is a registration county of Scotland. This area is also a lieutenancy area.Until 1975 Aberdeenshire was one of the counties of Scotland, governed by a county council from 1890...
, and educated at Perth Academy.
He studied at the Royal College of Mines in London under Thomas Henry Huxley between 1874 and 1878, and lectured in Zoology at Edinburgh University from 1880 to 1888.
Geddes wrote with J. Arthur Thomson
J. Arthur Thomson
Sir John Arthur Thomson was a Scottish naturalist who authored several notable books and was an expert on soft corals....
an early book on sexology
Sexology
Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behavior, and function. The term does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sex, such as political analysis or social criticism....
, The Evolution of Sex (1889). He held the Chair of Botany at University College Dundee from 1888 to 1919, and the Chair of Sociology at the University of Bombay from 1919 to 1924. He died in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on April 17, 1932. He was knighted in 1932 shortly before his death.
Urban planning
Geddes shared the belief with John RuskinJohn Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
that social processes and spatial form are related. Therefore, by changing the spatial form it was possible to change the social structure as well. This was particularly important in the late 19th and early 20th century when industrialization was dramatically altering the conditions of life.
Geddes demonstrated this theory through his work in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
's Old Town. Here, in this most dilapidated area, he used associations with prominent thinkers who lived there in the 18th and 19th century (like Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
), to establish residential halls. The building in question, Milne's Court, is still part of the University of Edinburgh complex. Here he situated his famous Outlook Tower
Outlook Tower
Outlook Tower is a building in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the Royal Mile next to Edinburgh Castle. Known as "Short's Observatory, Museum of Science and Art" from 1853 to 1892, it was purchased and refurbished by Patrick Geddes in 1892 to transform into a "place of outlook and a type-museum as a key...
, a museum of local, regional, Scottish
History of Scotland
The history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit what is now Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age...
, and world history
History of the world
The history of the world or human history is the history of humanity from the earliest times to the present, in all places on Earth, beginning with the Paleolithic Era. It excludes non-human natural history and geological history, except insofar as the natural world substantially affects human lives...
.
He collaborated with his son-in-law, architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Sir Frank Mears on projects in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. In 1919, Geddes was commissioned by the British Mandate to draw up a masterplan for Jerusalem. In 1925, he submitted a master plan for Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is the only known city whose core is entirely built according to Geddes' plan.
Geddes was the founder of the College Des Ecossais, an international teaching establishment located in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In India, Geddes provided planning consultancy to the rulers of Princely states. His principles for town planning in Bombay included: ("What town planning means under the Bombay Town Planning Act of 1915")
- Preservation of human life and energy, rather than superficial beautification.
- Conformity to an orderly development plan carried out in stages.
- Purchasing land suitable for building.
- Promoting trade and commerce.
- Preserving historic buildings and buildings of religious significance.
- Developing a city worthy of civic pride, not an imitation of European cities.
- Promoting the happiness, health and comfort of all residents, rather than focusing on roads and parks available only to the rich.
- Control over future growth with adequate provision for future requirements.
In Madras, Geddes worked with Lord Pentland
John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland
John Sinclair, 1st Baron Pentland, GCSI, GCIE was a Scottish Liberal Party politician, soldier, peer, administrator and Privy Councillor who served as the Secretary of Scotland from 1905 to 1912 and the Governor of Madras from 1912 to 1919.Baron Pentland was born John Sinclair to Sir John...
, whom he knew from Edinburgh. Pentland invited Geddes to hold an exhibit on town planning in 1914. This was around the time of the meeting of the Indian National Congress and Pentland hoped the exhibit would demonstrate the benefits of British rule. The materials for the exhibit were sent to India on a ship that was sunk near Madras by the German ship Emden. New material was collected and exhibited at the Senate hall of Madras University in 1915. Geddes lectured and worked with Indian surveyors and traveled to Bombay and Bengal where Pentland's political allies Lord Willingdon
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon
Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 22nd.Freeman-Thomas was born in England and...
and Lord Carmichael were governors. He held a position in Sociology and Civics at Bombay University from 1919 to 1925.
Geddes was keenly interested in the science of ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, an advocate of nature conservation and strongly opposed to pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
. Because of this, some historians have claimed he was a forerunner of modern Green politics
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
.
Geddes' ideas had a worldwide circulation: his most famous admirer was the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
urban theorist Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford was an American historian, philosopher of technology, and influential literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer...
. Geddes also influenced several British urban planners (notably Raymond Unwin
Raymond Unwin
Sir Raymond Unwin was a prominent and influential English engineer, architect and town planner, with an emphasis on improvements in working class housing.-Early years:...
), the Indian social scientist Radhakamal Mukerjee
Radhakamal Mukerjee
Radhakamal Mukerjee , a leading thinker and social scientist of modern India, was Professor of Economics and Sociology and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lucknow. Mukerjee played an important and constructive role in the Indian independence movement...
and the Catalan architect Cebrià de Montoliu
Cebrià de Montoliu
Cebrià de Montoliu i de Togores was a Catalan town planner and architect, social reformer, and one of the introducers of the Anglo-Saxon culture in Catalonia...
(1873–1923) as well as many other 20th century thinkers.
Published works
- The Evolution of Sex (1889) with J.A. Thomson, W. Scott, London.
- City Development, A Report to the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust (1904), Rutgers University Press.
- Cities in Evolution (1915) Williams & Norgate, London.
- The life and work of Sir Jagadis C. Bose (1920) Longmans, London.
- Biology with Thomson (1925) Williams & Norgate, London.
See also
- Scottish RenaissanceScottish RenaissanceThe Scottish Renaissance was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went beyond literature into music, visual arts, and politics...
- Geddes IslandWilczek LandWilczek Land , is a large-sized island located at . It is a part of Franz Josef Land, Russia.Wilczek Land is the second largest island of the Franz Josef Archipelago. It is almost completely glaciarized except for two narrow areas along its western shores. The highest point on the island is 606...
- Ramsay GardenRamsay GardenRamsay Garden is a block of sixteen private apartment buildings in the Castlehill area of Edinburgh, Scotland. They stand out for their red ashlar and white harled exteriors, and for their prominent position, most visible from Princes Street.Developed into its current form between 1890 and 1893 by...
- James CadenheadJames CadenheadJames Cadenhead, RSA was a Scottish landscape and portrait painter.-Life and work:Cadenhead was born in Aberdeen, the only son of the procurator-fiscal, and received his early training in art in that city, showing an aptitude for black and white drawing, etching and portraiture. He was encouraged...
, Scottish artist who worked with Geddes on his projects in Edinburgh's Old Town.
External links
- The online Journal of Civics & Generalism, is an international collaborative project with extensive essays and graphic material inspired by the work of Patrick Geddes in a modern context
- Geddes as a pioneer landscape architect
- The Geddes Institute at Dundee University, Scotland
- Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust
- Geddes' "The Scots Renascense"