Chapter II: The theoretical basis

Size

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Size. The maximum size of an environmental area is governed by the need to prevent its own traffic building up to a volume that in effect necessitates sub-division by the insertion of a further distributory link in the network. Size is considered in more detail later on in this study, but it should be said here that no sociological content is implied by our concept of environmental areas. There is no connection for example with the idea of ‘neighbourhoods’, the concept is no more and no less than a method of arranging buildings for motor traffic. In fact, a neighbourhood of 10,000 people, which was the unit size postulated in the County of London Plan, would certainly require subdivision into a number of environmental areas.

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The idea that within an environmental area the traffic (using the term, of course, to include stationary as well as moving vehicles as defined at the beginning of this chapter) should be subordinated to the environment carries with it the important implication that any environmental area must have a maximum acceptable level of traffic. It must, in other words, have a maximum capacity. This may be seen by considering the case of an area of terraced houses in conventional streets with narrow pavements. The amount of traffic within such an area would obviously have to be curtailed if reasonable standards of environment were to be secured. The acceptable amount of traffic should, in theory, be calculable. In order to ensure that it is not exceeded it might be sufficient (assuming it is an environmental area in the making) merely to exclude all extraneous vehicles, but even then the area’s own traffic might increase beyond the limit as a result, say, of the conversion of the houses to flats, or as a result of an unexpectedly high car ownership rate. In this event there would either have to be a regrettable lowering of the environmental standards, or a curtailment of the accessibility. But there would also be the possibility of making, at a price, physical alterations to the area, for example by providing garages for cars which would otherwise be left on the street, or perhaps rearranging the area altogether by rebuilding.