This document summarizes Patrick Geddes's approach to urban conservation in Edinburgh, UK. Geddes viewed conservation as protecting the cultural representations of the past through preserving heritage properties, buildings, monuments, and structures. His planning approach, which he called "conservative surgery," aimed to understand a place's existing physical, social, and symbolic landscape to allow its most favorable future development. Geddes saw cities as evolving over time through the accumulation of layers, and believed planners should conserve this evolutionary process to enable civic evolution. His conservation work in Edinburgh involved initiatives like improving water supply, creating open spaces, removing slums, and establishing schools and parks.

1. Geddes’s Conservation Surgery in
Edinburgh, UK

2. “Heritage conservation” and “Urban Conservation” ?
Conservation : “ The Process of Protecting the Cultural
Representation of the past”
Heritage Conservation :
Process of protecting the heritage properties,
old building, monuments and structures which
represent a significant part of the human history.
It has strong connection through time and
space

3. The Historic Urban Landscape approach suggests that
intelligent planning of the larger urban area starts with
understanding
the evolution of the historic urban landscape at this
larger scale, and then seeing the current city as a
depositing of many layers over time into that setting. In
every case, the history needs to be made known and
Urban Conservation
Protect integrity of the urban fabric and the urban landscape
in an historic context.
“the purpose of a Conservation Area is to preserve the
character and atmosphere of the area and good building
or
groups of building within it” Report on mound/Lawnmarket
conservation Are, University of
Edinburgh

4. Sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932 )
 Sir Patrick Geddes was a British Town Planner,
biologist,
Sociology, landscape designer and urban thinker.
 He introduced the concepts ;
1. URBAN CONSERVATION
2. CONURBATION

5. Urban Conservation of Patrick
Geddes
Scale of approach
 Holistic
 Conserve built heritage as part of boarder vision of ‘civic
evolution’
Planning Approach –
Conservative Surgery:
“take into account the existing physical, social,
symbolic landscape of a place in order to allow
its most favorable future development “

6. Patrick Geddes’ Evolution of City
“Evolution is a process of adapting over time to respond
to the needs of the time” – Charles Darwin
Stone
Age
Paleolithic Age Neolithic Age

7. INDUSTRIAL AGE 1.Paleotechinc Age (Kakotopia)
• Invention of machines
• Railway & Market
• Manufactures
• Optimized resource use
Crowded & dull
Industrial Town
* Coalfield
conurbation
* Modern mining town
* Pseudo cities
Slum Character
Consequences:
a. in wasting of energies
b. in decline of life stand
Trade Competition
Nature Competition
War Competition

8. 1.Neotechnic Age (Eutopia) – Neotechnic City
To competitor the past glories of history;
• Carefully economization of national resources
• Planting Trees
• Housing building
• Town planning & city designing
• Demand & create noble streets of noble house,
gardens & parks
• Rapidly accumulate both Civic & Individual wealth
• Rational use of resources – better use
• bettering of man and his environment together Cultural City
Garden City

9. Neotechnic City- EUtopia
Paleotechnic Characters

10. Therefore……………….
Town Planner Should Conserve the evolutionary
process of a city to enable of civic evolution
Planner consider: What is the difference between them?
Why they are seen to be needed?
Community needs :
aesthetic ?
religious ?
civic ?
historical ?
economic ?
political ?

11. Way of the Neotechnic
City………………
Geddes’s Conservation
Surgery in Edinburgh, UK
Planning approach
:

12. The Cleansing of the City ;
1.Water Supply area protection- mountain area
2. Leaving unbuilt rustic area between;
* To growing together
* Placing schools, Play grounds, gardens
etc.
3. Removing slums
4. Creation of open space
5.Demolishing of unnecessary mews
(private garages, stores,etc)
small workshops, etc.
7. Formation of garden - courts
8. Value of opportunities of activity for youth,
and for citizenship : civic volunteering

13. 1. Tools : Camera, measuring tools
2. Exploring city - outlook tower
3. Compiler record – Permanent and temporary elements
- static and the fluid
- people and places
4. Sort and classify:
1. examination and criticism of the material
11. selection – distinguishing the essential from the
unessential
111. drowning conclusion from the selection
Methodology

14.  Eutopian vision - mixed community
 Superstructure:
Folk ,working and Play together in harmony
Contain in the concept
Educatio
n
Place

17. :

21. Now ?
 Climate changes
 Environmental Problems; air pollution, Flood and Solid
waste disposal issues
 Health risks; heat stress and the spread of topical
disease (Malaria, Dengue)
 Singapore in practice - URD

22. Thank you