Human Settlements: The Environmental Challenge: A Compendium of United Nations Papers Prepared for the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment 1972

219 Pages·1974·18.683 MB·English

by  Centre for Housing, Building and Planning United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (auth.)

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS:
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE
HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS:
The Environmental Challenge
A Compendium of United Nations Papers
Prepared for the Stockholm Conference
on the Human Environment 1972
CENTRE FOR HOUSING,
BUILDING AND PLANNING
UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
Palgrave Macmillan
©United Nations 1974
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1974 978-0-333-14071-0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without permission.
First published 1974 by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
London and Basingstoke
Associated companies in New York
Dublin Melbourne Johannesburg and Madras
ISBN 978-1-349-01649-5 ISBN 978-1-349-01647-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-01647-1
The twin challenges posed by development and environment
also offer us a double opportunity: to shape man's economic
and social activities so that they harmonise as never before
with the constraints imposed by nature; and to make nature
serve the needs of all men.
UTHANT
Contents
Foreword XI
Preface Xlll
Acknowledgement XVI
Part One
1 The Problem 3
Man and his Environment
A Question of Perspective
Special Problems of Developing Countries
The Human Settlement
Resolving the Conflicts
2 Evolution of Human Settlements 13
Population Growth and Urbanisation
The Pattern of Rural Settlement
Migration and Urban Growth
Transitional Settlements
Central City Problems
The Pull of Primate Cities
Conflicts in the Settled Environment
Liquid and Solid Wastes
Mental Health
3 A Comprehensive Approach 49
Conventional Responses to Urban Problems
Health Aspects of Planning
City Planning
Influencing Migration Patterns
Rural Development
New Towns and Growth Poles
Distribution of Industry
Comprehensive Planning
Vll
Contents
Vlll
4 The Process of Implementation 73
A Programme of Reform
Problems of Methodology
The Administrative System
Legal, Fiscal and Institutional Machinery
Problems in Developing Countries
Public Support
Research, Education and Training
Part Two
5 Housing 101
The Residential Environment
The House and the Neighbourhood
Locational Factors
Social Involvement
Progressive Improvement in Transitional Areas
A Practical Approach
Finding the Money
International Aid
6 Industry 120
Industry and the Urban Environment
Industrial Location
The Building Industry
Policy Issues
7 Leisure 132
Open Space in Urban Areas
Recreation Planning and Management
Planning for Tourists
8 Infrastructure 142
The Vital Role of Water
Treatment and Supply
Sewage Disposal
Solid Wastes
9 Transport 153
Transport Systems
Managing the Motor Car
Contents
IX
Public Transport
Transport Planning
New Technologies
10 Social and Cultural Aspects 167
The Symbolic Role of the City Centre
Interactions and Conflicts
Historic Areas
Citizenship and Participation
Appendix (Conference Declaration and Recommend
ations, and General Assembly Resolutions) 175
Notes 206
Foreword
Man's intervention in nature has engendered conflict between
the natural and man-made environments. Only in this century
has the resulting damage exceeded nature's capacity to
redress the balance. Unprecedented population growth,
industrialisation pursued almost as an end in itself and
unregulated urbanisation have brought the man-made and
natural environments into conflict to such a degree that not
only is sound economic and social development endangered,
but also the physical, social, aesthetic and spiritual well-being
of man is jeopardised. Again and again we are reminded that
controls are slipping out of his hands and that man's
creations might ultimately consume him.
Fortunately, mankind is awakening to these challenges, as
is evident in part from the United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972. It
brought together leading scientists and statesmen, defined the
basic issues and recommended a course of action for the
developing as well as the industrialised countries. The
Conference rightly noted that development and environ
mental protection are not mutually opposed and that the
developing countries, while sharing the experience of the
industrialised societies, would do well to avoid environmental
errors.
I am happy to note that this book describes the essential
problems and possible solutions concerning human settle
ments as conceived by the professional community and
considered by representatives of Governments at the Stock
holm Conference, as well as by the United Nations General
Assembly at its twenty-seventh session in 1972.
This volume, I trust, will advise and inspire experts,
administrators and community leaders alike in discharging
their unavoidable responsibility to redirect the forces that
shape human settlements, to bring the man-made elements of
the environment into closer harmony with the natural
X1
xu Foreword
elements, to prevent further environmental impairment and
to improve the quality of human life.
Technology as well as political and social organisation may
be profoundly affected in meeting fully the demands for
environmentally safe urban and rural settlements with decent
shelter and community facilities. It is easy to see why if one
ponders the implications of just two tasks which face
mankind. First, it is necessary to build every year on the
average until the end of this century the equivalent of
sixty-seven new cities of one million inhabitants each in order
to accommodate the increased urban population of the world.
Second, over 1000 million new dwellings must be con
structed by the end of this century to house the peoples of
the world.
We must not demur in evolving new solutions; otherwise,
in the words of Francis Bacon, 'He that will not apply new
remedies must expect new evils'.
PIDLIPPE DE SEYNES
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs