Canberra as a Planned City2

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Canberra as a planned city: Early Urban Planning, Modernism and Americanisation influence on Canberra

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University of Canberra

Business, Government and Law

Canberra as a Planned City

Planning Theory and Process


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To what extent has early modernist and American influences shaped Canberra as the capital citywe see today?

The 20th

century oversaw many drastic changes as well as new inventions and technologies which

would eventuate as pivotal tools and affluences in many western cultures. Along with these new

elements came along a new page in urban and town planning. It was a century filled with change

and a hungry desire for new directions and approach. It was during this period however where

Australia witnessed a new birth of a city, a new capital in the name of Canberra. Canberra

steadfastly evolved over a period of 100 years which oversaw new changes and philosophies in the

approach of planning, with the likes of Le Corbusier leading the modernist charge, as well as rapidly

growing American Empire to which its cultural influences would spill across the Pacific.These

influences would allow neighbourhood units to thrive, long transit freeways to connect place to

place, employment to become a great possibility as well as the administrative centres which would

house the Commonwealth government of Australia. Through this essay we will be assessing the

modernist and American influences through plans, events, people as well as the competition which

started it all.

Early Urban Planning

There is no one definition of urban planning, but can be defined as a technical and political process

concerned with the use of land and design of the urban environment, including transportation

networks, to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities. It

concerns itself with research and analysis, strategic thinking, architecture, urban design, public

consultation, policy recommendations, implementation and management. (Taylor, 2007)Urban

planning has been evident since the 5th

century mainly in the Egyptian civilisations, but recent

archaeological digs are showing planning in most civilisations with buildings and sewage systemsbeing efficiently placed in a settlement. Planning In early Australia was very minimal with most cities

being placed on the east coast for trade purposes like most cities. Much like America and early

Britain, the lack of strict development regulations saw dense urban neighbourhoods quickly sprawl

out of hand eventually turning to slums. (Stout, 1998). This was evident in early Sydney (figure 1)

and Melbourne, although this type of early planning was basic, usually only about the placement of

infrastructure with no population growth, economics or environmental studies. Planning today has

moved from just placement to a range of areas to a range of areas outlined in the definition above

such as design and consultation.


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Figure 1. Sydney Harbour Bridge with HMAS Canberra in foreground taken from Farm Cove, 19

March 1932.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/national_library_of_australia_commons/6174055380/

Between 1901-1930 Canberra offers the best example of ideas and events associated with the

garden city movement. In the initial design and location of Canberra as the capital several criteria

had to be followed, the most significant includes 100miles from Sydney and agricultural background.

This shows that a garden city influence was evident from the beginning.

The beginning of the 20th

century was the beginning of city beautiful approach to town planning in

Australia. (Freestone, 1986). This introduced the British Garden City movement developed in the

early 20th

century by Ebenezer Howard known for his publication Garden Cities of Tomorrow(1898).

His strong dedication and advocacy to the Garden City model movement largely influenced the

design of Canberra. During this time the garden city was accepted by most with George Taylor

explaining in 1914 We can build it as a model city and its sweetness will spread; for a garden city is

a hundred times more useful, because of the inspiration it creates(Taylor, 1914)
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=3GXtULyanc8RYM&tbnid=jDuZLrlh0bB8xM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/national_library_of_australia_commons/6174055380/&ei=upiVUvihM8TWkAX00IDIBQ&bvm=bv.57155469,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNHMWj15Sh6ntnLx1oTcuvKDz0yGIQ&ust=1385622047244423


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Figure 3. Griffins Plan against Canberra in 2007.

http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2007/04/bestlaid_plans_.html

Modernist Planning

Modernist planning is a relatively recent move in planning theory. Modernist planning theory began

around the 1890s in America (USA) when people started moving from rural and regional areas to

urban areas and large cities. This shift from rural to urban areas saw populations of cities boom;

between the 1860s and 1910s New Yorks population went from 470,000 to 5million people,

Philadelphiaspopulation tripled to 1.5million and Chicagospopulation went from 112,000 to

2.1million in the same time frame. This obviously put a lot of stress on infrastructure and planning.

Modernist planning theory was put forward to solve these problems, a fundamental part of

modernist planning is buildings and being able to build larger and taller buildings to house

everything from people to business, (LeGates & Stout, 1998).This began with the birth of the

skyscraper which happened in Chicago in 1885 with the world insurance building but since then

skyscraper have grown to become taller and cover the landscape of large cities to create theiridentity, (History, 2013).
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=lXsn6ePcRDYUeM&tbnid=1taSgscck_ERuM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2007/04/bestlaid_plans_.html&ei=K5WVUq7GFcTHkwX-_4DoDw&bvm=bv.57155469,d.dGI&psig=AFQjCNGPO-i-8zVCcyXKnvNAADgvuT2YGQ&ust=1385621094786488


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World insurance building Evolution of Skyscrapers

The skyscraper allowed modernist planning to house the large populations of cities. A large part ofmodernist planning is also transport and the motor car, with the automobile becoming more popular

and affordable more and more people owned it, (Benevolo, 2013). Modernist planning set out to try

and make commuting as easy as possible. The motorway and freeway were built, more roads and

bigger roads were built basically in modernist planning theory getting from A-B should be as easy as

possible so massive roads were built, (LeGates

& Stout, 1998). Then physical and

psychological problems started to emerge

from environmental degradation, pollution, no

areas of recreation or green spaces. People

who could started moving out of the cities in

to suburbia and then commuting in creating

sprawl, more pollution and more need for

roads, (Richard T LeGates, 2013). These were

issues which planners had to address and

Ebenezer Howards garden city movement

directly addressed but this also caused a shift in modernist planning. Modernist planning no longer

just looked at building taller and making so called megacities modernist planning shifted to try and

become a sustainable form of planning theory. Modernist planning shifted its focus to the

community and open spaces were included for recreation, 4-12 story developments, with shops and

cafs at the base, offices close by and everything within walking distances; New urbanism, (LeGates

& Stout, 1998).

New urbanism Kingston foreshore Development


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Canberra is a modernist city; it displays all aspects of modernism. Modernism didnt really start inAustralia to around the 1910s when people relocated from the bush to the cities, Canberra is a

planned city and it came about in 1913 when modernist planning theory was really taking hold in

Australia due to most of Australiasplanning being influenced by the US. Canberra began with a

quick influx of people mainly public servants to build this capital with exciting plans put forward by

Burley Griffin. What was not foreseen by the government or Canberra was the First world War and

Second World War along with the depression had crippled Australia and strangled and enthusiasm

for Canberra. Canberrasfuture was uncertain but the National capital planning and development

committee (NCPDC) wouldnt let Canberra fail the lake was built, other government departments

were moved to Canberra and built around the Parkes and Barton. Civic centre was developed with

shops and business by the NCPDC and they looked to the federal government for Canberra to have

its own University and ANU was established in Acton in 1948, (Reid, 2002).

Canberra from the 1940s to plans for Canberra now


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Canberras architecture then changed itslandscape taking a much more modernist

planning view from the 1950s onwards

building many more apartments and housing

more people also new parliament house and

other key landmarks like the high court,

national gallery and national museum,

(Gordon, 2006).while this encouraged people

to come to Canberra and with apartments and

taller building there was more room to house

them, the people who came to the bush

capital to live wanted the bush life style so Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong areas were created to

house people and with Canberras population reaching over 100,000 people and every household

owning a car Canberras road system become front and centre. The national capital developmentcommission (NCDC) came up with a solution the Y plan this was based on the modernist planning

theory of getting people from A-B as quick as possible. The plan was developing Canberra as a Y with

Belconnen and Gungahlin as the top two pointscentral

Canberra around Civic and parliament in the middle and

Woden to Tuggeranong at the base, (Reid, 2002). The

plan is based on sprawl and requires people to spend a

lot of time in a vehicle and polluting a lot. With a shift

for Canberra to have a viable public transport system

and double in size over the next 50years sprawl isnt seen as a viable option and new modernism is

seen as the way to go for Canberra planning with developments like Kingston foreshore, city to the

lake, south quay and more high-rise developments varying from 4-28stories with Belconnen and

Woden planned to have the tallest building in Canberra in the coming years infill modernist planning

a new urbanism styled planning is the future of Canberras planning, (ACT Government, 2013).

Americanization of Australian Planning

Modernism has been a part of an Americanisation of planning that has influenced Australian cities.

Canberra was designed during the early phases of urban planning models and Walter Burley Griffins

plan was the start of American planning ideas being introduced to Canberra.

Griffins plan was influenced by the LEnfant Plan that was used to design Washington DC. Both

Canberra and Washington have been planned with major landmarks being on a certain angle and

distance away from each other. The areas surrounding the centre of the city are noted for having


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low density buildings and many parks situated near a lake. The street layout is also arranged withhexagonal and triangular angles spiralling off each other, these main roads being major tree lined

avenues lining up with the citys landscape and topography with a grid layout of roads filling in

between. The angles and shapes that the major landmarks of both cities have been designed on

make for good scenery for residents and visitors. Griffin also took inspiration from the Burnham Plan

which occurred in his home city of Chicago in 1909 which was based on having the city closely

situated to lake. This concept is based on the City Beautiful movement and the ideas of the Garden

City. The ideas are based on having a capital city that is aligned perfectly to make for a healthy city

with beautiful environments and scenery. Having been designed by an American, there would

always be an influence from American planning ideas in Canberra and that would develop as

planning entered the Modernist period. (aph.gov.au)

Walter Burley Griffin had a very strong relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright was a very

influential planner in America who had strong designs for housing. His ideas were very architectural

based which added more American influence to Australias capital. Added American influence camewhen the competition to design Parliament House was awarded to architect Romaldo Giurgola who

had spent most of his career in America. Adding a further American influence to Canberra, this time

it was the most important building in the country. (griffinsociety.org)

The relationship between America and Australia was at its strongest around the 50s and it was then

that Canberra begun to fully develop into the city it is today. At the time American planning theories

were introduced to Canberra. Heavy use of the car lead to highways being built in America and being

introduced to Australia, they were used to connect the new town centres of Woden and Belconnen

to the centre of Canberra and the city has continued to expand. This has altered the design of

central Canberra with Parkes Way becoming a major road taking traffic away from Constitution

Avenue, one of the main roads in Griffins plan. The major use of highways however has made

Canberras heavy use of the use of car a problem with very little public transport causing congestion

on roads. The first shopping mall was introduced to Australia during the 1950s. They were a sign of

American consumerism and were the centre part of Woden and Belconnen. The Shopping mallhelped shape the way in which Civic works now, away from the original plan of having the major

shopping complexes situated around the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings. (Freestone, 2004)

(Legates Stout 1998)

The neighbourhood unit is an American planning theory that is very evident and noticeable and the

majority of Canberra suburbs. Designed by Clarence Perry, the neighbourhood unit was introduced

to Canberra during the 40s and was a very popular model with Canberra planners. The idea was that

the school and local shops are located in the centre of the suburb. The residential houses are located

around the major complexes in the suburb. The main idea behind this is that everyone can find their

daily needs within their own neighbourhood. The schools and shops are often surrounded by green

spaces and parks adding to the Canberra theme of the garden city. This a major influence from

America that is seen in all town centres and is the most influential American planning theory to have

an impact on America. It serves as a low density version of New Urbanism which comes from the

ideas of Modernism. (Freestone 2010)

All of these models and ideas came to Canberra during and part of the Modernist movement in

urban planning. The design of Canberra today has been influenced by American ideas during the

Modernist period and shapes the city that we now know today.


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1966 oversaw a new proposal which further exacerbated Americas influence in Canberra alone. TheNational Capital Development Commission invited American transport consultants to assist in

updating a transport plan which would accommodate a further 500,000 people. This plan would

ultimately envisage the future growth in Canberras suburbs. This plan was called the Spatial Plan or

simply the Y Plan as proposal radiated from the city centre(Overall, 1995). Woden and

Tuggeranong would form the tail of this plan while the northern suburbs of Belconnen, Gungahlin

and Sutton would form the two branches which would ultimately form the Y shape. This plan was

designed on the assumption that Canberra would remain a car-reliant society where its citizens

would use public transport to a minimal extent. This plan provided a development of satellite

towns in which town would have a major shopping centre, office blocks and entertainment facilities

which would serve as a magnet in drawing people away from the city centre. The freeways would

serve as transit links which was aimed at attempting to avoid large numbers of vehicles through local

neighbourhoods. School ovals, community facilities and churches were to be within walking distance

from the home. These elements of implementation within the 1967 Spatial Plan reverberate stronglyaround local communities in the United States. Most neighbourhoods from the1950s had

implemented these proposals which were first evident during the post war era.

Overall, Canberra has been highly influenced by America alone. The Modernist movement began in

American and would become a dominant force in planning throughout most of the 20th

century. The

movement successfully implemented transport in cities and towns to accommodate its citizens,

especially the motor vehicle through the idea of the freeways. The New Urbanism, as mentioned by

Robert Freestone, is the most influential aspect of the Modernist Movement in the United States as

well as the neighbourhood unit. Through these elements, Canberra was able to transform into a

capital which can be recognized with similarities to Washington D.C. Walter Burley Griffin, who wasinspired by the new American planning theories has successfully managed to make Canberra an

ever-evolving city with its sustainable and adjustable elements. Canberra will continue to grow as a

capital city if the legacy of Walter Burley Griffin continues to live on through our planning and ideas.

It is important that we understand that what we plan today in the nations capital may affect future

generations yet unborn.

Peer Review:Our group consisted of Boutros Hanna, Alex Adkins, Pat Williams and Joseph

Sutton. We had collaborated together on how the modernist movement and American

influence played out in the planning process of Canberra. We were lucky enough to meet

with a man who has overseen the expansion of Canberra throughout the decades, former

chief planner Geoff Campbell. Through our meeting with him on the 28

th

November, 2013, hewas able to elaborate on the Spatial Plan of 1967, the Federal Government and theNCDCs

role in Canberras planning and the neighbourhood units which are evident around Canberra

today. Alex Adkins did his research on the modernist movement and their influences in

Canberra, Pat Williams pursued the earlier forms of planning which led to the coming of the

modernist and American influences. Joseph Sutton explained Americas strong influence on

Canberra during the many years of planning while Boutros assessed Canberra from within

including the design competition and the Y plan of 1967.


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ReferencesACT Government, 2013. Territory Plan. [Online]

Available at: http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2008-27/current/default.asp

[Accessed 27 November 2013].

An Ideal City - The 1912 Competition to Design Canberra. 2013.An Ideal City - The 1912 Competition

to Design Canberra. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.idealcity.org.au/ . [Accessed 27 November

2013].

Benevolo, L., 2013. Origins of Modern Town Planning. [Online]

Available at: http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/origins-modern-town-planning


Capital City Conundrum: An Exploration of Canberra as the Nations Capital, 2012, accessed from

http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pub

s/BN/2011-2012/Canberra (Accessed 26-11-13)

Freestone, R., 1986. Canberra as a Garden City 1901-1930. s.l.:s.n.

Freestone, 2004, The Americanisation of Australian Planning, accessed from

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%202004%2C%20The%20Americanisation%20of%20Australian%20Planning.pdf (Accessed 26-11-13)

Gordon, D. L., 2006. Planning Twentieth Century Capital Cities. Middlesex: Routledge. History, 2013.

Home Insurance Building. [Online]

Available at: http://www.history.com/topics/home-insurance-building


Griffins, D, 2008.The Writing of Walter Burley Griffin. 1st ed. Melbourne: Cambridge Press.

Legates Stout, 1998, Modernism and Early Planning, accessed from

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Overall, J, 1995. Canberra: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. 1st ed. Canberra: Cambridge Press.

Reid, P., 2002. Canberra Following Griffin. 1st ed. Canberra(ACT): National Archives of Australia.

Urban Nation: Australias Planning Heritage, 2010, accessed from

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