“The Character of Towns, An Approach to Conservation” by Roy Worskett

 Summary 

The Character of Towns, though written nearly fifty years ago, offers many great ideas and examples for preserving and enhancing small cities and towns with prodigious sketches and photos. His examples and experience is British, but the lessons to be learned from his work are universal.  His work spans the spectrum of urban design from the town planning scale to the quality of detailing and materials. Of particular interest are three sections of his book in Chapter IV, Design. 

First, from the section entitled “Townscape Discipline” [page 118]: “It has been said that conservation is a double edged policy; it must preserve what is valuable and influence what must change. Much of the townscape can be preserved if the pressures for change are diverted. Where it must change in response to those pressures it should be rebuilt within the discipline of the local identity not reproducing the same thing again interpreting specific local qualities and learning from them, in order to continue what has been called ‘the grain of the place’”.