Researching the
planning and redevelopment of Military sites - Chartered member Stephen Harness
shares the findings of his research in Australia, New Zealand and Australia.
“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us” – Winston
Churchill.
Over the last couple of years I have been researching the
planning and redevelopment of military sites across the world. This followed on from my being awarded a
fellowship with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The aim of the fellowship Trust is to widen
an individual`s experience to bring benefit to others in the UK through sharing
the results. So I’d like to share with
you some of my findings and experiences gained.
Although the fellowship means I was funded to undertake the
research travel across the world, it also meant many hours of work in my own
time researching here in the UK and using my annual leave for the case study
visits to the USA, Australia and New Zealand, but at least managed to fit in
some holiday trips around the site visits and meetings.
Identifying suitable case studies, making contact with the
appropriate people and arranging for meetings and site tours can be very time
consuming. The first stage of my
research involved travelling to the USA to visit sites across Washington, Maryland
and Virginia. I visited one of the US’
largest military bases Fort Belvoir which has been growing rapidly over recent
years and plans would allow for it to double in size. The base has adopted a 40 year master plan
which includes many sustainable development principles and these have been used
to influence the delivery of new developments across the site including a new
hospital, housing (at a much higher density) and supporting facilities. I also included a case study of a closed site
Fort Munroe which is being redeveloped for housing and employment but also to
preserve and re-use the many historic properties across the site. The scale of issues in the US is completely
different from the UK, but it was interesting to talk to the project team and
learn that many of the issues they have and are facing are the same. I had read so much about the case studies
online before my research trip I was questioning whether there was any need to
visit, but those tours showed me the difference in views you gain when you only
rely on online sources, talking to the teams, local organisations and visiting
the sites was invaluable to my research. I was also lucky to be able to meet with
researchers from the Library of Congress who have published research on the consolidation
process that has been followed by the military over recent years across the
USA.
Photo 1: View from
Fort Belvoir Town Centre across to the Hospital Campus.
I think the photo above looking away from the Town Centre of
Fort Belvoir neatly summarises the successes of the Master Plan. This view is across the village green with
cycling and pedestrian routes to the Hospital Campus within walkable
distance. The team have developed an
innovative 4D (involving the element of time) 40 year vision for the site which
has already delivered higher density developments promoting walking and
cycling.
The second stage of my research took me to visit sites in
Australia and New Zealand to undertake tours of two of the biggest projects
undertaken on military bases in those countries since the Second World
War. The first was the redevelopment of
Hobsonville, a former airbase on the outskirts of the City of Auckland, New
Zealand. This Government led scheme has
already delivered hundreds of houses and an employment area as well as a new
sustainable transport and a ferry link into the City Centre. Of particular interest was the proactive
approach that the Government had taken to seek to influence wider approaches
towards more sustainable forms of development and paying particular attention
to the natural and built heritage of the site.
The second case study focussed on the Holdsworthy Barracks site of the
large Moorebank Units Relocation project in Sydney, Australia. Here two major sites had been consolidated
onto one including the development of 72 new buildings. Of particular interest was the core
principles that the site team had developed to influence the development of the
master plan and that these had been followed through to the delivery of a sustainable
and legible scheme. Key features
included a cycle / pedestrian superhighway and a zoned approach separating
heavy from light traffic and public / semi-public and secure areas.
Photo 2: Hobsonville Town Centre
Photo 3: Meeting with the Project Team in New Zealand
Photo 4: Holsworthy Barracks and Cycle-Pedestrian
“Superhighway”
Photo 5: Meeting with
the project team in Australia
I have now completed my fellowship report and it is
available to download via:
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports/smart-growth-and-major-changes-military-base-populations
but the fellowship will never be over.
I’m continuing the research and have recently made contact with Planners
in the Philippines and Belize to share experience of such issues.
The research has enabled me to develop some core principles
for estate development plans which can be applied to MOD projects based on the
findings of my research. It’s nice to
see that the findings are already being applied.
About Stephen
Harness:
Stephen is a Chartered Member of the RTPI, is on the
International Committee and is South East Region’s General Assembly representative. Previously he was the Honorary Secretary for
the South East Region and has been an active member in Institute activities for
many years including being convenor for the West of Scotland and the Thames Valley. He works for Defence Infrastructure
Organisation for the UK’s Ministry of Defence recently that included leading
two RTPI Planning for Excellence awards commended projects.
More details about the Winston Churchill Fellowship Trust
can be obtained on www.wcmt.org.uk including categories for applications for
each year and how to apply.
