I explained to Mr. Hammer how his two small houses in
New York's Greenwich Village where I lived were a constant
inspiration to me, examples of the kind of planning that
should replace at least some of the vertical and horizontal
sprawl engulfing us. Having grown up in towns like
Marblehead, Salem and Hamilton, Massachusetts, I was
accustomed to a pleasant whole derived from variety
and irregularity of shapes, colors, forms and scales in
architecture, unified by a regard for ancient conventions
of design and building. Yet, I increasingly had an interest
in the contemporary, respecting its originality and seeking
to understand how best it could cohabit harmoniously
with older styles.
Y
ears later the Prince of Wales, having become
the principal proponent of these concerns, would
found the town of Poundbury in the Duchy of Cornwall,
an excellent example of what is now called by many
New Urbanism. He would launch a new publication,
Perspectives on Architecture, that highlighted these
concerns and supported those who pursued new and
creative solutions to urban planning and design, often
revisiting the old with new twists.
The Prince would, oftentimes in the face of great
hostility, pose meaningful questions stimulating fresh
HYLAND
