William Robert Davidge

William Robert Davidge (1879-1961) was one of the pioneering leaders of the British town planning movement of the early twentieth century, and played a key role introducing the movement to Australia and New Zealand. He served as President of the Royal Town Planning Institute from 1926-27.

Biography

Architecture

W. R. Davidge entered University College in 1896, and also studied at Kings College, graduating with a degree in architecture in 1900. While a student he was articled to Marshall Hainsworth, Surveyor to the Teddington Urban District Council. From 1902 to 1907 he was an assistant to W.A. Riley in the architect's department of the London County Council, and from 1907 through 1916 he was District Surveyor for Lewisham, Greenwich, and Woolich. He became an associate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1904, and was made a Fellow of the institute in July 1912. In 1919 he became Housing Commissioner for the Southern Counties and later for the London area.

Planning

In the early 1900s Davidge took an interest in the emerging British town planning movement. He travelled to Australia and New Zealand in 1914, giving public lectures to promote the new planning paradigms. AS a result of this tour he drew up a plan for the Taranaki city of New Plymouth. [http://vernon.npdc.govt.nz/collection/results.do?view=detail&db=object&id=57361] From 1921 Davidge practiced as a consulting town planner and architect-surveyor, and in 1926 he was elected President of the Town Planning Institute, as well as serving as Chair of the Executive of the Garden Cities and Town Planning Association. Davidge prepared professional planning reports for places throughout Britain, including recommendations for Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, West Kent and Belfast, Ireland. As well as being a member of architecture and planning institutes, he was also an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineering.

References

*Davidge, W.R., [http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/davidge.htm Town Planning Systems]