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The Prince of Poundbury11-21-05 | News

The Prince of Poundbury




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A lane in Poundbury. The village is constructed of native or recycled materials, keeping to the Prince of Wales?EUR??,,????'??? vision of sustainable development.


Prince Charles trip to the U.S., where he had not visited in 20 years, began with a ?EUR??,,????'??60 Minutes?EUR??,,????'?? interview. The program described him as an ?EUR??,,????'??environmentalist, urban planner, real estate developer, and social critic?EUR??,,????'??+deeply committed to a vision of what Great Britain was and should be.?EUR??,,????'??

Charles?EUR??,,????'??? vision for community living is Poundbury, a village of 2,500 people with shops, light industry and a pub or two designed for the Prince of Wales by architect Leon Krier on the outskirts of the county town of Dorchester in Dorset, England.

The buildings are of brick, with single-family homes and small apartments mixed together. Charles told Steve Croft of ?EUR??,,????'??60 Minutes?EUR??,,????'?? that people of all income levels live here side by side. It is a pedestrian-oriented community.

The roads are narrow and cars must park outside the village proper. The prince told Croft he strove to ?EUR??,,????'??break the conventional mold in the way we’ve been building and designing ?EUR??,,????'??? during the last century ?EUR??,,????'??? part of a throw-away society. The whole of the 20th century has always put the car at the center,?EUR??,,????'?? the prince explained. “So by putting the pedestrian first, you create these livable places, I think, with more attraction, and interest and character. Livability.”

Charles expressed his belief that cars and computers are ?EUR??,,????'??eroding our humanity, that we are losing touch with the world around.?EUR??,,????'??

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