The ‘cauliflower’ neighbourhood: false hope or source of inspiration

Abstract

Could the organically designed ‘cauliflower’ neighbourhoods of the 1970s hold the secret to solving both the current housing problem and the need for greater social cohesion at the local level? The pressing shortage of housing and the associated emphasis on quantity threatens to diminish the quality of the dwellings and living environment with something like the monotonous, repetitive block housing that characterized the late 1960s. In reaction to those spartan and large-scale districts, young architects were determined to prioritize the human scale. In 1966, with population numbers still soaring, a government spatial planning policy document introduced the idea of designated ‘growth centres’: villages and small towns close to the big cities that would absorb the growing population. An obvious way of retaining the character of these small centres lay in small-scale, low-rise developments. And that was exactly what young families were looking for. The ‘cauliflower’ street plan, consisting of a succession of ‘home zones’, was devised especially for these growth centres. Pedestrians had priority in the narrow, winding streets where there was also scope for children to play and neighbours to meet. Staggered frontages and a variety of roof shapes made for a lively and diverse streetscape. Disdained by professionals, these neighbourhoods are often still popular with the residents. Time perhaps to re-evaluate this housing concept?