Sir Peter Hall, doyen of British town planners, famous since his first book ‘The World Cities’ was published in 1966, died last week. He has been Professor at Reading, Berkeley and most recently University College London, and was a former President of the Town and & Country Planning Association and the Regional Studies Association.[1]
A hugely influential figure who advised Government, and helped launch Enterprise Zones and the Thames Gateway regeneration plans, he had a key role in HS1 (then known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link). I met him first in the mid-1990s when he was an adviser to the LCR consortium, and where he was most anxious to ensure a connection was provided for future extension to places north of London (it was, but whether it will ever be used remains an open question as of 2014).
He was a natural choice as a member of Greengauge 21’s Advisory Panel when we were planning our initial work programme in 2006/7, and he gave us his full – always enthusiastic – support. He called me a few months ago to ask whether there was anything that could be done to counter the attacks being made on the case for HS2 – a development which he totally supported.
He will be missed, but not forgotten, across the planning profession.
Jim Steer, Director, Greengauge 21
[1] See obituary