University of Manchester, Department of Town and Country Planning Archive

Archive of the Department of Town and Country Planning. The archive is limited to departmental board/staff meeting minutes, 1971-1981, reports produced for visitations by Royal Town Planning Institute and Landscape Institute for accreditation purposes, and internal University reports; and some miscellaneous material relating to Professor Roy Kantorowich. The archive does not include any teaching and learning records, head of department's files etc. It is not believed that any departmental records for the pre-1970 period survive.

Courses in town and country planning were established at the University’s School of Architecture in 1935. Initially, a certificate and diploma was offered for part-time student, but in 1949, a full honours degree was introduced. Independent departmental organization followed, with the appointment of Clifford Holliday (1897-1960), formerly chief planner and architect of Stevenage New Town, to a new chair of Town and Country Planning in 1952 (the department sat within the Faculty of Arts). In 1960 course regulations were revised with a four year B.A. in town and country planning being introduced, as well as full time and part-time diploma courses. The department's courses were recognized as contributing to professional training for planners by the Town Planning Institute and the Landscape Institute, which periodically undertook visitations of the department in connection with the academic quality of courses.

During the 1960s, under the leadership of Roy Kantorowich (1916-1996), professor of town and country planning from 1960-1984, the department expanded rapidly, increasing student numbers and developing new teaching and research interests in such areas as urban design and landscape design. In 1967 a diploma in landscape design was introduced. A Centre for Urban and Regional Research was established, headed by Parry Lewis, professor of the economics of regions and towns. The Department moved to a new building at Bridgeford Street in 1970, which it shared with the School of Architecture.

During the latter decades of the twentieth century, there were further revisions to the curriculum. The standard mode of study was a three year undergraduate degree, accompanied by a one year Bachelor of Planning, which led to professional recognition for newly-qualified planners. Students who had taken first degrees in subjects allied to planning were eligible to study for a 2 year bachelor of town and country planning (B.TP.) Postgraduate degrees included a masters of town and country planning and a masters of in landscape design. The Department also contributed to degrees in urban design, and an interdisciplinary B.A. in quantitative urban studies. In the 1980s landscape design became available as an undergraduate option, and in 1997 a new course in environmental management was introduced. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of much of its work, the department worked closely with the departments of architecture, economics, geography, government, law and sociology amongst others.

In 1988, the Department changed its title to the Department of Planning and Landscape.

• Clifford Holliday, 1952-1960
• Roy Kantorowich, 1960-1984
• D.G. Roberts 1984-1989
• Christopher Wood, 1989-1997

Arranged by series: DTP/1: Staff meeting/Departmental Board minutes; DTP/2: Reports; DTP/3 Miscellaneous.

The collection is open to any accredited reader, unless otherwise stated.

The collection includes material which is subject to the Data Protection Act 2018. Under the Act 2018 (DPA), The University of Manchester Library (UML) holds the right to process personal data for archiving and research purposes. In accordance with the DPA, UML has made every attempt to ensure that all personal and sensitive personal data has been processed fairly, lawfully and accurately. Users of the archive are expected to comply with the Data Protection Act 2018, and will be required to sign a form acknowledging that they will abide by the requirements of the Act in any further processing of the material by themselves.

Open parts of this collection, and the catalogue descriptions, may contain personal data about living individuals. Some items in this collection may be closed to public inspection in line with the requirements of the DPA. Restrictions/closures of specific items will be indicated in the catalogue.

Transferred to the University Archives via the Kantorowich Library in May 2007. Additional material was transferred in 2018.

Photocopies and photographic copies of material in the archive can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

A number of items within the archive remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study.

Prior written permission must be obtained from the Library for publication or reproduction of any material within the archive. Please contact the Head of Special Collections, John Rylands University Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH.

Some material relating to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning (government department) has been removed from the collection and disposed of.

Further accruals expected.

Annual reports of the department for the period to 1996 can be found in the Reports of Court to Council (UOP/2); prospectuses in the University prospectuses collection. Information on curriculum, admissions and examination matters may be found in the Faculty of Arts archive(FAR). The Vice-Chancellor's archive contains several files relating to the Department viz.: VCA/7/376 covering 1936-1964, VCA/7/589 covering 1961-1973 VCA/7/855 covering 1973-83, and VCA/7/589933 covering 1983-87.