London Society (organisation)
| Founded | 1912 |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable organization |
| Registration no. | England and Wales: 206270 |
| Focus | urban planning |
| Location |
|
| Origins | Founded in 1912 |
|
Area served
|
London |
| Website | www |
The London Society is a British membership organisation established to encourage public interest and participation in urban planning and transport matters in London as well as to study and celebrate the capital's unique history and character. It is among the oldest civic societies in the United Kingdom.
The Society advertises itself as being "for all those who love London". Its motto reads "Antiqua Tegenda, Pulchra Petenda, Futura Colenda”. This translates as "look after the old, seek the beautiful, cultivate the future". The Society's Journal states that "the Aim of the Society is to stimulate a wider concern for the beauty of the capital city, for the preservation of its charms and the careful consideration of its developments".
The London Society was founded on the back of the town planning movement in the early 20th century. In the year following the first planning act of 1909 the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) held a London conference which focused attention on the capital city, and the Architectural Review began a town planning supplement. In its first issue the architect David Barclay Niven wrote a paper on the need for new roads and an system of parks in outer London before the area was swamped by new development; his ideas chimed with those of George Pepler who gave a paper at the RIBA conference suggesting that a voluntary body might undertake inquiries into London’s needs and lead public opinion. The London Society became this body.
The Society was formally inaugurated on 9 February 1912 at a meeting at the Galleries of the Royal Society of British Artists. The minutes of the first meeting indicate that it was attended by only ‘a few men keenly interested in the artistic development of London and the protection of its beauty and character’. Two weeks later, the Society adopted its name and settled its objects as being ‘to foster an intelligent interest in London as the largest civic centre’ and ‘to induce a public spirit for the study and encouragement of its improvement’. The Earl of Plymouth accepted the position of President of The London Society. Niven took the chair at the first meeting in 1912, though he was soon succeeded by the weightier figure of Aston Webb. By the third meeting on 9 February 1912, 160 people were present.
...
Wikipedia