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Many architects will no doubt dismiss Prince Charles鈥� speech on new buildings in old places as another rant against contemporary architecture and a deliberate attack on their profession.

This time round, however, there is more substance to the Prince鈥檚 views than in his notorious 鈥渕onstrous carbuncle鈥� diatribe of 1984, which precipitated a nationwide reaction by planning authorities against modern architecture.

So although the Prince鈥檚 nostalgic predilection for traditional architecture surfaces at various points in the speech, many of his arguments are shared by established organisations such as English Heritage, CABE and even Lord Rogers鈥� Urban Renaissance report of 1999.

He is also up to speed on today鈥檚 campaign for sustainable development.

We can therefore pick out the prince鈥檚 arguments one by one and see how reasonable or idiosyncratic they are.

鈥淪ustainability means building for the long-term 鈥� 100 years rather than 20 years鈥�

. Fine, but only worth the extra capital invested if linked to his second point that buildings should be designed and built to be adaptable and flexible and should reuse existing buildings wherever possible.

鈥淚t is worth building in a manner that fits the place, in terms of materials used, proportion and layouts and climate, ecology and building practices.鈥�

Also fine, though such approaches have to be thought through rationally and not just borrowed from old buildings we have grown accustomed to.

鈥淚t is worth building beautifully in a manner that builds upon tradition.鈥�

Here comes that predictable dose of royal nostalgia. Who other than the heir to a dynastic throne thinks beauty is synomymous with tradition?

The composition of a harmonious whole, rather than the erection of singular objects of architectural or corporate will which merely panders to ego-centric imperatives.鈥�

Well, OK, as long as it鈥檚 not Prince Charles, or his loyal retinue of local councillors, who are to judge on what is 鈥渁 harmonious whole鈥�.

鈥淟ocal distinctiveness should flourish and traditional skills should be rediscovered.鈥�

Whoops 鈥� it鈥檚 tradition setting off those alarm bells again.

鈥淲ell-designed public spaces, a mix of shops and services within walking distance, values of hierarchy, legibility and proportion, integration of high-quality private, social and affordable housing.鈥�

Straight out of Rogers鈥� Urban Renaissance report, isn鈥檛 it? Except that Charles can鈥檛 resist lobbing in the instruction 鈥渁pplying the lessons tradition teaches us.鈥�

Concentrate office towers in Canary Wharf, 鈥渞ather than overshadowing Wren鈥檚 and Hawksmoor鈥檚 churches鈥�.

Well, to turn Charles鈥� argument back on him, three decades of office towers have now become the tradition in the City of London. But the more prominent the towers are, the better they should be designed, and there鈥檚 little evidence of this.

So all in all, strip out the tradition, and there鈥檚 a lot to discuss here.