Overview
This lecture discusses the enduring relevance of the Garden City concept, its historical development, challenges in urban planning, and strategies to improve housing and urban design in Hertfordshire and beyond.
Significance of Garden Cities
- The Garden City idea, developed by Ebenezer Howard, aims to combine the best aspects of town and country living.
- Garden Cities have been widely influential, with over 700 built in 30 countries.
- Howard’s concept remains vital for addressing modern urban challenges, not just a historical artifact.
Historical Context and Influence
- The planning exchange between Britain and the US has shaped both countries' best cities.
- The garden city model was influenced by British and American examples and returned to influence UK planning.
- Thomas Adams and Patrick Geddes were key British planners who shaped early regional and ecological planning.
Principles of the Garden City
- Garden Cities are independent yet connected communities, balancing open space and urban intensity.
- They promote a mix of jobs and housing, private/public transport, food production, and diverse recreation and culture.
- The model excludes modern concerns like energy and water management, which need updating.
Standard Model and Planning Confidence
- Economists use standard models to guide decisions and maintain credibility; planners lack this unified approach.
- Past failures, especially with post-war new towns, eroded public trust and professional confidence in planning.
- The Garden City equilibrium model offers a standard for evaluating and guiding urban development.
Updated Analytical Approach
- The garden city concept can be evaluated and updated using modern data (e.g., GIS) and metrics.
- Equilibrium and standard deviation can objectively compare different towns’ performance against the ideal.
- Variables include dependence on a center, job/housing balance, open space, and urban intensity.
Urban Design and the Role of Unwin
- Raymond Unwin contributed essential design and physical layout elements to Howard’s ideas.
- Urban design (the arrangement of streets, housing, and centers) is critical to successful garden cities.
Governance and Subsidiarity
- Decision-making should occur at the most local competent level (subsidiarity), from household to EU.
- Many planning issues arise when decisions are made at inappropriate levels.
Future Directions and Adaptation
- Complete new garden cities may not be feasible; smaller garden towns and neighborhoods are realistic alternatives.
- The internet allows smaller communities to access culture, jobs, and connections once limited to big cities.
- Adapting single-family homes for greater sustainability can align them with ecological goals.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Garden City — A planned community combining urban and rural benefits, developed by Ebenezer Howard.
- Equilibrium — A state where urban variables (e.g., housing, jobs, green space) are balanced.
- Standard Deviation — A measure of variation from the ideal garden city model.
- Transect — A planning model organizing urban form from urban core to rural edge.
- Subsidiarity — Principle that decisions should be made at the most immediate, competent level.
- Urban Design Compendium — A modern guide for urban design, updating Unwin’s principles.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Analyze local towns using equilibrium and standard deviation metrics.
- Study the Urban Design Compendium and Unwin’s Town Planning in Practice.
- Consider updated garden city principles in future planning and community discussions.