Green and pleasant lands: the history of garden cities

The vision of Ebenezer Howard

The concept of the garden city was first proposed by Ebenezer Howard in his 1898 book, Garden Cities of Tomorrow. Howard was a social reformer who was concerned about the overcrowding and pollution of Victorian cities. He envisioned a new type of city that would combine the best of urban and rural living. Garden cities would be surrounded by a green belt of land, and would have plenty of open space for parks, gardens, and allotments.

The first garden cities

The first garden city was Letchworth, which was founded in 1903. Letchworth was followed by Welwyn Garden City, which was founded in 1920. Both cities were designed by the architect Raymond Unwin, and they became models for garden cities around the world. Today, there are over 3,000 garden cities in over 40 countries.

Garden cities have been praised for their green spaces, their sense of community, and their sustainable design. They have also been criticized for being too expensive and for being too far from employment centers. However, the garden city movement continues to be an important force in urban planning, and it is likely that we will see more garden cities being built in the future.