shorthand writer in the law courts

like to speculate, write and organize

Travelled (he travelled from America in England
at 21, moved to Nebraska and went to Chicago)
wrote the book Garden Cities of Tomorrow
(1902)
Proposed Garden Cities
Three Magnets

Influences
'three magnets' diagram
he read widely, including Edward Bellamy's
1888 utopian novel Looking Backward and
thought deeply about social issues.
One result was his book (1898) titled ToMorrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform,
which was reprinted in 1902 as Garden Cities
of To-Morrow. This book offered a vision of
towns free of slums and enjoying the benefits
of both town (such as opportunity, amusement
and high wages) and country (such as beauty,
fresh air and low rents).

Influences
the perfect blend of city and nature.
Garden City were influential in the
development of "New Towns"

DOWNFALL OF GARDEN CITY

Critics
Confusion with Garden city and garden suburb
Accused him of wanting people to move like
pawns on chessboard.
They see him as a physical planner, ignoring
the fact his garden city is the key for
progressive reconstruction of society.

DOWNFALL OF GARDEN CITY

His book failed to be engage because
of his limited knowledge in the field
in which he was to make such a
distinguished contribution

Three Magnets
Three Magnets diagram, which addressed
the question 'Where will the people go?', the
choices being 'Town', 'Country' or 'TownCountry' - the Three Magnets.
It called for the creation of new suburban
towns of limited size, planned in advance,
and surrounded by a permanent belt of
agricultural land.

Three Magnets
Extremely compressed and brilliant
statement of planning objectives
Existing cities and countryside have an
indissoluble mixture of advantages and
disadvantages

Three Magnets

GARDEN CITY
offered a vision of towns free of slums and
enjoying the benefits of both town (such as
opportunity, amusement and high wages) and
country (such as beauty, fresh air and low
rents).
Cities were the perfect blend of city and
nature.
Garden cities were used as a role model for
many suburbs.

GARDEN CITY
Could uniquely combine all the advantages of
the city by way of accessibility
All the advantages of the country by the way
of the environment Without any of the
disadvantages of either
Outside commuter range Planned
decentralization of workers
Self contained

GARDEN CITY
30,000 populations Surrounded by a greenbelt
6,000 acres ( 5,000 greenbelt and 1,000 for
the town or city)
When a town reached a certain size, it should
stop growing and the excess should be
accommodated in another town close by
Garden City was not to build an artistic town.
We must first see that our citizens are
decently housed.

 The "style" is medieval, with strong

associations with the imminent "arts and crafts
cottage style". A large use is made of dormer
windows, steep gabled roofs with low eves,
sometimes mansard
His ideas attracted enough attention and
financial backing to begin Letchworth Garden
City, a suburban garden city north of London. A
second garden city, Welwyn Garden City, was
started after World War I.

GARDEN CITY MOVEMENT

an approach to urban planning that was
founded in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in
the United Kingdom.
. Garden cities were to be planned, selfcontained communities surrounded by
greenbelts, and containing carefully balanced
areas of residences, industry, and agriculture.

Letchworth Garden City

Was founded on 1903.
Built in northern
Hertfordshire, England 36
miles from London.
The architects were
Raymond Unwin and Barry
Parker under the direction
of Ebenezer Howard.
It is the worlds first garden
city.

 Had great influence on future town planning and the

new towns movement.
Originally was funded by the First Garden City
Company of about 300,000 at 3,818 acres of land.
First residents were mocked as idealists and otherworldly.
Progress was slow and took 3 decades to reach a
population of 15,000.

Designing Aspects
A railway line bisects the site which determines that
here the industry must be.
The big central Town square dominated by the major
municipal buildings.
Architects thoughts were imaginatively with the
people who would live in the buildings, walk or play
in the spaces they created.
Objective was to promote beauty or amenity.
It is important to prevent the complete separation of
different classes of people which is such a feature of
the modern English town.

City Layout

City Features
A railway that passes through the center of
the city.
Industrial factory along the railway.
A Farm within the heart of the city.
Numerous wildlife parks within.
Sports fields all over the city.
Museums, historic houses, parks, and art
galleries are abundant.

More Features
Several housing estates have been added to
Letchworth since its inception.
Shopping centers are set in tree lined streets
and wide walkways.

The City Today

Comprises of 5,300 acres
Main transportation through railway and buses.
Most houses do not open onto streets with passing
traffic, but onto pedestrian squares, green areas and
playgrounds.
Estates are crossed by a series of footpaths and
underpasses.
Wild animals such as deers and squirrels can be seen
on the road which causes traffic.

Welcoming sign

Old Post Office

Rushby Mead, Letchworth (1908)

Straight curbed roads with uniform

planting

Roads inside Letchworth

Ley Avenue

Broadway Cinema

Letchworth Church

Memorial Hall

St. Marys Church

Welwyn Garden City

is a town in Hertfordshire, England. Welwyn
Garden City is also referred to in Council
parlance as WGC or, less correctly, as
"Welwyn" (the village of Welwyn is actually
located a few miles northwest of WGC).
The principal historic significance of the town
lies in its planning. It is an example of the
physical, social and cultural ideals of the
periods in which it was conceived (

 it has the unique distinction of being both a

garden city and a new town
In planning terms its significance is global,
attracting visitors from around the world.
Welwyn Garden City, as its name suggests, is a
garden city, founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard
in the 1920s following his previous experiment
in Letchworth Garden City, and designed by
Louis de Soissons

 The town has its own exclusive environmental

protection legislation - The Scheme of
Management for Welwyn Garden City.
The town centre is dominated by the central
mall or 'scenic parkway', almost a mile long,
named 'Parkway'. Prior to the erection of a
police radio mast, the Parkway vista to the
south viewed from the White Bridge had been
described as one of the world's finest urban
vistas

Site Layout

The main shopping centre is known as The

Howard Centre, after Sir Ebenezer
Howard.Welwyn Garden City railway station also
forms part of the centre.

 One of the lesser-known ideas of the city's

architects was that all the town's citizens
would shop in the same store
the Welwyn department store was established
as a central landmark on the 'Campus' (a
centrally-located green semi-circular area in
the town).

 Commercial pressures have since ensured

much more competition and variety, and the
Welwyn Store is now part of the John Lewis
Partnership group of stores (the original
Welwyn Store was on the site of the current
Rosanne House office building).

Railway Station

Embassy

Digswell Viaduct Welwyn

Gold Smith Centre

Polycell Factory

Wheat Factory

Residential House

Welwyn Garden City

Welwyn Parkway