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'''Ebenezer Howard''' (1850-1928) was a British writer who developed and popularised the idea of the [[Garden City]], and was a huge influence on town planners in the western world for most of the twentieth century.

'''Ebenezer Howard''' (1850-1928) was a [[British]] [[writer]] who developed and popularised the idea of the [[Garden City]], and was a huge influence on town planners in the western world for most of the twentieth century.

Howard emigrated to the [[United States]] in 1871, living in [[Nebraska]] and [[Chicago]], but returned to London in 1876, working as a clerk and sometime Parliamentary reporter. He became a supporter of [[Henry George]], whose single tax proposals were to influence Howard's work. In 1898 Howard published ''To-Morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform'', republished under its more familiar title ''Garden Cities of To-Morrow'' in 1902. In it, he argued that the problems of ever-expanding cities, and the poor social conditions within them, could be solved by instead building self-contained networks of 'Garden Cities' which would be restricted in size, would be designed to maximise the social, intellectual and economic potential of a community, and would offer the advantages of living in town and in the country in terms of cultural, educational, recreational and environmental amenities.

Howard emigrated to the [[United States]] in 1871, living in [[Nebraska]] and [[Chicago]], but returned to London in 1876, working as a clerk and sometime Parliamentary reporter. He became a supporter of [[Henry George]], whose single tax proposals were to influence Howard's work. In 1898 Howard published ''To-Morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform'', republished under its more familiar title ''Garden Cities of To-Morrow'' in 1902. In it, he argued that the problems of ever-expanding cities, and the poor social conditions within them, could be solved by instead building self-contained networks of 'Garden Cities' which would be restricted in size, would be designed to maximise the social, intellectual and economic potential of a community, and would offer the advantages of living in town and in the country in terms of cultural, educational, recreational and environmental amenities.

Both Letchworth and Welwyn G.C. are thriving communities, but not in the way that Howard had intended. It could be argued that his theories were not properly trialled, since a grouping of six or seven new towns never emerged to test their sustainability as a self-supporting network.

Both Letchworth and Welwyn G.C. are thriving communities, but not in the way that Howard had intended. It could be argued that his theories were not properly trialled, since a grouping of six or seven new towns never emerged to test their sustainability as a self-supporting network.

Nevertheless, his theories were very influential in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, on urban form if not economic and social function. The low density housing adopted as Letchworth became the ideal for housing reformers; 'garden suburbs' (in one sense a complete negation of Howard's true intentions) became a vogue, and low density housing (not more than twelve dwellings per acre) was the norm for both privately-owned and municipal housing in the interwar years. Only after the [[Second World War]] did the discrete Garden City again take its place in planning orthodoxy, this time in the form of the New Towns designed to reduce the population of [[London]] and to regenerate depressed areas in northern [[England]], south [[Wales]] and [[Scotland]].

Nevertheless, his theories were very influential in the [[United Kingdom]] and elsewhere, on urban form if not economic and social function. The low density housing adopted as Letchworth became the ideal for housing reformers; 'garden suburbs' (in one sense a complete negation of Howard's true intentions) became a vogue, and low density housing (not more than twelve dwellings per acre) was the norm for both privately-owned and municipal housing in the interwar years. Only after the [[Second World War]] did the discrete Garden City again take its place in planning orthodoxy, this time in the form of the New Towns designed to reduce the population of [[London]] and to regenerate depressed areas in northern [[England]], south [[Wales]] and [[Scotland]].

 

[[Category:Urban Planning]]

[[Category:Urban Planning]]