From New Towns to Green Politics

Hopes were high at the end of the Second World War for the rebuilding of Britain. Politicians from all parties lent their support to a variety of bold new initiatives, including that of town and country planning. From the 1940s to the 1990s From New Towns to Green Politics charts the course of successive issues and campaigns - from the reconstruction of Britain's war-torn cities, to the introduction of green belts and new towns, to regional and community planning, and so to the inner cities and most recently, green politics. With environmental and quality of life issues high on the political agenda, there are growing signs that a new planning consensus is in the making. By offering a fresh view on an aspect of post-war history as well as contributing to the most topical of today's debates, this book will appeal to both academics and professionals in town and country planning, architecture and housing as well as those with an interest in environmental studies and social and planning history.

Part 1 The lure of consensus: the idea of consensus; consensus planning. Part 2 From garden cities to new towns: Howard's way; influencing events. Part 3 Post-1946 - a watching brief: the fragile consensus; dispersal on the right terms; "the sheep and the lion". Part 4 1950s - holding the ground: from austerity to affluence; a single design; widening the net. Part 5 The second planning division: "into the white heat"; rediscovery of the region; shaping policy. Part 6 1970s - the end of the beginning: the age of dissent; beyond new towns; patterns of choice. Part 7 1980s - responding to change: the politics of property; a matter of scale; "keeping the torch alight". Part 8 Campaign profiles: environmental education; planning aid; public enquiries; new communities. Part 9 Towards a new consensus?: "some running effect"; a question of pressure; unfinished business.