Garden Cities: Utopia or Unrealistic Dream?

Alyssa Birum
Aug 18
4 min read

Brief History

The concept of a Garden City is not new; in fact, it was introduced back in 1898 by an English town planner – Ebenezer Howard. The idea sparked from the need to improve the quality of urban life after the Industrial Revolution sparked growth, congestion and overcrowding. Garden Cities shift the focus to human wellbeing including access to the natural environment and the creation of a community. Thus, the first Garden City of Letchworth was founded where the principles included:

A compact town surrounded by a wide rural belt.
Rings of uses from a central core: park, civic, residential, industrial and agricultural.
Limiting growth into the rural belt.
Rents would be used to fund city services.

Current Programme and Examples

The UK Government created a Garden Communities Programme to set a vision and expectation for high-quality place-making across the country with funding for 43 towns (as of May 2022)[1]. To be considered for government funding, proposals must meet the following criteria:

Scale - Garden Towns must be over 10,000 homes while Garden Villages must be between 1,500-10,000 homes. This can be an existing settlement or a new settlement.
Strategic Fit - must fit with the wider strategy for the area and offer opportunities for significant long-term housing and economic growth.
Locally-led - strong local leadership is required as well as community engagement.
Garden Community Qualities - key qualities include a clear identity, sustainable scale, well-designed places, great homes, strong local vision, integrated transport, healthy places, green spaces etc.
Deliverability and Viability - proposals which sustainably deliver infrastructure, housing, employment and development over a number of decades.

Some local communities that have received funding through this program are Berinsfield (South Oxfordshire) an existing village with a proposed large expansion and Salt Cross (West Oxfordshire) an entirely new village proposal currently seeking outline planning permission.

Additionally, Didcot became a Garden Town in 2015, seeking to deliver new homes and jobs with a focus on sustainable connectivity, enhanced green infrastructure and public realm improvements. Many of the original Garden Cities/Towns were entirely new settlements built from the ground up but Didcot has the challenge of adapting an existing town into a Garden Town. Since its designation, Didcot has delivered many positives including widening the active travel network, introducing new parks and nature trails and improvement of some of its public spaces. While the upgrades are encouraging to see, some residents have also highlighted the slow progress of the project, issues with additional traffic/lack of cycle path connections, fragmented green spaces and key infrastructure deficiencies.

Pros and Cons

Garden Cities aim to combine the best of towns and rural areas for the creation of healthy communities. This includes a comprehensive green infrastructure, affordable homes, a wide range of local jobs, integrated walk, cycling and public transport systems and a strong central core for recreation, shopping etc.

Health benefits include direct access to nature and recreation, reduced pollution through sustainable transport and stronger communities. The long-term planning of these cities helps prevent urban sprawl and prioritises environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the creation of jobs and new housing allow for shorter commutes and increased property values.

While the ideas behind the Garden City are quite positive, the delivery can be significantly more challenging. There are space limitations which make the creation of an entirely new settlement quite difficult. Many cities are often retrofitted to become a Garden City but as mentioned in previous examples this can be seen as a slow and disjointed process.

There are additional financial challenges involved in the creation of a Garden City, whether it is creating a new settlement entirely or modifying an existing one. For example, Garden Cities require integrated systems and networks – including transportation, energy and waste management. This includes an integrated system throughout the community as well as connecting to other nearby settlements to ensure sustainable transport methods.

Concluding Thoughts

Growing up in the US, the concept of Garden Cities was always discussed in lecture but rarely seen in practice. Since moving to England, I have had the opportunity to visit some Garden Cities understand a bit more about them. While I do admire the green spaces, tree-lined streets and sense of identities these communities foster, I have also noticed that in some cases, car dependence remains as high (or higher) than in other places.

Higher density in well-planned areas encourages active modes of transport such as walking and cycling. Within Garden Cities, density must be balanced with the provision of green spaces and leisure spaces. Successful cities that promote active transport have strong public transport systems and safe, connected cycle networks. Without these integrated connections, both within the community and to nearby settlements, residents may still default to using cars, undermining the sustainability goals of the Garden City concept.

That said, the Garden City principles still hold remarkable value in modern planning. The emphasis on density encourages walking and cycling, while the integration of green infrastructure promotes biodiversity, better air quality and mental wellbeing. The carefully planned mix of housing, jobs and leisure spaces can encourage close-knit communities that reduce the need for long commutes and strengthen local economies.

While challenges remain, particularly in retrofitting existing towns, the core vision of Garden Cities still resonates as a forward-thinking approach to growth. With the right leadership, funding and commitment to integrated design, they can deliver on their promise of combining the best of town and country living for generations to come.

[1] GOV.UK. (n.d.). Garden communities set to flourish across England. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/garden-communities-set-to-flourish-across-england.

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At Bluestone Planning we regularly support clients in navigating the pre-application process for projects of all scales - from individual self-builds to large new communities. For schemes such as Garden Villages or Garden Towns, early engagement is particularly important. Identifying potential issues from the outset, coordinating the right professional input and aligning proposals with local and national planning policy can make the difference between delays and progress.

By approaching pre-application discussions strategically, we help clients turn feedback into an opportunity, strengthening proposals and building a robust case for long-term deliverability.

If you are exploring a new development we would be happy to discuss how pre-application support could enhance your project.