Garden City Concept: Howard's Vision

Overview of the Garden City Concept

• Sir Ebenezer Howard proposed the concept of the "Garden City."
• The book "To-morrow" was published in 1898 and later republished as "Garden City of To-morrow."
• Howard used "The Three Magnets" diagram to explain his idea.
• The "Three Magnets" diagram compares Town, Country, and Garden City.

Key Features of a Garden City

• Industries were located on the outskirts of the town, not in the city center.
• The population was limited to 30,000–35,000 people.
• Garden Cities are surrounded by a permanent agricultural belt of 3,000–5,000 acres.
• They aimed to combine rural and urban benefits.
• The proposed land area for a Garden City was 1,000 acres.
• Urban amenities include schools and hospitals.
• Housing was provided for all classes of people.
• Public buildings were located in the central court.

Land Ownership and Benefits

• Howard proposed cooperative or trust-based land ownership.
• Profits from land were to be used for uplifting the community.
• The combination of town and country benefits refers to the Garden City magnet.

Aims and Objectives

• The Garden City aimed to remove urban congestion.
• Rural benefits included fresh air and gardens.
• It most closely resembles a self-sufficient radial city planning model.
• The Garden City movement aimed to solve the urban-rural imbalance.
• The Garden City was a reaction to Britain's industrial evils.
• Howard viewed the Garden City as a compromise between village and city life.
• Placing industries on the outskirts was to prevent city congestion.

Implementation

• Letchworth and Welwyn are examples of English cities that were developed based on the Garden City principle.
• Mentioned urban amenities included recreation centers and theatres.