The New Towns Record

The 33 New Towns developed since 1946 comprise the most sustained programme of new town development undertaken anywhere in the world. Today they are home to some three million people.

The UK New Towns programme is recognised as a unique social, economic and design initiative and is an international role model for urban dispersal and planned development.

This publication brings together, in a single source for the first time, a comprehensive library and account of the UK New Towns programme.

This includes over 40 master plans, over 60 key books, articles, items of legislation, white papers and other documents, together with interviews or papers from over 80 key practitioners and academics, over 3000 photographs, a full set of annual reports of the 33 development corporations, specially commissioned maps and full text word search facility.

The New Towns Record provides a unique insight into the UK New Towns, through a vast amount of literature and the personal experiences of those who created and manage, and who live and work in the towns.

It is an invaluable research, practice and teaching resource for all with an interest in urban development.

Until now, material on the UK New Towns has been scattered and difficult to find. No other single source contains such a comprehensive account of the programme and of the development of the 33 New Towns. The New Towns Record also contains original material.

Who is it for?

The lessons of the UK New Towns are of worldwide relevance and will be of interest and concern to anyone concerned with urban development.

It will be of particular interest to researchers, students, policy makers and professionals in all areas of urban development, including architecture, urban design, town planning, urban policy and housing, geography, sociology, social history, economic development, surveying and landscape architecture.

It will also be of interest to residents of the UK New Towns who want to learn more about the history of their towns.

Key materials

Texts include:

  • Garden Cities of Tomorrow, by Ebenezer Howard
  • Greater London Plan 1944, by Sir Patrick Abercrombie
  • Clyde Valley Regional Plan 1946, by Sir Patrick Abercrombie
  • New Towns After the War, by Sir Fredric Osborn
  • The Building of Satellite Tons, by C B Purdom
  • Final Report of the "Reith Committee"
  • Environmental Planning, 1939-1969 Vol. III, by Prof J B Cullingworth
  • The New Towns Story, by Frank Schaffer
  • The New Town Experience, by Stephen Potter & Ray Thomas
  • New Towns: The British Experience, by Peter Self
  • Aycliffe to Cumbernauld: A Study of Seven New Towns in their Regions, by Ray Thomas
  • New Town, Home Town, the Lessons of Experience, by Colin Ward
  • New Towns, their Origins, Achievements and Progress, by F Osborn & A Whittick
  • British New Towns, A Programme without a Policy, by M Aldridge
  • The Milton Keynes Planning Manual
  • 41 New Town Master Plan Documents

Practitioners

  • Professor John Delafons, Private Secretary to Richard Crossman MP, Minister of Housing and Local Government
  • Professor David Gosling, Architect at Runcorn and Irvine
  • Sir Peter Shepheard, Member of the "Abercrombie" Greater London Plan team
  • Dame Sylvia Crowe, Consultant Landscape Architect to a number of early new towns
  • Lionel Brett (Lord Esher), Master Planner, Hatfield
  • Professor Arthur Ling, Master Planner, Runcorn
  • Professor Nathaniel Lichfield, Economic Planner, Milton Keynes Master Plan
  • Bill MacKay, Road & Traffic Engineer for a number of new towns
  • Richard Phelps, General Manager, Skelmersdale and Central Lancashire Development Corporations
  • Wyndham Thomas, General Manager, Peterborough Development Corporation
  • Lord Campbell, Chairman, Milton Keynes Development Corporation
  • Professor Sir Robert Grieve, Member of the "Abercrombie" Clyde Valley Team
  • George Young, General Manager, East Kilbride Development Corporation
  • Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, First Master Planner, and designer of Water Garden, Hemel Hempstead

Academics & Commentators

  • Dr Stephen Potter, The Open University
  • Ray Thomas, The Open University
  • Professor J B Cullingworth
  • Dr Stephen Ward, Oxford Brookes University
  • Terence Bendixson, Author and Urban Policy Analyst
  • David Hall, Past Director, Town and Country Planning Association
  • Professor Peter Hall, Author and Professor of Planning
  • Professor David Lock, Former Chief Planning Advisor, Department of the Environment

Original material

  • Specially commissioned overviews on town centres, recreation, environment and landscape, employment, retailing, public transport, roads, public art and social issues for each new town.
  • Questionnaire returns and essays from people who live and work in the new towns.

The New Towns Record is authorised and edited by Idox Information Services.

Find out more

Contact Idox group The New Towns Record is available on DVD or online. Contact publications@idoxgroup.com for more information or to purcahse The New Towns Record.