This book offers a detailed record of one of the world's oldest environmental pressure groups. It raises questions about the capacity of pressure groups to influence policy; and finally it assesses the campaing as a major factor in the emergence of modern town and planning, and as a backdrop against which to examine current issues.

The New Towns Programme of 1946 to 1970 represents one of the most substantial periods of urban development in Britain. This text covers the story of how these towns came to be built, how they aged, and the challenges and opportunities they now face as they begin phases of renewal.

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.

This examination of a phenomenon of 19th century planning traces the origins, implementation, international transference and adoption of the Garden City idea. It also considers its continuing relevance in the late 20th century and into the 21st century.

The key theme of the papers in this book concerns the prospects of building new urban environments and creating new societies in Europe during the interwar years. The contributions do not focus on the system of government – communist, fascist or democratic – but, rather, on what actually got built, by whom and why; and how the international communication of ideas was filtered through the prism of local concerns and culture. As such, the volume serves to tease out connections between urban form and social aspirations, and between the moral basis of social planning and how it was interpreted. Did the new towns of the interwar years actually create a planned society where visions met realities, aided by the design of new urban forms? This is one of the principal questions investigated by the contributors here in all the different political contexts of their chosen ‘new towns’.

Often misunderstood, the New Towns story is a fascinating one of anarchists, artists, visionaries, and the promise of a new beginning for millions of people. New Towns: The Rise Fall and Rebirth offers a new perspective on the New Towns Record and uses case-studies to address the myths and realities of the programme. It provides valuable lessons for the growth and renewal of the existing New Towns and post-war housing estates and town centres, including recommendations for practitioners, politicians and communities interested in the renewal of existing New Towns and the creation of new communities for the 21st century.

This book explores the evolution of New Towns in France and the UK in a number of areas (governance, planning and heritage) and assess whether their legacy can inspire current planned settlements.