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Britain's New Towns: Garden Cities to Sustainable Communities

My first visit to Cumbernauld in Scotland was during Winter 1995. As I ascended the hill from the railway station towards the windswept town centre, I asked myself who would “choose” to build a town on top of a hill in such a cold climate? Nevertheless, I had a sense that the history of this town was integral to understanding urban policy in post-war Britain. What a pity I did not then have Anthony Alexander’s well-researched work to aid me. This book is about the intertwining of ideas in urban planning and design in the context of the New Town movement in Britain (and Northern Ireland) and their continued relevance today. It is divided into three sections, which in turn address planning, building and living in the New Towns. As Alexander writes, “the appeal and the rationale of the New Town was incredibly strong. It offered the badly needed chance for the working classes to share in the benefits of modern society”. (p. 33)