Last month, the [UK] government announced a task force to develop a strategy for new towns — settlements of more than 10,000 homes — and make recommendations for their locations within a year. The government has not set a target for the number of towns and acknowledges that they will take a long time to deliver. — The New York Times
Britain, short on more than four million homes, is mulling a revival of its post-war New Towns after a decisive Labour Party victory vaulted progressive leadership into power with a mandate to combat its ongoing housing crisis. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently told the BBC that he is a self-identifying YIMBY who wants to "bulldoze" planning rules and overrule local-led resistance to get it done. The strategy, which preceded a new plan central to Kamala Harris’ Presidential campaign, could still regrettably wind up hemmed in by a notoriously parochial planning process which, nevertheless, gifted the world with Milton Keynes and other important architecture.
His deputy Angela Rayner says the list of sites to be developed won't be revealed until the end of this year. RIBA's President Muyiwa Oki has said at the outset that their plan "offers overarching solutions, but lacks critical detail on delivering social housing and futureproofing existing homes."
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“The risk with new towns is that they are built too far outside of the commuting range of cities, and you try to build self-contained small economies,” Mr. Breach said. The towns end up being “too small to really compete in the global economy, but then they’re also too big to simply be charming little villages with high amenities.”
from the Times link.
You have to wonder how much they've thought this out.
California has been doing something similar, without the idealism and optimism, lower cost housing well away from anything. Commute times, etc. . . . .
Whatever happened with Garden Cities, anyway?
Garden cities were tried and failed. After around 1899 in Europe and 1930 the US most had given up on them.
I would agree. Nothing against new towns, but having just come back from there on vaca, they have tons of spots that can be re-done in the city (London) which are dismal. Shouldn't be so hard considering how many parts of London are so incredibly beautiful. They way they integrate modest homes into Mews is an excellent model for here too.
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