Les villes nouvelles en Grande-Bretagne

THE NEW TOWNS OF BRITAIN.- Abstract- In the first instance, the new towns were designed to lessen the importance of the big conurbations (London in particular ). If the growth of population after the war has prevented the achievement of this aim (the new towns around London have absorbed only about a sixth of the regional growth), the scheme has, nonetheless, been successful in many ways. The new towns have accomodated some 500,000 people, two-thirds of this in the eight towns in the London district, a number which is quite close to the original estimate. In the field of employment the balance between work and population is healthy enough as far as the quantity of work available is concerned, but there is an obvious disequilibrium caused by the scarcity of office work. But the success of the new towns in Britain is due mainly to the method by which they were established. By the Law of 1946, special body, the Development Corporation, was given the sole responsibility for the planning, construction and maintainance of each new town. From the start they were given the financial means to do their work - loans from the Treasury at moderate interest rates repayable over sixty years, with a system of deferred payments. To-day the British, just as other Europeans, are being attracted to the idea of larger towns with populations of several hundred thousands, which alone can become poles of attraction for all types of employment and can offer urban facilities.THE NEW TOWNS OF BRITAIN.- Abstract- In the first instance, the new towns were designed to lessen the importance of the big conurbations (London in particular ). If the growth of population after the war has prevented the achievement of this aim (the new towns around London have absorbed only about a sixth of the regional growth), the scheme has, nonetheless, been successful in many ways. The new towns have accomodated some 500,000 people, two-thirds of this in the eight towns in the London district, a number which is quite close to the original estimate. In the field of employment the balance between work and population is healthy enough as far as the quantity of work available is concerned, but there is an obvious disequilibrium caused by the scarcity of office work. But the success of the new towns in Britain is due mainly to the method by which they were established. By the Law of 1946, special body, the Development Corporation, was given the sole responsibility for the planning, construction and maintainance of each new town. From the start they were given the financial means to do their work - loans from the Treasury at moderate interest rates repayable over sixty years, with a system of deferred payments. To-day the British, just as other Europeans, are being attracted to the idea of larger towns with populations of several hundred thousands, which alone can become poles of attraction for all types of employment and can offer urban facilities.Merlin Pierre. Les villes nouvelles en Grande-Bretagne. In: Annales de Géographie, t. 77, n°421, 1968. pp. 278-295