Garden cities: a model for healthy cities

International audienceTo face the increasing housing demand, and to solve health problems related to the current city lifestyle (such as obesity, cancer and stress-related diseases), British government initiatives support the creation of new communities based on garden cities principles. They consider the garden cities utopia as a breakdown in previous trends and practices and as an alternative to the present urban and suburban models. In order to achieve a more appropriate model for an urban planning change, and to avoid using the word ‘garden’ as a convenient label, an analysis on the garden cities utopia in the 21th century is needed. In this paper, the focus will be on the project of a new garden city based in Ebbsfleet, UK (Ebbsfleet Garden City). This case study is ideal for understanding whether the garden cities model might be an answer to the challenges of today’s health issues and might push cities to provide a more attractive living environment, promoting an active sustainable and healthy lifestyle