What is a Garden Village?
The Garden City Movement was founded by Ebenezer Howard during the 19th Century. His ideas were set out in ‘Garden Cities of To-Morrow’ published in 1898, which described how: “The advantages of the most energetic and active town life, with all the beauty and delight of the country, may be secured in perfect combination”.
Letchworth Garden City was the first to be built based on Ebenezer Howard’s vision. Carefully planned streets, attractive cottage housing and wide open spaces and greens created a city with a real sense of place.
Like the idea of the Garden City, the garden village concept is not new. Garden villages form an important part of Britain’s urban development history. They were based on a strong foundation of industry and employment, with their developers seeking to create well designed, healthy places and affordable homes.
Garden villages built today should apply the same principles, but in a 21st century context, to create vibrant, diverse and affordable communities. The Town and County Planning Association (TCPA) has reviewed Garden City principles with a view to promoting their use within planning and delivery of new residential development:
- Small in scale
- Designed to provide affordable homes close to employment
- Provision for a vibrant social life
- Designed with high-quality materials and attention to details
- Provision of services for day-to-day needs within walking distance of homes
- Holistically planned
Letchworth Garden City was the first to be built on Ebenezer Howard’s vision - click to enlarge
Key principles of success for Tasley Garden Village based on the Town and Country Planning Associations’s Garden City principles - click to enlarge