Sociable Cities : The Legacy of Ebenezer Howard

Review
"certainly a book that can be recommended ...valuable, well presented and clearly expressed" (Ecumene, Vol. 8/3, 2001)


Book Description
Sociable Cities is published to coincide with the centenary of the publication of Ebenezer Howards revolutionary Garden Cities of Tomorrow. Howards book would prove to be the most influential work on city planning in the 20th Century. The book provided the template for some thirty new towns in the United Kingdom — and countless others across the rest of the world — helped to establish the Town and Country Planning Association and ultimately led to an Act of Parliament which established how the building of our cities would be governed. At its heart, Garden Cities argues for a return to civilised and sustainable urban communities. Sociable Cities assesses how Howards work has faced up to the concerns of the 20th Century. Rarely have these concerns — the development of brown and green field sites, public versus private transport, the political will behind sustainability, public access to the countryside, and the quality of life in and the future of out cities — been so pressing. Finally, in analysing future trends, Peter Hall and Colin Ward take Howards Garden Cities into the 21st Century. This landmark book will be of interest to all who are concerned for the future of our cities and the future of our countryside.


About the Author
Peter Hall is Professor of Planning at University College, London and Professor Emeritus of City & Regional Planning at Berkeley, University of California. Fellow of the British Academy, Chair of the Town & Country Planning Association, he is an acclaimed author of over thirty books, many of which have defined the field. Colin Ward is a freelance writer and has published widely on housing and unofficial environments. His particular interests include the history of plotlands, allotments and holiday camps.


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A century ago, Ebenezer Howard published Tomorrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform. Fifty years later, the book led to an Act of Parliament and the designation of over 20 new towns just in the UK. It has since been translated into many languages and has influenced urban and rural development around the globe. To coincide with the celebration of this landmark book's centenary, Social Cities explores both the impact Howard's work has had since publication and peers into it potential for influencing the planning for the next century.


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