Iceni Projects recently attended a discussion The Garden City Model – A Panacea to London’s 21st Century Housing Challenge? exploring on the latest opinions and progress on the resurgence of the Garden City movement. In truth, this was a largely frustrating session which threw up more problems than solutions.

The issues contributing to the housing crisis in London and the South East are well rehearsed, and there was a recognition that the Country needs to be at least doubling housing output to 250,000 p.a. – which is not even taking into account the shortfall of previous decades.  Coupled with the recognition that the London Plan only seeks to deliver a minimum of 42,000 of the identified need for 62,000 homes in the period to 2026, Garden Cities have had something of a resurgence in the last few years, and have been presented by many as the panacea to the housing crisis.

Nicholas Falk from URBED, winner of the Wolfson Prize, was clear in his views that homes must be built where people want to live.  However, the worked example which demonstrated extensions to Oxford has since been dismissed by DCLG Housing Minister Brandon Lewis, and Sir Terry Farrell, as urban sprawl.  They and others lay claim to a more sustainable pattern of development based on the origins of the original Garden City movement. However, the way people live has changed since Ebenezer Howard's concept of the Garden City from 100 years ago, which was based on walkable, self-contained settlements. Now, because of the need for people to travel further to places of work, ‘Garden Cities’ need to be formed around existing or new public transport networks in order to reduce car dependency and create sociable inclusive neighbourhoods.

DCLG discussed the proposed Ebbsfleet Garden City. A Development Corporation has been established to deliver the growth of the area; however, by their own admission, 11,000 of the proposed 15,000 homes already have consent yet have not been delivered.  Given Iceni’s experience in areas which have previously featured  development corporations, we remain sceptical as to the potential for these bodies to influence the development for the area, especially as it does not have statutory plan making powers.

DCLG are presenting the Garden City movement as a bottom up process and are currently inviting local communities to propose locations for new settlements.  However, by their own admission, there has so far been little take-up, which is hardly surprising given the negative attitude towards development in this country.   Given that London is not planning to meet its full need, and that, broadly, each local authority is only meeting the need within it’s own housing market area, the Government need to face up to the fact that whatever role Garden Cities have to play, it is unlikely to be anything more than a symbolic gesture to addressing the housing crisis.

For Iceni’s part, we will continue to promote the virtues of strategic growth, and the necessary systems to aid their delivery.  We’ve yet to see a sustainable city – garden based or otherwise – formed from 15,000 homes, but assuming it can be done, we look forward to an equivalent of at least 16 of them being delivered every year for the foreseeable future…