Stevenage is located 20m north of London between Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City. Originally a small market town, Stevenage has rapidly grown into a major Britain's first solely pedestrian commercial center with an area of 6,256 acres in the heart of the commuter belt.
The "New Towns Committee headed by Lord Reith (appointed in 1945) concluded that New Towns were best created by government-sponsored corporations financed by the exchequer. The "resulting bodies" were known as development corporations and they were able to acquire land within a defined area, 'the designated area'. The committee's conclusions were embodied in the New Towns Act of 1946 and immediately put into use with the designation of Stevenage, the first New Town. Of the eleven New Towns designated in Britain between 1946 and 1955, eight were London overspill or satellite towns and were welcomed by the London County Council."
(information from http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/newtowns.htm)
This image was taken in 1969 by John Schooley, FAIA, during an Urban America tour. Urban America tours allowed architects and planners to visit New Towns and meet professionals involved in their planning and continued development.
Keywords: United Kingdom, England, Britain, Hertfordshire, Stevenage, New Town, settlements, town, district, general views, residential structures, housing, multiple dwellings. Submitted by John Schooley, FAIA.
