Planning London for the Post-War Era 1945-1960 [Paperback]

This book deals with the formation of the post-Second World War reconstruction and planning machinery in Great Britain, the re-planning efforts undertaken in post-war London, and in particular the redevelopment programme regarding its central area in the form of the comprehensive development projects. Originating from a PhD Thesis, the book recreates the atmosphere following step by step arguments and events at various political, socio-economic and technical levels. It also contributes to the understanding of succeeding developments in terms of planning theory and practice. The book is structured into three parts. The first one explores the administrative and statutory developments in town planning matters during the period 1940-59. The second part deals with the plans proposed for London as a whole from independent and official organisations mainly during the 1940s. Finally, the third part examines the proposed projects for the rebuilding of the City of London and for special areas of Central London that suffered from bombing on both sides of the Thames.Contents.- Tables.- Figures.- Abbreviations.- Prologue.- Preface.- Introduction.- Part I The Reconstruction Question.- The British Town Planning on the eve of the Second World War.- The war damages and the problems of central areas - The war damages - The central area problems.- Innovations in planning theory and technique - The main town planning ideas - The new town planning techniques - The control of urban land uses - The control of building bulk - The control of building day-lighting.- Part II The Preparation of Planning Machinery.- The urban reconstruction machinery issue - The central planning authority: The case and the debate - The distribution of the industrial population: The case and the debate - The control of urban land: The case and the debate.- Administrative and statutory developments during the War - The first attempts to organise the reconstruction machinery - The formation of the non-physical recl³°