Collins, M.P.; (1960) South London: its metropolitan evolution and town planning requirements. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), University of London.

Preview

Text Collins_10209380_thesis.pdf Download (88MB) | Preview

Abstract

Before the advent of the industrial revolution the growth of our towns was relatively slow for it was based upon the realisation of the economic potential of the surrounding region. Urban expansion was not a dominant feature of pre-nineteenth century society and the distinction between town and country was not so marked socially as it is today, although the physical transition from town to country was often very noticeable. The market town with its associated service trades was the economic centre of the region and its sphere of influence was readily decernible, because poor transportation inhibited the movement of produce to rival markets which were further afield. There was a strong interdependence between town and country which was expressed in terms of the exchange of food for services and manufactured goods. The exchange took place in the town market and this basic pattern can be traced back into Pre-History when the first nucleated settlement was constructed. The introduction of the monetary system was the only refinement that had taken place. With the discovery of new sources of power the 'cottage type' industries, which previously had been dispersed throughout the country were able to group together first along the larger rivers and then on the coal-fields. The happy location of coal and iron, in close proximity to each other, enabled the manufacturing industries to concentrate at the common source of power and raw materials. This meant that the requisite labour force had to follow the movement of industry and it resulted in the rapid growth of housing estates around the newly constructed factories. A new impetus was given to urban growth and compact towns expanded so rapidly that they soon began to merge into each other, the conurbation had arrived! An urban revolution was taking place and, in many cases, these new concentrations of population were not related to the historic pattern of settlement. The urban scene was changing and the country market town was no longer of prime importance as a regional centre. The industrial town with its vast consumer markets, better facilities for trade and improved communications soon became the regional capital. The accretion of industry and population within the larger towns has continued and this accumulation of additional urban functions has been accompanied by an intensification in the migration of population from the country to the town. Now the wheel has come full circle and attempts are being made to contain the conurbations by prohibiting their peripheral growth. But the dynamic forces which produced the conurbation cannot be so easily restrained and an uneasy truce has been declared. The Green Belt has preserved the sanctity of the countryside, for the time being, but only at the expense of the town dweller by compelling him to expand his environment vertically. Local Authorities are having to increase their net residential densities and densities of 170 persons per acre are becoming an accepted part of the urban scene in South London. It is against this background that London has developed and though its growth has been in sympathy with the industrial revolution, the position has been complicated by the fact that it is the national capital. The administrative functions associated with national government and private commerce have expanded to such an extent that they form the predominant source of employment for over 1,000,000 persons within the central area. The congestion which has resulted on both the roads and the railways is proving to be an insoluable problem. The metropolis has engulfed a large number of towns and villages with the result that they have lost much of their former character and independence. In this thesis an attempt is made to trace the evolution of South London and depict the changes which have taken place in the function of these former towns and villages. The official policies which have been laid down for London during the past thirty years are described briefly so that the reader can readily appreciate the implications of chapters 3 and 4. Chapter 3 analyses the character, composition and function of the present-day service centre, and an attempt is made to delimit its sphere of influence. In chapter 4 an examination is made of the employment structure and its causal relationship with the journey to work pattern for South London. Chapter 5 surveys the planning problems which exist in South London and after a critical discussion of the merits of decentralisation the author outlines his own particular approach to the problems.

Download activity - last month

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as XMLCSVJSON

Archive Staff Only

View Item