Cities in flood
- London Faber and Faber 0
- 189 : ill.
Almost half of Britain's population lives in seven great centres. Those great cities are once again 'at the flood'-striving to burst the dykes which have been dug to stop them spreading endlessly across the countryside. But the cities still have grave problems of congestion and over-crowding which imperatively demand a solution. This situation provides the central theme for Peter Self's book-a book which contains the first comprehensive study of public planning policies in Britain since the war. To stop the big cities' growth public authorities have built new towns, created green belts, controlled industrial development and tried to protect agricultural land. What have been the actual results of these policies-and how sound have they been? The author is not simply critical. He analyses the human needs and problems of the big cities and offers a solution which would produce better living and working conditions-and greater industrial efficiency-for the nation as a whole. The author looks forward as well as back. He stresses that the decisions made now will probably settle finally the urban and rural pattern of Britain-and will thus have a profound effect upon both the way of life and living standards of the next generation. His own solution to the problems of bursting cities is bold and realistic.