The Garden Cities movement, propelled by British planner Ebenezer Howard in his turn of the 19th century writings, has been highly influential in the look of city and suburban neighborhoods.
Seeking to meld the best of city living with the best of the countryside, Howard’s prescription was to introduce nature into every aspect of life. Sounding very much like planners today, he envisioned holistic communities where one could walk to work, school and play.
Yet Howard was criticized by urbanists such as Jane Jacobs for being a “decentralist.”
We look at what’s been tried in the past to make cities better places to provide context for the rest of the series.
Notable examples of the Garden Cities legacy include Chatham Village in Pittsburgh (which we extensively filmed), Sunnyside Gardens and Forest Hills in the Queens borough of New York, Mariemont outside Cincinnati and Baldwin Hills Village (now Village Green) in Los Angeles (also filmed).
Many choice urban and suburban areas such as Coral Gables next to Miami, Shaker Heights adjoining Cleveland and the St Francis Wood and Forest Hill neighborhoods in San Francisco also take some of their form from Garden Cities ideals.
Meet David Vater, architect and resident historian of Chatham Village, a Garden Cities community in Pittsburgh. Watch more videos.
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