Post-war new-town 'models': A European comparison

Abstract

Stevenage, Tapiola (Hagalund) and Vällingby were the first exponents of the new town concept in Britain, Finland and Sweden respectively, attracting attention not only within their home countries but also widely in Europe. In all three places, general plans were finalized around 1950, testing the latest ideas - such as neighbourhood units, the Radburn concept and community centres. The towns were to be organized in cohesive neighbour-hood areas, each with its own identity and its own community centre. The three towns differ in their morphological character. In Topiola the scale is modest but the variation all the greater. In Stevenage the single-family house predominates, while in Tapiola there is a mixture of house types. Vällingby is dominated by blocks of flats, though there are also row houses and detached houses. In all three towns resources and interest were invested in achieving a modern main centre, which included cultural and social activities as well as commercial ones. Each town epitomized a new, brighter future, perhaps reflecting an optimism that was stronger in Scandinavia and Britain than elsewhere. The firm faith that characterized the drive to build the three new towns may seem slightly naive from today's point of view. Yet it is clear that we can learn a lot from the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of the 1950s, the social commitment, and the desire to create good housing, preferably with ample outdoor environments, affordable to broad groups of citizens. © International Seminar on Urban Form, 2005.