Reshaping the European City and Territory

Gordon Cherry, Town Planning in Britain since 1900 (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996), 260 pp., £12.99, ISBN 0–631–19994–2.Mark Clapson, Invincible green suburbs, brave new towns (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1998), 242 pp., £45.00 (hb), ISBN 0–719–04135–X.Mark Clapson, Mervyn Dobbin and Peter Waterman, eds., The Best Laid Plans. Milton Keynes since 1967 (Luton: University of Luton Press, 1998), 142 pp., ISBN 1–860–20556–9.Gilles Massardier, Expertise et aménagement du territoire. L'Etat savant (Paris: L'Harmattan, 1996), 286 pp., 160 FF, ISBN 2–738–44903–4.Danièle Voldman, La reconstruction des villes françaises de 1940 à 1954. Histoire d'une politique (Paris: L'Harmattan, 1997), 488 pp., 270 FF, ISBN 2–738–45194–2.About one century ago, a movement was born which aimed at reforming the physical environment of cities in order to reform society. It greatly broadened the scope of the former, piecemeal Improvement Commissions which had begun to beautify the cities. Five recent and varied publications will be reviewed here, originating from both British and French academics and planners. We shall use them to make a second reading of ideas and processes contributing to the (re)shaping of town and country in two west European countries. Often described as entities with distinct political, social and economic agendas, both countries nevertheless developed strong confidence in the planning role of the state in cities as well as in ‘town and country’.