ABSTRACT
London’s open space provision must be considered from a number of perspectives and especially its purpose, distribution and use. How London’s open spaces were perceived is central to the discussion. There was continuity with the previous period, in that open space was seen as beneficial to health, the environment, economic growth, and distinct social and political groups. After 1939, however, more attention has to be paid to concepts such as progressivism, modernism and postmodernism in understanding encounters with open spaces. The mechanisms and routines involved in delivering desired social goals can be traced through the creation of various types of recreational spaces. How key actors in the public, voluntary and private sectors went about creating or modifying open space will be discussed. Since open space, by its nature, could not be universal in its reach, close attention will be paid to who benefited from provision and who was excluded. What emerges strongly from post-1939 open space policy is its importance for the reproduction of social and political power in London. The existence of, and access to, open space was embedded in London’s ‘real politic’ – not
government finance, itself heavily dependent on rateable income from property.
