ABSTRACT
In his classic book on Georgian London John Summerson emphasized the fundamentally mercantile nature of London’s physical growth in the long eighteenth century and beyond (Summerson 1945: 25-6). Building, and singularly housing, he argued, was mostly considered a profitable activity, just like any other form of business, well into the nineteenth century. For this reason, the capital grew piecemeal and somewhat haphazardly, following the decisions of those private ground landlords who decided to launch housing developments. Summerson particularly emphasized the triumph of private interest over any attempt at government intervention:
Compared to continental capitals, seventeenth-and eighteenth-century London did remain remarkably free from government interference. Neither the plan nor the appearance of the growing metropolis were altered or even controlled by government, even when opportunities such as the Great Fire of 1666 might have tempted Crown or State to impress their stamp on the capital.
