ABSTRACT
Inspired by the success of the garden suburbs, and of Letch-worth, the first garden city, an idealistic Liberal government had introduced the first legislation in 1909. In London the pioneer user of this measure was the Ruislip-Northwood UDC. Post-war legislation did little to remedy the basic defects of the original Act. It happened largely because there was no positive planning on a regional scale, and was worse than it might have been because such planning powers as did exist were not properly used by most of the local authorities. The influences and effects of this vast unplanned suburbia of private enterprise are still working their way through the psyche of the metropolitan community. Administrative functions were split between the Greater London Council, the new top-tier authority, and enlarged boroughs that were to find their size a discouragement in the development of loyalty and social cohesion.
