A STUDY OF NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT AS A FORM OF URBAN EXPANSION IN 3 CITIES

Abstract

Four fundamental principles governed Ebenezer Howard's concept of the New Town: limitation of numbers and area, growth by colonization, variety and sufficiency of economic opportunities and social advantages, and control of the land in the public interest. Out of this a new kind of city would emerge, in a balanced, many-sided, inter¬ related, organic unit. The translation of these principles into the realities of the New Towns movement is one of the most encouraging manifestations of our age. The objective of this study is to critically examine the policies that the three different cities (Singapore, Melbourne and London) adopted in its New Town Development over the years. As each of the cities has its own reasons and motivations for a unique planning model, it will be enlightening to gather the policies and study them. In order to achieve the objective, this dissertation will explore the history of the planning policies that is distinctive in each of the city, as well as to study how the policies have shaped the New Town Development. The results show that the three cities do indeed have different motivational factors for adopting their own unique planning policies; factors such as size, economic growth, political stability and social agenda all contribute in different forces to the New Town Developments.