PLAN9068 - Exploring Garden City Planning: Howard & Sulman's Theories

This essay analyzes the garden city planning principles as envisioned by Ebenezer Howard and John Sulman. It examines Howard's vision of a garden city, including its main planning principles and physical structure, such as zoning, population management, road systems, and public buildings. The essay also delves into Sulman's principles of subdivision, highlighting the importance of subdivision patterns in the formation of suburbs and key elements essential for planning and design. Furthermore, the essay discusses the application of garden city principles in the design of Port Sunlight and the physical elements in the design and layout of Canberra suburbs, emphasizing the values and legacy of the garden city movement. Desklib provides students with access to similar solved assignments and past papers for further study.

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GARDEN CITY PLANNING
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GARDEN CITY PLANNING
Cities or urban planning is fundamental and technical processes conducted by the
government and focusses on ensuring high quality of life and smooth operation of the city. As
stated by Hamilton et al (2005), in the urban planning, economic, social and environmental
factors should be put into consideration (p.55). with the aim of development of the city, the
planners should consider the economic activities that may lead to tremendous growth, resources
available and the location of the city or town in a given area. As affirmed by Giles-Corti et al
(2016), city planning is a key solution to global health challenges (p. 2920). That is, proper city
planning ensures that there is appropriate transport mode, conducive environment free of
pollution and accessible facilities that influences healthy lifestyle and behaviors that reduces
health risks. In Howard’s vision and plan for garden city, there are principles that guide the
planning of cities for effective development and promotion of high quality life.
Zoning which is a governmental method of controlling developments within a city or
town, it indicates areas to be used for commercial, industrial, residential and recreational
activities.The zoning helps to reduce overcrowding, reduces health risks by separating the
residents from the factories which produces fumes that are health hazards and enables easy
accessibility of public services for example hospitals (Fell et al 2008, p.97).

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Figure 1. EBENEZER, H., 2014. Garden city of Tomorrow. [digital image] [viewed on 2 June
2018]. Available: https://www.slideshare.net/sdeepanshu/ebenezer-howard-38047148
Population growth which might be uncontrollable, may pose a risk to town
development. Aging of population is significant in city planning to ensure equal distribution of
resources (Duany, 2010). In the Howard vision and planning of the garden city, when a city
population limit is exceeded it is necessary to know how to deal with the extra population. He
indicates that a new city can be developed next to the old city to accommodate the extra
population and easy accessibility of the two cities should be ensured.

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Figure 2. EBENEZER, H., 1902. History of urban planning. [diagram] [viewed 2 june 2018].
Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_urban_planning
Road systems which ensures easy accessibility of all the resources within the city should
be put into consideration. Well laid roads increase the efficiency of a town. The residents are
able to reach their destinations within the shortest time.

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Figure 3. JANE, J., 2016. Stories of the cities [illustration image] [viewed on 2 June 2018].
Available:https://ephemeralnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/washsquare1950splan.png
Transport facilities for example, buses and trains ease the transport of goods from the
industries and farms to the consumers. It also fastens movement within the city. Therefore,
during planning these facilities should be considered.
Figure 4. Discover ideas about landscape architecture designs [ digital image] [viewed 2 June 2018].
Available from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/398427898260446755/

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Public buildings which provide services that are essential in a city should be put into
consideration in city planning. For example,hospitals, libraries, museums and town halls
Figure 5. EBENEZER, H., 1898. Town-country idea developed after rise of industrial revolution;
frominside to outside [plan diagram] [viewed 2 June 2018] available from;
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/43839796352700928
Elements of the Howard’s Garden City
The Howard’s vision of the Garden city which is built at the center of an area of 6000
acres and have a ring shape, has been divided by six boulevards into six wards. The city is
divided into zones. Commercial zone is placed at the center of the city whereby the public

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buildings such as town halls, hospitals and libraries are constructed. They are followed by the
recreational zones which consists of parks that are easily accessible by the public. Then the
residential zone follows which consists of houses that are separated by avenues connecting to the
boulevards. At the far end the industrial zone is placed. For example, factories, timber yard and
warehouses. The city is then surrounded by a railway to ease the transport of goods produced
from the factories and raw materials from the surrounding farms to the market.
Figure 6. EBENEZER, H., Partial plan diagram of Howards garden city. [diagram] [viewed 2
June 2018]. Available from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/459930180671356660/?lp=true

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Suburbs
Development of cities and the transportation system, has facilitated growth and
development of suburbs. These are areas located at an outskirt of or within a city. They are
usually at a commutable distance from the city. The suburbs are usually for residential purposes
and the residents rely on the city for employment and specialized services. As according to Grant
(2009), cost pressure is a major influencing factor to suburbanization. It is cheaper leaving and
raising kids in suburbs than in cities.
A suburb is subdivided by roads in form of blocks that tend to form a grid structure. As
stated by Cozens and Hillier (2008), the grid pattern has been commonly used in towns (p.52).
The blocks that are in rectangular shapes and provides a long stretch of street that enables many
frontages to be developed along it. These frontages could be used for business purposes. The
block streets help to distribute traffic from the main road hence reducing time spent on traffics.
The space left between the blocks creates a road that can be used to access the city faster. These
blocks streets have played a big role in the formation of the suburbs. The short time spend in
getting to the city attracts many city dwellers to move to these places that are quite far from the
city for cheap rents.

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Figure 7. Garden City since the early 90’s [digital image] [viewed 2 June 2018]. Available
from; https://www.momocrocs.com/ti/momocrocs/garden-city-kansas-west-side-aerial-view-
youtube-city-of-garden-city-ks-good-looking-9-1555-x-875-ti.jpg
In Sulman’s principle of subdivision, the population of a suburb should not exceed thirty
thousand people. High population creates pressure that cannot be contained by the suburb’ s
resources. Furthermore, as stated by Shen and Wu (2017), over population poses health risks to
dwellers and consequently reduces their productivity(p.770). Moreover,he emphasized that
connection within the suburb is essential for easy movement into and out of the city. In cases
where land owners block a street, forming a dead-end street, the council is liable to purchase land
within the street to create a cross street.

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Figure8. KAREN, F., 2015. Feng Shui for everyday: cul-de-sac houses. [digital image] [viewed
2 June 2018]
Sulman identified elements that are crucial in the planning and designing of garden
suburb. An open space of half a mile in width has to separate two suburbs. The space is to be
utilized for recreation purposes or cultivation. This created an opportunity for social interaction
among dwellers of the separated suburbs. Fundamentally, the suburbs are to be divided by
considering their characters. this is by identifying their unique natural resources and economic
activities that can be supported in a given area. As asserted by Wood et al (2008), suburbs
contain characteristics and services that differ from other suburbs (p.16). This provides an
opportunity to effectively utilize the resources for the suburbs benefits.
Garden city principles applied in design of Port Sunlight
Port sunlight is a self-contained suburb built with an aim of accommodating workers
working in the adjacent factories. Factors influencing development of suburbs being aging, high
traffic and transit-oriented developments (Lang and Lefurgy 2007, p.534), the Port Sunlight that

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is located in Wirral Peninsula was developed to provide conducive and affordable rental houses
to the workers. Garden city principles applied in the development of this suburb.
The decentralization of operations.A suburb should contain and provide all the services
available in a town.Significantly, the needs of the suburb dwellers are met without having to go
to the city. For example, Lever contributed to the establishment of education centers and
hospitals in Port Sunlight suburb to benefit his workers and their families. These elements make
a suburb self-reliant (Barringer 2006, p.135).
zoning principle. In Port Sunlight, recreational zone was created apart from the
residential zone with various sports such as cricket to enable the workers to relax from their daily
duties.This was so as to produce happy and healthy workers. Theserecreation centers provide a
platform for workers to mingle and interact with each other (Wilson, Hutson and Mujahid 2008,
p. 213).

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Figure 9. EBENEZER, H., 2011. Garden cities. [plan] [viewed 2 June 2018] available from:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/437271445056287657/
Road system. This being a major factor in enhancing the development and growth of a
suburb, it ensures that proper road layouts are in place to promote positive lifestyle modification
for healthy leaving. For example, the Port Sunlight was built along the road. This indicates that
the settlement that is next to the road provide business opportunities hence a conducive
environment for economic growth.