Application of macro scale urban planning theory in the context of post destruction rebuild efforts : A case study of post Blitz Bombing London Green Space creation

Abstract

This thesis looks at an example of how cities can be affected by large scale destruction and subsequent reconstruction, through the case study of post WW2 London bombing and rocket damage and rebuild. This is viewed with the idea that there was a promised effort by planners of the period to move to a more Utopian city layout for London as set forth in the ideals of Ebenezer Howard's Garden Cities of To-Morrow.

This thesis seeks to answer three questions: (1) What impact did the Blitz Bombings/V Strikes of WW2 have on London? (2) Which green space or public areas around today were created as a result of the bombings? (3) Did the urban planners apply E. Howard's Garden City Theory to the restructuring of land use as promised?

This has been done by the use of a comparative GIS exercise utilising pre and post War maps of six London boroughs forming the study area, and an aggregate of bomb and rocket incidents recorded from various sources, to determine which areas which has been previously urban in nature and then damaged were rebuilt as a Green or Open Space. Emphasis was placed on transformation of the old and new maps as well as categorisation of the various Green and Open Space types.

The findings of this thesis were that although the damage to urban areas was extensive during this period, the overall layout of London did not change significantly in terms of Green and Open spaces, and any changes that were made were opportunistic rather than a noted trend towards Howard's ideals. It also offers commentary on the process of utilising pre-GIS maps in a modern context and its shortcomings in terms of data accuracy.