What is a Garden Village?

 

Garden cities, towns and villages have their roots in the late nineteenth century.  Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the garden city movement, described how people could live in harmony with nature and his vision led to the building of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden Cities in the early twentieth century. 

Garden communities are still very relevant to our lives today; up and down the country, new settlements and extensions to existing settlements are being planned and provided based on prestigious design and environmental quality. The Government considers that well-planned, well-designed, locally-led garden communities have an important role to play in meeting our housing needs.

A garden village is a settlement that:

  • Is transformational, with a strong vision, leadership and community engagement
  • Provides a mix of house types and sizes
  • Aspires to great design and quality, building communities with local character
  • Provides a range of community services and facilities for local people
  • Stimulates economic growth through the provision of locally accessible jobs
  • Harnesses technology to ensure that new development is sustainable
  • Uses green space to ensure that all these new uses can be developed within an attractive environment, promoting health, well-being and quality of life for local residents and employees
  • Is well connected, with good transport links
  • Provides long-term stewardship of land, property and facilities