イギリスの緑地帯政策に関する史的考察II

田園都市と大ロンドン緑地帯

抄録

With industrialization, which originated from the Industrial Revolution, and with development of transport facilities, urban population showed a remarkable increase. In England and Wales, the urban population was about 20 percent of the whole at the beginning of 19th century, but it increased to 80 percent at the beginning of 20th century. Ever since the population ratio of urban of rural districts has remained almost unchanged, notwithstanding the increase in total population.
In those times when the urban population increased rapidly, “urban environment” was taken up as an important problem. The Public Health Act and Acts concerning Housing of the Working Class were carried into execution. The administrative organization was reformed simultaneously. When the urban population was nearly maximum, E. Howard put forward a doctrine for Garden City, that afterwards led to the fundamental principles of metropolis planning. Urban areas kept on sprawling together with automobile development. The Greater London Plan and the County of London Plan to distribute the population were proposed in view of making up London Conurbation as an ideal urban region. These plans, covering the road program for motorization of the city, were developed into the reconstruction basis of London in the immediate post-war years. As the results, establishment of green belts and construction of new towns along with Howard's idea of Garden City were brought to realization.
These plans, grounded on a great deal of researches made by various committees, were the best for that time. But the population distribution program turned out fruitless because of rapid growth of employment in London region, so far as to be criticized “The Greater London plan of 1944 was prepared in restrictionist mood on premises inherited from a period of economic depression, ……it was based on the assumption that there would be a stationary population, economy and culture. It has hardly been a suitable framework for the guidance of development in a period of expansion.” The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London stated, “We have no hesitation in finding as a fact that the presuppositions of the Greater London Plan requir early reconsideraticn.” It is noteworthy that this Commission assume that the Green Belt Policy will be maintained and the boundary of the Review Area runs mainly through the Green Belt. Although there were criticism against the Green Belt Policy, millions of pounds have been spent by the Government on compensation and the green belt expansion overtures have been made. This proves how inveterat ely the Green Belt Policy in England has been framed to date.