Question 37

In the late 19th century, urban planner Ebenezer Howard proposed a radical solution to the overcrowding and pollution of Victorian industrial cities: the Garden City. Howard envisioned self-contained communities surrounded by 'greenbelts' of agricultural land, which would limit urban sprawl and ensure residents had constant access to nature. The core philosophy was to marry the economic opportunities of the city with the health benefits of the countryside. Unlike typical suburbs, these towns were intended to be economically independent, possessing their own industries and businesses so that residents would not have to commute elsewhere for work. However, while the aesthetic principles of tree-lined avenues and designated zoning influenced town planning globally, the full economic model proved difficult to replicate. Howard's ideal relied on community ownership of land to capture rising property values for the public good. In practice, as private developers adopted the style but not the substance of the movement, many resulting developments lacked the commercial infrastructure to be truly self-sufficient, devolving instead into the very dormitory suburbs Howard had sought to avoid. Which of the following best summarizes the author's evaluation of the Garden City movement's outcome?