#RMS_027

In the aftermath of the Second World War, British urban planners faced a critical convergence of housing shortages and bomb-damaged infrastructure. The strategic response was not merely in situ reconstruction but the deliberate dispersal of the population from overcrowded, soot-stained industrial centers to freshly designated "New Towns." Unlike the organic, uncontrolled sprawl of previous decades, these settlements were meticulously master-planned to be self-sufficient entities, designed to provide local employment, leisure, and housing within a unified boundary. The underlying philosophy was to engender balanced communities where residents could live and work without the burden of commuting back to the metropolis. However, while the architectural and social vision was bold, the economic reality often lagged behind the planning ideals. Attracting a diverse range of industries to these satellite locations proved significantly more difficult than anticipated. Consequently, a phenomenon emerged where many New Towns initially functioned merely as "dormitory settlements," with residents continuing to travel long distances to the main cities for employment. This persistent disconnect between the idealized goal of economic self-containment and the practical necessity of commuting significantly undermined the utopian aspirations of the post-war planning committees. According to the text, what was a significant discrepancy between the plan for New Towns and their actual development?