Green wedges: origins and development in Britain

Abstract

The paper analyzes the history of green wedges in Britain from their origins in the first decade of the twentieth century up until the outbreak of the Second World War. Often neglected by the literature in favour of the ‘greenbelt’, the ‘green wedge’ was equally at the forefront of the minds of planners debating urban growth and the provision of open spaces for modern cities. Firstly, the paper looks into the origins of the idea, with particular focus on discussions about the integration of park and traffic systems in the period. Secondly, it focuses on the fundamental role that the 1910 RIBA Town Planning Conference played in the emergence of the green wedges idea and in its immediate reception and diffusion. Subsequently, the paper discusses the idea’s development after the Conference, predominantly in plans for Greater London and in texts by its main supporters, which include