England's Suburbs 1820-2020
Joanna Smith author Matthew Whitfield author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Liverpool University Press
Published:1st Apr '25
Should be back in stock very soon
This new architectural history provides new interpretations and insights about England’s suburbs over the last two centuries as well as a rich synthesis of existing knowledge. The book covers a period of unparalleled urban growth and discusses the varied character of the resulting buildings and landscapes, set out in seven thematic chapters. All kinds of suburbs are considered, examined at all scales from entire developments to individual buildings, drawing upon examples from around the country. The text is heavily illustrated with newly commissioned ground and aerial photography, maps and plans as well as historic images. Consideration is given to the key players who have engaged in planning and building suburbs, the controlling forces and shaping ideologies, quintessential building types and landscape uses, and the impact of social and physical change on suburbs. Now home to the majority of the population, suburbs are ubiquitous and often taken for granted while perceptions of suburbia are not always been positive. This book aims to explore and celebrate our suburban heritage, explaining what makes them special and interesting.
'England's Suburbs 1820-2020, meticulously researched, well written and superbly illustrated, will be of enormous value to anyone dealing with historic and not-so-historic buildigs in what are or once were suburbs, or to anyone fascinated by urban history.' Rob Cowan, Context
'A very fine book which will surely become the essential survey and description, as well as analytical overview, of this key dimension to the history of any urban community during the past two centuries. The authors are architectural investigators with Historic England, an expertise reflected in the contents of the volume. [...] the book is beautifully illustrated with full colour images of maps, plans and a wealth of photographs of suburban housing and streets from all corners of England. [...] this book is one that I can unhesitatingly recommend. At £40 it is a bargain and anybody interested in the local history of housing, planning, or the twentieth century England should read (or buy) it.'
Alan Crosby, The Local Historian
'This typically handsome and well-produced volume from Historic England is a fascinating wrapper of housing and planning history around a series of earlier disparate projects that gives strength to the amorphousness that is SUBURBIA. [...] It is diligent, intelligent, weighty and well worth adding to our libraries.' Julian Holder, Journal of Historic Buildings & Places
ISBN: 9781836244356
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
316 pages