Green, bright and modern: green-wedge visions for London

It is widely accepted that British post-war planning is marked by the promotion and implementation of green belts. However, recent research has shown that the green wedges idea also played a fundamental role in town planning in Britain for the most part of the twentieth century. This paper examines the use of the green wedge idea in networks of green spaces in reconstruction plans for the post-war London, with special emphasis on Patrick Abercrombie’s 1943 County of London Plan and the 1944 Greater London Plan. The paper starts by contextualising how the green wedges idea emerged and developed in the country. Secondly, it looks into the individual and institutional views on the reconstruction of London. Thirdly, it examines the overall main approaches in the planning of networks of green spaces in the Country of London Plan and in the Greater London Plan, concentrating on how green wedges were put forward as a model of redevelopment and reconstruction. The paper will also analyse how the use of green wedges became symbols of hope, of a new London to be born after the end of the War. This paper aims to contribute to filling the gap in the historiography of planning in the UK by showing the significance of green wedges in structuring the official plans for London for the post-war period.