Radburn Garden City Concept by Clarence Stein and Henry Wright.

1. 21 ART603 Planning History and Theory , PG-I (2023)
Submitted To: Ar. Kalpana Pandit
GARDEN CITY
Submitted By:
Ar. Nikhil Gupta (2023PAR5386)
04/10/2023
M.Urban Planning ( Department of Architecture and Planning)

2. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Introduction
• Radburn is located within the borough of fair lawn, Bergen county, new jersey 12 miles
from New York city.
• Radburn is a planned community started in 1929 by the city housing corporation from
the plans developed by Clarence Stein and Henry Wright and landscape architect
Marjorie Sewell Cautley.
• The industrialization of the united states after world war I led to a dramatic growth of
cities and shift of population.
• Population shift led to severe shortage of housing and Radburn development emerged
as a solution to the problem.
• The intent was to built a community which made provisions for the complexities of
modern life while still providing open spaces and being economically viable.
• The community was intended to be a self-sufficient entity with residential,
Commercial and industrial areas each supplementing the needs of others. It is
America's first garden community serving as a worldwide example of the harmonious
blending of private area and open spaces.

3. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Introduction
• The total area of the city is 149 acres with 23 acres as interior parks
and four tennis courts, three baseball fields, two softball fields, two
swimming pools, and an archery plaza.
• It includes 430 single family homes, 90 row houses, 54 semi
attached houses and 93 apartment units along with shopping
centres,open spaces and other amenities.
• One of the principles that is applied is maximum radius for walking
distance from the home to the community should be 400m at most.
• Shopping areas are situated at the intersecting traffic streets on the
outside corners rather than the centre unit.
• There are extensive range of recreational activities planned for entire
community like tot lots, preschools, sports, aerobics, amateur
dramatics, library, clubroom etc.
Principles of Radburn Planning

4. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Factors that influenced:
• Rapid Industrialization after World War I
• Migration of Rural to Cities
• Dramatic Growth of Cities
• Housing Cities
• The need to provide housing and protect from
motorized traffic

5. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Objectives
Concept of a Neighborhood Unit
• Decentralized
• Self-contained settlements (settlement
i.e., providing playgrounds, schools,
theaters, public buildings, stores and
religious buildings all together).
• Organized to promote environmental
considerations by conserving open space,
harnessing the auto and promoting
community life (as to give sunlight, air
and a tolerable outlook to even the
smallest and cheapest house).

6. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Objectives
• Putting factories and other industrial buildings where
they can be used without wasteful transportation of
goods and people.
• Develop collectively services as will add to the comfort of
the individual, at lower cost than is possible under
individual operation.
• Arrange for the occupancy of houses on a fair basis of
cost and services, including the cost of what needs to be
done in organizing, building and maintaining the
community.
• To make the place of man's habitation and industry and
to fit the health requirements of his daily life in same
area.
Concept of a Neighborhood Unit

7. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Features:
• Hierarchical transportation systems
• Cul-de-sacs
• Footpath systems
• Underpasses
• Shopping center
• Ideal size of 30,000 people
• Homogeneity
• Large-scale development
• Clustered superblock
• Mixed-use
• Interior park

8. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Concept
• SEPARATION of pedestrian and vehicular
• movement.
• SUPER BLOCK - large block surround by
main roads.
• CUL-DE-CAS - houses grouped around
small cul-de-cas and each house accessed
from main road.
• Living Room, Bedroom faced garden and
parks, service areas to ACCESS ROADS.
• Remaining Lands - PARKS AREAS.
• WALKWAYS - designed such that
pedestrians can reach social places
without crossing automobile street

9. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
• Inspired by the garden city idea, the city housing
corporation of New York acquired a vacant site in
new jersey within commuting distance of New
York city for the community of Radburn.
• The industrialization of the United States after
World War I led to a dramatic growth of the cities
duringthe 1920's.
• Population shift led to a severe housing shortage.
• In answer to the needs of "modern society",
Radburn, the "Town for the Motor Age" was
created in 1929. o It has 25000 people, 149 acres
area, 430 single houses, 90 row houses, 54 semi
attached houses, 93 apartment units.
• ARCHITECT-Clarence Stein and Henry Wright.
A diagram showing the street network structure of Radburn
and its nested hierarchy. Separate pedestrian paths run
through the green spaces between the culs-de-sac and
through the central green spine (The shaded area was not
built)
Emergence of Radburn planning Planning

10. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Redburns Planning Criteria Planning
Henry Wright's "Six Planks for a Housing Platform
1. Plan simply, but comprehensively. Don't stop at the
individual property line. Adjust paving, sidewalks,
sewers and the like to the particular needs of the
property dealt with - not to a conventional pattern.
2. Arrange buildings and grounds so as to give sunlight,
air and a tolerable outlook to even the smallest and
cheapest house.
3. Provide ample sites in the right places for
community use: i.e., playgrounds, school gardens,
schools, theatres, churches, public buildings and
stores. Put factories and other industrial buildings
where they can be used without wasteful
transportation of goods or people.

11. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Redburns Planning Criteria Planning
4. Cars must be parked and stored, deliveries made,
waste collected - plan for such services with a
minimum of danger, noise and confusion.
5. Relationship between buildings. Develop
collectively such services as will add to the comfort
of the individual, at lower cost than is possible
under individual operation.
6. Arrange for the occupancy of houses on a fair
basis of cost and service, including the cost of what
needs to be done in organizing, building and
maintaining the community.
District with four neighbourhoods, showing the "Six
Planks" of Henry Wright.

12. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Planning of Radburn Planning
• The street plan formed a pattern
of rectangular blocks divided into
rectangular lots that were usually
very narrow to conserve on utility
lines and very deep to conserve on
streets.
• The curvilinear design was then
revised to give some resemblance
of character to the subdivision to
subdue to deadly monotony of
parallel streets stretching to
infinity.

13. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Planning of Radburn Planning
• When parking is desired on
each side of the street, the
right of way is between 5464
feet wide, pavement width
36feet.
• It suggests parking on one
side only since the traffic
lanes should not be less than
10 feet wide

14. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Cul-De- Sac and the Loopstreet Planning
• The cul-de-sac, or dead-
end street, came into use
to eliminate through
traffic in a positive
manner.
• Cul-de-sac terminate in a
circular to retain their
inherent advantages, they
should be short-a
maximum length of 450
feet is recommended.

15. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Cul-De- Sac and the Loopstreet Planning
• Long cul-de-sacs, induce accelerated
traffic speeds and render access for
service and fire protection more
complicated.
• It eliminates the necessity for the turn
around and provides the continuous
circulation that is required by some
communities to assure no interference
with the accessibility of fire protection
and other services.

16. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Layout
• The houses were oriented in reverse of the
conventional placement on the plot.
• Kitchens and garages faced the road, living rooms
and bedrooms turned toward the garden.
• Pathways provided uninterrupted pedestrian
access to a continuous park strip, which led to
large common open spaces within the center of
the superblock.
• The 2900 residents of Radburn share 23 acres of
interior parks, which yield 345 square feet /
person.
• Radburn works as a garden city and a wonderful
example of a well-designed community because
every piece is integrated perfectly into one body

17. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Failures
• The design of Radburn believed that people would actively use the front
of the houses facing the greenways.
• In reality, people come and "leave" from the back of the houses and the
vehicles, not pedestrian access
• More people and children walking and playing in the little driveways and
cul- de-sacs than on the actual greenways.
• Second, the market has repeatedly shown that homeowners prefer more
personal land around their homes to living on tiny lots and sharing a large
green space in common.
• The Depression pushed the builder, City Housing Corporation, into
bankruptcy

18. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Applications
• U.S.A - Baldwin Hills, Los
Angeles, Kitimat B.C
• ENGLAND - Coventry,
Stevenage, Bracknell,
Cumbermauld
• SWEDEN -Vallingby,
Baronbackavna Estate,
Orebro.
• CHANDIGARH, INDIA
• BRAZILIA, BRAZIL
• Several towns in RUSSIA
• WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

19. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Innovations
• Separation of vehicular and pedestrian movement,this was accomplished by giving
away the traditional grid-iron street pattern and replacing it with a new innovation
called superblocks.
• What is superblock? A superblock is a large block of land surrounded by main roads
on all its size.
• The houses are grouped around small cul-de-sacs
• each of which has access road coming from the main road. Finally, to further
maintain the separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, a pedestrian underpass
and an overpass, linking the
• superblocks, were provided.
• The system was so devised that a pedestrian could start at any given point and
proceed on foot to school, stores or church without crossing a street used by
automobiles.

20. Source: https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-concept.html RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
Conclusion:
• Compared to contemporary developments the Radburn
plan is more safe, orderly, convenient, spacious and
peaceful.
• Many developers have used one or more aspects of the
Radburn plan and its implementation in their own
suburbs.
• Radburn idea is now the suburban model of choice.
• From a sociological point of view, Radburn not only
exemplifies an ideally planned place to live, but it
establishes a real mode or plan of living.

21. RADBURN CITY CONCEPT- Planning History and Theory PG-I (2023)
References:-
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250231712 Returning
to Radburn
• https://www.scribd.com/document/266508336/Radburn-Town-
Planning
• https://www.townandcountryplanninginfo.com/2020/08/radburn-
concept.html