Birth of Modern Europe

Meyers- H Band

Prehistory of London: City Planning

   London is not as uniform as other cities. It has been built and added to by so many different Kings and men, all sections of are unique. There is a balance between the royalty, the religious powers and the people. Even though London was ruled by a monarchy, the parliament kept things in order, so no one man could ever have absolute power over the city’s structure. It controlled what was built and kept the balance between all classes. Planning was never forced upon the city, instead it naturally grew around existing buildings, squares and the Thames, a long deep river that runs through London, leaving open space and an organic feel. It has grown to be an organic city, meaning there is little sense of uniformity and imperial powers controlling it.   London grew from a small Roman city on the Thames into a huge, bustling metropolis fit for all people to live in. It is a balanced city designed for all classes.

    London, or as it was called by the early Romans Londononium was establish in 49 AD 1 by the Roman’s on the Thames. The Thames could support all Roman ships and would good for the economy. A bridge built just east of present London Bridge attracted settlers and led to London's inevitable growth, and became a focal point of the Roman road system. Though the regularity of London's original street grid may indicate that the initial inhabitants were the military,  trade and commerce soon followed. The area was well-drained and low-lying with geology suitable for brick making. There was soon a flourishing city. By the early 2nd Century London began to spread to the west, and the administration of Britain was divided in two.  York became the capital of Britannia Inferior and London of Britannia Superior. Around the same time the city also acquired its famous  walls. London and Britain continued to grow and expand under Roman rule continued to grow until about 400 AD when the emperor and Roman Empire renounced their responsibility for the British Provinces.

    During the Next few centuries London continued to expand. During the Dark Ages in the 5th Century the city was mainly ruins with few Roman houses left2. From the 6th to 11th Centuries the Saxons ruled London. During this time a trading settlement began to establish itself west of the city walls. London grew constructing many more buildings and streets. It developed a strong economic and political force. In 1066 the re-founding of Westminster Abby was completed under the rule of King Edward the Confessor. Shortly after the completion of Westminster Edward died, and the throne of England was open. After a victory at a battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror ravaged through England, beating provinces into submission, and soon took over as king. The King built the Tower of London at the water gate on the western edge of the city wall, to observe and intimidate the city in his new realm, but also to protect it3. His successor William Rufus showed less regard for the people of London. He built many large scale projects, which benefited his status of power more than the people of London, such as the Thames Bridge. Medieval London was heavily influenced by the church as evidenced in its architecture, for example Old St. Paul's. The crowded city clustered along the riverbank and the city was regularly devastated by fires. To limit the dangers that this posed, Fitz Ailwyn, the first mayor, introduced the first Building Act. Stone was to be used for partitioning walls and thatched roofs were prohibited. The most significant construction work of the medieval period was the replacement of the early wooden bridges by 'Old London Bridge', built entirely of stone4. The Reformation was to be the defining event of the Tudor period in the capital. At the start of Henry VIII's reign, London was filled with splendid religious buildings, the treasures of previous centuries. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, vast numbers of these were destroyed or adapted to secular use. London adapted to new monarchs in power, and the city grew around the great buildings they installed.

    The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed London and forced the city to be rebuilt. The fire started in a small bakery on Pudding Street and destroyed: 13,200 houses; 87 churches; 52 businesses5  and much more. The fire left London with millions in damage and in dire need of renovations and rebuilding. Medieval London’s timber buildings and narrow streets were destroyed. People were forced to improve their construction methods and safety precautions to prevent from future fires. The fire also demolished one of London’s most beloved buildings, Old St. Paul's, only the old stone walls remained. The current King, Charles II, commissioned six men to redesign the city. Many plans were submitted, but it was narrowed down to three. The first was called the practical plan by Dr. Christopher Wren, he wanted to keep St. Paul's and the Royal Exchange in their original locations and build the city around them. The second plan by John Evelyn consisted of six main streets and the rebuilding of the Royal Exchange. And, the third was a grid, which was too hard to build and impractical planning that would divide the city. In the end none of these plans were chosen, and instead 100 streets were widened and "King"and "Queen" streets were added to the city's layout.

    London’s growth remained steady through the 18th century. The new economic force of the water trade was one of the largest factors of why London’s development was so successful. With the transferring of goods through ports, London was a perfect destination for trade because of its location on the Thames and connected many cities. Life had shifted from the country to urban. Land was no longer what you could grow on it, but what you build on it. This way of thinking turned London into a commercial center. London had started out as a small Roman town next to the Thames but since then it began to branch out. The City of London, where the Roman town first stood, had become the financial district and Westminster had become the political center of the city. The Strand was a highway between the two, where early growth of the city started and where the Roman Empire first began to expand. It sprawled out creating aristocratic neighborhoods around these important areas. To the west were the middle class and slums. And, to the east was the working class.  In the late 17th century the first significant planning project began. The Earl of Bedford wanted to build a public square called Covent Garden6. It would be a renaissance square with arches, returning to the classical form creating a positive space. But, to build positive space requires uniform buildings that close out the square. This was not allowed by parliament because of the absolute power a closed square would show. If it would have been a closed square it would not just be an open space for all to wonder through, but a closed area for a select few. Instead, the left and the south were left open, so it was only slightly imperialistic, but still open for all. Towns houses for the aristocracy surrounded it as well and a small church.

   London did not focus on its planning as much as it did on architecture and public spaces. The city grew gradually, with no uniform plan or grid. Instead it is built for and by the people, and based on the original lines of the Roman town.  This is why there is an organic feel which was centered around important spectacles of the city. London was built over many centuries by many different kings. It is a patchwork of its own history, with remnants from each period. Its growth was natural as the population grew and the economy went up. There is nothing uniform about this city, it is unique because of its balance of power and life