Urban Eden
Encyclopedia
Urban Eden is a pressure group based in Milton Keynes
, England
, formed in 2006. The group's stated aim is to "promote a sustainable expansion to the original masterplan for Milton Keynes". In recent years the expansion of Milton Keynes
has moved away from the original design principals of the city; Urban Eden campaigns against this trend, pressuring for new developments to remain true to the original vision for the new city. As of 2009 the group has over one hundred members, including a number of professional engineers and town planners, as well as some former employees of the Milton Keynes Development Corporation
.
The first two of these points are expanded below.
. The system, unique in the UK, is based around a grid layout of national speed limit, landscaped roads, many of them dual carriageways, situated on average 1 km apart. The current plans for the expansion of Milton Keynes do not extend this system, instead constructing 30 mph roads described by Milton Keynes Partnership as 'city streets', which form the spine roads of the new estates. The group argues that the city streets do not provide sufficient room for future expansion, restrict pedestrian, cycle and car movement and are dangerous. They argue that the grid system, with its lack of frontage development and its regular pedestrian/cycle underpasses, provides a much safer pedestrian/cycle environment and allows all modes of transport to move more freely. On the other hand, Milton Keynes Partnership argue that the grid system may not be the most sustainable transport system for the expansion areas, and creates a barrier effect between residential areas.
Milton Keynes has, from its conception in 1967, always been a low-density city. Notwithstanding the various areas of parkland dotted around the city, the residential districts themselves are laid out with generous amounts of open space for a British settlement. However, as is the current policy across the UK, developments have tended towards higher densities over the last decade. Recently Central Milton Keynes
has seen the construction of tower blocks, something which was excluded in the original city masterplan. New districts such as Broughton
have been built to much higher densities than ever before seen in Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes Partnership, the organisation in control of the expansion of Milton Keynes and a subsidiary of Homes and communities agency
, argues that higher densities are necessary to deliver high-quality transport systems and meet housing targets. Urban Eden argues that the high-density districts have the potential to become "instant slums" and are out of place in a city which has always been built at a low density. High-density districts are now being built in many towns and cities across the country, and this debate is not limited to Milton Keynes.
named "plane crash", describing the cutting of the plane trees in Central Milton Keynes. More recently the group has released a short video describing its activities. All in all the group's efforts have resulted in much debate within the Milton Keynes, and their campaigns have drawn the attention of local and regional planning bodies. At least one development within Milton Keynes, the former Millennium Community
at Oakgrove, has been changed to protect a stretch of grid road that was formerly to be downgraded, although it is unclear as to whether or not this was a result of Urban Eden's campaigning. However with many new developments going ahead and the threat of downgrading hanging over the Milton Keynes stretch of the A5130 road
, the group's work is far from complete.
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, formed in 2006. The group's stated aim is to "promote a sustainable expansion to the original masterplan for Milton Keynes". In recent years the expansion of Milton Keynes
Expansion plans for Milton Keynes
In January 2004, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced the United Kingdom government's Expansion plans for Milton KeynesHe proposed that the population of Milton Keynes should double in the subsequent 20 years...
has moved away from the original design principals of the city; Urban Eden campaigns against this trend, pressuring for new developments to remain true to the original vision for the new city. As of 2009 the group has over one hundred members, including a number of professional engineers and town planners, as well as some former employees of the Milton Keynes Development Corporation
Milton Keynes Development Corporation
Milton Keynes Development Corporation was established on 23 January 1967 to provide the vision and execution of a "new city", Milton Keynes, that would be the modern interpretation of the Garden city movement concepts first expressed by Ebenezer Howard 60 years earlier...
.
Campaigns
According to their main website, Urban Eden's main campaign focuses can be broadly summarised to the following:- Grid roads
- Building density
- Tree protection
- The redway networkMilton Keynes redway systemThe Milton Keynes redway system is a network of cycleways/paths for cyclists and pedestrians in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is generally surfaced with red tarmac, and criss-crosses most of the city....
- Pedestrian underpasses and footbridges
- The Boulevards of Central Milton KeynesCentral Milton KeynesCentral Milton Keynes is the central business district of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and a civil parish in its own right.The district is approximately 2.5 km long by 1 km wide and occupies some of the highest land in Milton Keynes...
- The linear parkLinear parkA linear park is a park that is much longer than wide. It is often formed as a part of a rails-to-trails conversion of railroad beds to rail trail recreational use...
system - Architecture
- Layout of expansion areas
The first two of these points are expanded below.
The Grid System
One of Urban Eden's primary goals is the continued expansion of the Milton Keynes grid road systemMilton Keynes grid road system
The Milton Keynes grid road system is a network of national speed limit, fully landscaped routes that form the top layer of the street hierarchy for both for private and public transport in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
. The system, unique in the UK, is based around a grid layout of national speed limit, landscaped roads, many of them dual carriageways, situated on average 1 km apart. The current plans for the expansion of Milton Keynes do not extend this system, instead constructing 30 mph roads described by Milton Keynes Partnership as 'city streets', which form the spine roads of the new estates. The group argues that the city streets do not provide sufficient room for future expansion, restrict pedestrian, cycle and car movement and are dangerous. They argue that the grid system, with its lack of frontage development and its regular pedestrian/cycle underpasses, provides a much safer pedestrian/cycle environment and allows all modes of transport to move more freely. On the other hand, Milton Keynes Partnership argue that the grid system may not be the most sustainable transport system for the expansion areas, and creates a barrier effect between residential areas.
Building density
Central Milton Keynes
Central Milton Keynes is the central business district of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and a civil parish in its own right.The district is approximately 2.5 km long by 1 km wide and occupies some of the highest land in Milton Keynes...
has seen the construction of tower blocks, something which was excluded in the original city masterplan. New districts such as Broughton
Broughton, Milton Keynes
Broughton is a historic village in North Buckinghamshire that has been a constituent element of Milton Keynes since the latter's designation in 1967; a civil parish; and modernly a suburb and new district of the 'city'.-History and Location:...
have been built to much higher densities than ever before seen in Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes Partnership, the organisation in control of the expansion of Milton Keynes and a subsidiary of Homes and communities agency
Homes and Communities Agency
The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...
, argues that higher densities are necessary to deliver high-quality transport systems and meet housing targets. Urban Eden argues that the high-density districts have the potential to become "instant slums" and are out of place in a city which has always been built at a low density. High-density districts are now being built in many towns and cities across the country, and this debate is not limited to Milton Keynes.
Urban Eden in local media
The group's activities have attracted much attention from the local media, as well as a small amount of national media attention. The group's chairman, Theo Chalmers, writes a monthly column for a local business magazine on the matters campaigned on by the group. The group ran a two-page article in the MK CitizenMK Citizen
The Milton Keynes Citizen is the highest circulation freely distributed newspaper in Milton Keynes and at various points in its history has been the largest not only in the UK but Europe...
named "plane crash", describing the cutting of the plane trees in Central Milton Keynes. More recently the group has released a short video describing its activities. All in all the group's efforts have resulted in much debate within the Milton Keynes, and their campaigns have drawn the attention of local and regional planning bodies. At least one development within Milton Keynes, the former Millennium Community
Millennium Communities Programme
The Millennium Communities Programme , is an English Partnerships initiative to construct 7 new 'villages' that are intended to 'set the standard for 21st Century living, and to serve as a model for the creation of new communities' in England.This is to be achieved by promoting innovative building...
at Oakgrove, has been changed to protect a stretch of grid road that was formerly to be downgraded, although it is unclear as to whether or not this was a result of Urban Eden's campaigning. However with many new developments going ahead and the threat of downgrading hanging over the Milton Keynes stretch of the A5130 road
A5130 road
The A5130 is a road in the United Kingdom. It starts on a roundabout with the A509 near Junction 14 of the M1 motorway and proceeds south round the eastern edge of the original Milton Keynes designated area. After crossing the A421 the 5130 continues past the village of Wavendon. It then crosses...
, the group's work is far from complete.
External links
- http://www.urbaneden.org - the group's main website.
- http://www.miltonkeynesparntership.com - the website of Milton Keynes Partnership, the organisation responsible for the expansion of Milton Keynes.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_4OWtK_ZRk - Urban Eden's presentation video.
- http://www.mk-news.co.uk/mknews-news/displayarticle.asp?id=400936 - Recent article in the MK NEWS local newspaper referring to the destruction of trees in Milton Keynes.
- http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/39Urban-Eden39-lobby-group-fights.2226385.jp - Article from the MK Citizen local newspaper in 2007 referring to Urban Eden and the destruction of trees in MK.