Figure 15: City planning of Letchworth

more healthful environment is created by inviting the elements into the cityscape.

Although Howard‘s theory highlights incorporation of farmlands into the urban context, there is a clear physical separation of the farmlands from the main city centre. But although agriculture remains on the outer ring of the city model, it covers about five sixths of the total area of the city and is kept intact as it would be most vital for the functioning of the metropolis.

Howard wanted to incorporate not just agricultural fields, Dairy farms, fruit farms and allotment gardens were also supposed to be maintained at close distance to the main city. This would not only make the city wholly sustainable, but also support the health and general comfort of the people residing in it.

In Howard‘s theory, agriculture may play an important role in sustaining the life of the urban dwellers, but his main focus was to develop a metropolis which has a harmonious relationship between built up and open green spaces. Many of the cities in the west like New York were built upon Howard‘s concept. However one of the earliest instances was Letchworth-

35 miles from London. Letchworth

has a land area of 3822 acres with

1300 acres of it reserved for a green belt surrounding the city. It was initially designed for a population of 35000 but in over 30 years, it had developed to 1,50,000 people with

Figure 15: City planning of Letchworth