... will argue that 19th Century public health legislation paved the way by legitimating government intervention and regulation of housing and environmental issues. Whilst these pieces of legislation had some success in regulating the problems of urban growth caused by industrialisation, they by no means solved the problems of the urban slums and it was recognised that a more comprehensive approach must be taken. The notion of environmental determinism gained ground throughout the latter half of the century and the idea that something could and should be done to make living conditions not only more hygienic but also more pleasing aesthetically became popular. The potential success of a comprehensive town planning strategy could clearly be seen in the experiments of industrial philanthropists such as the Cadburys and the Levers. Moreover, the importance of the ideas of Ebenezer Howard and the first garden city of Letchworth cannot be underestimated. The towns gave ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now