Radburn design housing (also called Radburn housing, Radburn design'', ''Radburn principle, or Radburn concept) is a concept for planned urban settlements and
housing estate
A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision (land), subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to count ...
s, based upon a design that was originally used in the community of
Radburn within
Fair Lawn,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
The objective of the planners
Clarence Stein and
Henry Wright in the late 1920s was to accommodate the increasing car traffic of the time while keeping it separate from pedestrian spaces and to prevent accidents.
Some of the guidelines for the residential layout were:
* Streets are classified as
main connecting roads,
collector road
A collector road or distributor road is a low-to-moderate-capacity road which serves to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collector roads are designed to provide access to residential properties. Rarely, juris ...
s and residential streets.
* Different
means of transport
Means of transport are transport facilities used to carry people or cargo.
__NOTOC__ Examples of means of transport
Space
*Spacecraft
Air
*Aircraft
*Unmanned aerial vehicle, Drone
Water
*Ships
Land
*Automobiles
*Bicycles
*Carriages
*Pack ...
are kept separate.
*
Living streets mostly take the form of
culs-de-sac and
turning loop
A balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop (Glossary of North American railway terms, North American Terminology) allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to Shunting (rail), shunt or stop. Balloon loops can be u ...
s.
* Intersections are replaced with overpasses and
underpass
A subway, also known as an underpass, is a grade-separated pedestrian crossing running underneath a road or railway in order to entirely separate pedestrians and cyclists from motor or train traffic.
Terminology
In the United States, as ...
es as well as
T-junctions.
Backyard
A backyard, or back yard (known in the United Kingdom as a back garden or just garden), is a Yard (land), yard at the back of a house, common in suburban developments in the Western world.
It is typically a residential garden located at the ...
s of homes were preferably facing the street and sometimes the fronts of homes were facing one another, over common yards.
History

Radburn design is an offshoot of American designs from the English
garden city movement
The garden city movement was a 20th century urban planning movement promoting satellite communities surrounding the central city and separated with Green belt, greenbelts. These Garden Cities would contain proportionate areas of residences, i ...
and culminated in the design of the partly-built 1929 Radburn estate.
In the United States, the Radburn idea reached its ultimate expression in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, with the design and construction of Clarence Stein and Robert Alexander's
Baldwin Hills Village, now known as
Village Green
A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...
. It opened as apartments for lease to the public on December 7, 1941. Between 1973 and 1978, it was transformed into an HOA community of 629 unit-owners. It has been designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
.
It is often referred to as an urban design experiment that is typified by failure because of its laneways being used as common entries and exits to the houses, helping to isolate communities and to encourage crime. There have been efforts to 'de-Radburn' or demolish some Radburn designed public housing areas in Australia.
When interviewed in 1998, the architect responsible for introducing the design to public housing in
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Philip Cox
Philip Sutton Cox is an Australian architect. He is the founding partner of Cox Architecture, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia. His work has won him multiple awards, the first being in 1963, one year after graduat ...
, was reported to have admitted with regard to a Radburn-designed estate in the suburb of
Villawood: "Everything that could go wrong in a society went wrong.... It became the centre of drugs, it became the centre of violence and, eventually, the police refused to go into it. It was hell."
Research and influence
The impact of Radburn's urban form on
energy conservation
Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less and better sources of energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavi ...
for short, local trips was considered in a 1970 study by John Lansing of the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
. The study found Radburn's design to have important implications for energy conservation: 47% of its residents shopped for groceries on foot, compared to 23% for
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and a principal city of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Reston's population was 63,226.
Founded in 1964, Rest ...
(another Radburn-type development but more car-oriented) and only 8% for a nearby, unplanned community.
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
was influenced by Radburn and the works of Howard in his planning for
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
,
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
, more specifically, his original vision of the
Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (concept)
The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, shortened to EPCOT, was an unfinished concept for a planned community, intended to sit on a swath of Undeveloped land, undeveloped land near Orlando, Florida. It was created by Walt Disney in co ...
(EPCOT). Disney incorporated the pedestrian pathway concept into his own future city planning: "Children going to and from schools and playgrounds will use these paths, always completely safe and separated from the automobile." Other Radburn innovations that Disney would look to incorporate into his plans for EPCOT were cul-de-sacs, collector streets and common open spaces within superblocks.
Worldwide examples
Canada
In Canada, the Radburn concept was used in the late 1940s and early 1950s, most notably in Halifax and Winnipeg.
Westmount Subdivision in Halifax features a Radburn neighbourhood on the site of the original Halifax Municipal airport. In
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, there are eight distinct Radburn subdivisions:
*
Wildwood Park in Fort Garry, consisting of ten bays
*Norwood Flats in St. Boniface, consisting of four bays
*Gaboury Place, an individual bay in St. Boniface
*Raymond Place, a single bay in St. Boniface
*Rillwood Place and Rillwillow Place, two bays in South St. Vital
*Millwood Meadow in Transcona
*Blairmore Gardens in Transcona
*Agincourt, Bromton, and Culloden Roads in Southdale
Today, as in Westmount in Halifax and Wildwood Park in Winnipeg, Radburn designs are considered to be desirable middle to upper-middle income neighbourhoods to reside in.
The ''Cité-jardin du Tricentenaire'' in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, designed in 1942, has a Radburn layout. Only about a quarter of the plan was built before the project stopped in 1947.
Clarence Stein incorporated Radburn design principles into the plan of Alcan company town
Kitimat, British Columbia
Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban dist ...
in the 1950s, and the developers of
Varsity Village and
Braeside, subdivisions in
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
also used the Radburn model in the late 1960s.
Australia
In Australia, the first example of the Radburn model was used for a housing estate for workers at the Commonwealth Munitions works in
St. Marys, Sydney, from 1942, the architect being
Walter Bunning. The model was also used in the planning of some
Canberra
Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
suburbs developed in the 1960s, in particular
Charnwood,
Curtin and
Garran, and a small part of
Hughes. In 2014, with plans for demolition of houses under the
Mr Fluffy asbestos
Asbestos ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, Toxicity, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous Crystal habit, crystals, each fibre (particulate with length su ...
home demolition scheme being developed, it was realised that a significant number of the houses treated with loose asbestos, and thus affected, were in the Radburn areas.
In Western Australia it was used in the 1970s in the southern suburb of
Thornlie in what is known as the
Crestwood Estate. Today the estate is considered to be a highly successful implementation of the Radburn principles. It also inspired the design of
South Hedland which clustered four residential neighbourhoods around a commercial core. The design was quickly considered a failure by residents and government authorities and abandoned in 1974. Other examples include
Withers Housing Estate, in South Bunbury and
Karawara.
It was also used in the
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
suburb of
Doncaster East in an area known as the
Milgate Park Estate. In the mid-1960s the Fountain Gate Housing Estate in
Narre Warren was designed with Radburn design principles. The design was also applied in the 1970s in
Minto, an outer suburb of
Sydney, Australia
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean ...
where it was one of a number of factors leading to serious social problems on the estate.
In New South Wales the then Housing Commission used the Radburn concept in numerous new estates built in the mid to late 1960s and early 1970s. Many of the medium density dwellings are being 'turned around' by lowering the road side 'rear' fence and fencing off the 'front yards that share a communal space.
The lane ways have long been a problem giving local youth a place to hide and evade motorized police patrols while launching raids into homes virtually unobserved. One benefit of this plan not often mentioned is that it allows for narrower streets in the cul-de-sacs that serve the backs of the houses. This means lower costs as less bitumen, piping and cabling is needed to service the homes. In major Radburn areas such as Mt Druitt in Sydney the current Housing NSW are selling off many of their properties as they pass their economical maintenance life and begin to cost more than they are worth. Other properties, particularly the blocks of flats often housing the less affluent and educated are being demolished and new medium density developments built in their place. These are being given to the aged and (specifically migrant) families rather than the former residents, many of whom were on parole or being reintroduced to the general community after treatment for various psychiatric disorders.
Planning for new towns built for the iron ore industry in Australia in the late 1960s was also heavily influenced by Radburn principles. They included South Hedland, Dampier, Shay Gap (now demolished) and Karratha.
United Kingdom
The
Orchard Park Estate,
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually shortened to Hull, is a historic maritime city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Est ...
, UK was built beginning 1963 to the Radburn design, with several other council estates in the city following that pattern - most notably Bransholme.
At
Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale is a town in the West Lancashire district of England. It sits on the River Tawd, west of Wigan, north-east of Liverpool and south-west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813. The town is known l ...
, UK the Radburn design layout was explicitly blamed by residents for problems of antisocial behaviour; specifically that unobserved rear parking gave areas prone to crime. In
The Meadows, Nottingham the model also led to
anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviours, sometimes called dissocial behaviours, are actions which are considered to violate the rights of or otherwise harm others by committing crime or nuisance, such as stealing and physical attack or noncriminal behaviours s ...
problems :
Nottingham City Council has stated that "the problems associated with the layout of the New Meadows Radburn style layout... contribute to the anti-social behaviour and crime in the area." However, councillors in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
have suggested the reputation is unfair, instead blaming negative press coverage and unfavourable views towards incomers from London following slum clearances.
In the new town of
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England. It is located north-west of London; nearby towns and cities include Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. The population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 cens ...
the
Grove Hill neighbourhood, one of the seven planned neighbourhoods, was partly designed using the Radburn model. The Stanshawe Estate (at one time the largest private estate in Europe), in the south-west of
Yate
Yate is a town and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It lies just to the southwest of the Cotswolds, Cotswold Hills and is northeast of Bristol and from Bath, Somerset, Bath.
Developing from a small village into a town from t ...
,
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Kingswood, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke. The southern p ...
in England was developed using the Radburn model. Parts of
Abbeydale in
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
surrounding the Heron Way spine road have been built using the Radburn design. Elsewhere in England the model was employed in an extension to
Letchworth Garden City
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first Garden city movement, garden city. The population at the time of the 2021 United Kin ...
and in the New Town of
Bracknell
Bracknell () is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, the westernmost area within the Greater London Built-up Area, Greater London Urban Area and the administrative centre of the borough of Bracknell Forest. It lies to the east of Re ...
, particularly in the neighbourhoods of
Great Hollands,
Wildridings and
Hanworth
Hanworth is a district of West London, England. Historically in Middlesex, it has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow since 1965. Hanworth adjoins Feltham to the northwest, Twickenham to the northeast and Hampton, London, Hampton to the ...
.
Much of the early new town of
Livingston in
West Lothian
West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...
was built to a Radburn design plan.
In
Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath ( ) is a town in West Sussex, England, south of London, north of Brighton, south of Gatwick Airport and northeast of the county town, Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, ...
the Wilmington Way Estate was designed on Radburn principles, which "resulted in an absence of properly overlooked streets and encouraged crime and anti-social behaviour". The estate was demolished and rebuilt in a different layout between 2010 and 2013 (the original layout then being considered "poor and outdated" and the buildings life-expired).
The
Lakes Estate in what is now
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
(but preceded it) was designed and built by the
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
as part of its
London overspill developments around
Bletchley
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, in the south-west of the city, split between the civil parishes in England, civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley, which In 2011 had a com ...
. "Less than fifty years after completion the Lakes Estate ranked in the top 10 most deprived areas in England for crime, income and health deprivation according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2015). The urban principles of the Radburn System have contributed to a place that lacks prosperity, pride, or opportunities for healthy and happy lifestyles."
[ (The image shown is an architect's visualization of the proposed redevelopment scheme.)]
References
{{Reflist
Public housing
Modernist architecture
Planned residential developments
Public housing in Australia
Public housing in the United Kingdom
Public housing in the United States
Modernist architecture in Australia
Modernist architecture in the United Kingdom
Modernist architecture in the United States
City layout models