Hopeful Dreams, Stark Realities - planning Britain's postwar reconstruction

Speaker: Dr Catherine Flinn

From: A Plan for Rebuilding, Thomas Sharp, Exeter Phoenix (Architectural Press, 1946)

The postwar built environment in Britain, for the past thirty years, has been condemned mainly as a failure. This perception of failure looms especially large in light of the yawning gap between what was hoped for and what was realized. The rhetoric of blame, for the loss of beauty and even ‘Britishness’ in the rebuilt blitzed cities, has focused on planners and architects. But comments like those above ignore evidence about the background in which this built environment was created. Perspectives are too often shaped by recent biases and values rather than historic context. During and after the Second World War those who wrote and planned for the future focused on hope and potential, publishing modernist visions of new city centres. This talk will focus on how planning for reconstruction was approached, the factors that inhibited realisation of plans, and the realities faced by blitzed cities in postwar Britain.

Catherine Flinn has a doctorate in modern British history and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She previously took degrees in landscape architecture, architectural history and garden history and conservation. She returned to academia following a professional career in architecture, landscape and planning. Dr Flinn has taught at several universities in the US and the UK. Her research focuses on postwar reconstruction - in particular the political, economic and social impacts of rebuilding and redevelopment. Her book “Rebuilding Britain’s Blitzed Cities: Hopeful Dreams, Stark Realities” was published by Bloomsbury and is available in paperback.