London's suburbs are home to many thousands of people who travel into the centre every day to work, but they also house millions who rarely find a reason to do so. They also contain all the essential infrastructure for the city, including airports, factories and warehouses. Outer London is therefore both metropolitan and suburban: it is Metroburbia. In this book Paul Knox examines the development of London's suburbs, explains their organized structure and celebrates their variety. Knox first describes the foundation of Metroburbia and looks at how topography and geology influenced the siting of the villages that would become part of greater London. The social and architectural development of the city's suburbs is examined chronologically, from building booms to parks and garden villages; from Edwardian society to the Welfare State; from Metro-Land and the Cocktail Belt to neoliberalism and huge increases in house prices. Knox ends by exploring various scenarios for the capital's future and the implications for its shape in the tewnty-first century. This is an in-depth investigation of the development and architectural style of London's suburbs by an expert on metropolitan design and architecture. Its wealth of fascinating detail will appeal to Londoners keen to find out more about their city, as well as to those interested in architecture, town planning and English social culture.
