The Walkability-Oriented Linear Town: Values, Implementation in Practice, and the Suitability of the Hook Model for New Towns

This article examines interpretations of the walkability-oriented linear new town model over a span of fifty years. It addresses the values embedded in the model and the ways they are expressed over time. The model’s implementation is analyzed in two new towns, established five decades apart, without reliance on high-end technologies or mega-structures. The results reveal that different interpretations of the model emerge as a result of the zeitgeist and its encounter with real-life conditions. The discussion shows that an “either–or” approach to planning, which characterized the earlier town, gave way to a more mature “both–and” perspective in the later one. The conclusions highlight the problematics of applying this specific model in the construction of new towns due to the many years required for a new town to reach its population target. During these years, extending the central business district (CBD) dilutes human encounters and undermines the urban experience. Moreover, given that construction densities in new towns are typically moderate, a long and narrow form—characteristic of the walkability-oriented linear new town—may fail to generate a population large enough to sustain a CBD running along its entire length.