Ribbon development
The term 'ribbon development' refers to a line of houses built along existing highways (or railways or similar linear barriers), each being served by individual accesses. The land to the rear of the houses is not developed. The buildings can be positioned back from the road, staggered, set at different angles from the road, or left with gaps between them, and still be classed a as ribbon development, so long as they are visually linked when viewed from the highway.
Ribbon developments arose following Industrial Revolution, predominantly along railway lines, such as the ‘Metroland’ following London’s Metropolitan. They became more prevalent along roads radiating from towns in the 1920s and 1930s, but also along ridge lines, canals and coastlines. One reason for their popularity with developers was that services provided along the roads could be exploited, reducing the cost of development.
They became the focus of criticism for their inefficient use of resources and for their tendency to lead to urban sprawl, with towns and settlements that were once separate entities becoming more closely linked, or merging. They also made it more difficult to plan the expansion of settlements, and they hindered access to farmland.
The Town and Country Planning Act 1947 introduced green belt policies, intended in part, to curtail the spread of ribbon developments. Green belts establish a buffer zone between urban and rural land, separating town and country and preserving land for forestry, agriculture and wildlife where environmental conditions can be improved and conservation encouraged.
NB The term ‘conurbation’ refers to a region comprising a number of cities, large towns and other urban areas that have merged together to form one continuous urban, industrially-developed area.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
50 million new trees over 25 years.
Art of Building CIOB photographic competition public vote
The last week to vote for a winner until 10 January 2025.
The future of the Grenfell Tower site
Principles, promises, recommendations and a decision expected in February 2025.
20 years of the Chartered Environmentalist
If not now, when?
Journeys in Industrious England
Thomas Baskerville’s expeditions in the 1600s.
Top 25 Building Safety Wiki articles of 2024
Take a look what most people have been reading about.
Life and death at Highgate Cemetery
Balancing burials and tourism.
The 25 most read articles on DB for 2024
Design portion to procurement route and all between.
The act of preservation may sometimes be futile.
Twas the site before Christmas...
A rhyme for the industry and a thankyou to our supporters.
Plumbing and heating systems in schools
New apprentice pay rates coming into effect in the new year
Addressing the impact of recent national minimum wage changes.
EBSSA support for the new industry competence structure
The Engineering and Building Services Skills Authority, in working group 2.
Notes from BSRIA Sustainable Futures briefing
From carbon down to the all important customer: Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living.