The London Square : gardens in the midst of town / Todd Longstaffe-Gowan.

"Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art."

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 318-322) and index.

A new attribute of 'the seat imperial of this kingdom' -- Adorning squares in the 'rural manner' -- 'Squares that court the breeze' -- 'Genuine squares', 'new squares' and 'places' -- Squares 'going down in the world' -- The threatened loss of 'invaluable lung spaces' -- Post-war planning and the square to the present -- Epilogue. Giving 'new life to the enthusiasm for squares'.

Modern-day London abounds with a multitude of gardens, enclosed by railings and surrounded by houses, which attest to the English love of nature. These green enclaves, known as squares, are among the most distinctive and admired features of the metropolis and are England's greatest contribution to the development of European town planning and urban form. Traditionally, inhabitants who overlooked these gated communal gardens paid for their maintenance and had special access to them. As such, they have long been synonymous with privilege, elegance, and prosperous metropolitan living. They epitomize the classical notion of rus in urbe, the integration of nature within the urban plan -- a concept that continues to shape cities to this day.-- Book jacket.