The Cultural Importance Of A Scottish New Town

The New Town of East Kilbride is being touted for its architectural heritage by a visiting lecturer from the University of British Columbia. But many are skeptical that East Kilbride is worthy of joining the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's list.

"New Towns were the post-war Labour government's answer to the terribly overcrowded and squalid housing that blighted many British cities in the pre-war years."

"They were intended to be everything the slums were not, containing homes that would be spacious, in scenic locations, close to workplaces, accessible to educational and social establishments and have their own cludgy. However, half a century on, the New Town appellation is generally regarded as a euphemism for bad planning, sloppy architecture and rotten designs."