Search

The article discusses key issues concerning the Garden City movement and civic reconstruction in Europe. The movement is an attempt to re-organize social conditions. Man represents the more individual and woman the more racial and unifying aspect in humanity. The woman, more obviously than the man, lives not for her alone but for others, and considers herself as part of a larger whole. The modern and womanly spirit of sympathy and oneness, influencing men as well as women, shows itself in part in sympathy with women and their claims, and in part drives us to grapple with the social problems of poverty and disorganization. It is admitted that Europe is moving from an age of individualism to an age of social or civic re-organization, and this tendency is connected with the woman movement. It is a recognition of the fact that man does not live by bread alone, and that fair wages and houseroom in a dull street are not all that he need ask of life. It is a demand for recognition of the common life in all its aspects, material and immaterial.

Copyright of Demography (Springer Nature) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research study is concerned with the town within its limits as a separate unit, though not with the usual terms of reference, and it also offers some contribution towards the placing of one town in comparison to others as a "central place." Geographical studies of urban areas may be concerned with either of two major aspects. They may, in the first place, be concerned with the study of the town as a physical entity, describing the characteristics of its site and the structure of the urban settlement which has evolved. Secondly, studies may be concerned with the study of the town as a functional entity, analysing the position of the town as a unit in a wider regional setting. It may be said that any town or urban unit is not a homogeneous whole but is rather a close association of component parts. The main divisions which can be observed in the town structure are those between parts incorporating shopping and business, residential and industrial functions. In other parts of Europe and in the United States some attempts have been made to use available statistics to provide a more quantitative analysis and comparison.

New Zealand is young in length of European settlement. Although the sites of one or two towns are more than 100 years old, all urban development has taken place in less than a century. Because of the apparent uniformity among New Zealand towns an analysis of the functions which they perform becomes of particular importance as a means of differentiating dearly among them. As a result this aspect of urban geography probably takes on an even greater significance in New Zealand than in most other countries. It is therefore of interest to distinguish the kinds of New Zealand towns on the basis of their functions and to classify the urban areas of this small country.