Anglo-American geospatial dialogue on the Garden City concept and its impact on community and regional planning

The Garden City was introduced in 1898 by Ebenezer Howard as a model for a healthy industrial city grounded in philanthropic speculation. This theoretical model sought to create a socially and spatially balanced urban environment, addressing the socio-economic, sanitary, and spatial challenges of capitalist development. Although utopian in vision, Howard framed the proposal as a moderate reform, which led to its widespread adoption and lasting influence on urban planning. This article analyzes how the concept?s socio-spatial framework addressed recurring urban problems and informed planning practices. Beyond its frequent interpretation as an architectural or planning model, the concept can also be understood as a geographical discourse for analyzing urban?rural relations, land-use organization, and regional spatial planning. In the United States of America (USA), where speculative construction and uncontrolled suburban sprawl were persistent issues, the Garden City concept found fertile ground throughout the twentieth century. From a geographically informed perspective, American adaptations of the concept under varying socio-economic, political, and territorial conditions reshaped patterns of suburbanization, regional development, and environmental planning. The USA experience played a significant role in forming spatial models such as garden suburbs, planned communities, and later approaches associated with New Urbanism. These developments reveal both the adaptability of the Garden City concept and its limitations when detached from broader socio-spatial objectives. This article situates the Garden City within geospatial debates in urban and human geography, underscoring its continued relevance for contemporary discussions on spatial planning, environmental sustainability, and the organization of urban regions.