In message , Greg Hennessy
writes
Post war Whitehall did it to the Victorians, While the rest of Europe
attempted to rebuild shattered towns and cities to how they looked on
the 31st of August 1939.

Sorry Greg but that bit just isn't true. Many continental cities
suffered from a love of concrete and a naivety of design just as much as
Britain. More so, to be honest.

Cologne's stunning cathedral was (and to a large extent still is)
surrounded by wholly insensitive development out of scale, and keeping
and more importantly difficult to maintain well and keep looking good.

And don't let anyone tell you that cities like Dresden were in any sense
"fully restored". Only a minor (if amazingly beautiful) part of the
historic centre was rebuilt "as before". Take a stroll along the
nearby Prager Strasse and you could easily be in Stevenage or Harlow but
without the nice bits. Brussels has lots of the same and so do any
number of other continental cities.

For what it's worth, I reckon we've actually done a *better* job with
our urban fabric than many of our neighbours. (Though that's not to
say we don't have some monstrosities, too.)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk