Razvoj industrije u drugoj polovici 19. stoljeća ubrzao je proces urbanizacije što je dovelo do naglog i neplaniranog širenja tadašnjih gradova. Bez utvrđenih smjernica u planiranju naselja, urbane regije postaju prenapučene i nepogodne za razvoj društvenih zajednica, a ruralne regije ostaju gospodarski zanemarene. Mnogi pokreti nastojali su skrenuti pažnju na postojeće probleme, ali rijetki su predlagali konkretna rješenja. U svrhu rješavanja društvenih problema, Ebenezer Howard razvio je koncept vrtnog grada koji je kombinirao poželjne strane i urbanih i ruralnih sredina, a pritom i isključivao slabosti takvih dviju vrsta naselja. Također, Howardova vizija nastojala je ukloniti ekonomsku neravnopravnost i društvenu segregaciju stvaranjem kooperativne zajednice. Premda rani vrtni gradovi nisu bili dobro prihvaćeni, ovaj rad predstavlja okolnosti 20. stoljeća koje su uvjetovale uspjeh pokreta vrtnih gradova. Pregledom triju etapa razvoja vrtnih gradova, uočavaju se značajni pomaci u pristupu planiranja urbanih sredina. S obzirom na povijesne okolnosti koje su utjecale na razvoj vrtnih gradova, ovaj rad zaključuje da prvi vrtni gradovi nisu bili prihvaćeni jer se njihovi ideali nisu poklapali s dominantnim društvenim konceptima. Istovremeno, može se uočiti da je postmodernizam igrao bitnu ulogu u usavršavanju procesa planiranja vrtnih gradova, a njegova rasprostranjenost jedan je od glavnih razloga primjene Howardovih ideja u urbanom planiranju danas. Howardovi principi i dalje se primjenjuju u aktivnostima organizacije Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), koja nastoji ostvariti njegovu viziju samoodrživih i energetski učinkovitih naselja.During the second half of the 19th century, the increased rate of industrialization caused the rapid expansion of all major cities. Without clear guidelines for expanding and planning cities, urban regions became overpopulated and impersonal while rural areas became neglected. Many critics were pointing out the flaws in social structures responsible for those outcomes, but few solutions were tangible and practical. In response to the existing social issues, Ebenezer Howard developed garden cities, which were designed to combine the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses of rural and urban regions. Howard’s vision also aimed to eliminate class segregation and economic inequalities in those cities by introducing a model for developing a cooperative community. Although the first projects were unsuccessful, this paper will elaborate on the determinants of the success and failures of garden cities throughout the 20th century. By observing the three stages of garden city development, it is possible to notice that various influences shaped and improved the planning process of garden cities. This paper found that the first garden cities were not widely accepted because their ideals were incompatible with mainstream values and attitudes at the time. Furthermore, the development of postmodernism and its influence in contemporary society are identified as the key factors for the improvement and proliferation of garden city planning principles. Those principles are still used in urban planning today, and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) in Great Britain continues to promote Howard’s vision of self-sustainable and energy-efficient communities
