Squares have long been a feature of London. A few, such as Trafalgar Square, were built as public open spaces, like the city squares found in many cities, but most of them originally contained private communal gardens, sometimes known as garden squares, for use by the inhabitants of the surrounding houses. This type of space is most prevalent in central London, but squares are also found in the suburbs. Some of these gardens are now open to the public, while others are still private.

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  • Squares have long been a feature of London. A few, such as Trafalgar Square, were built as public open spaces, like the city squares found in many cities, but most of them originally contained private communal gardens, sometimes known as garden squares, for use by the inhabitants of the surrounding houses. This type of space is most prevalent in central London, but squares are also found in the suburbs. Some of these gardens are now open to the public, while others are still private. "Square" is a generic term for such spaces and a common road name and, in both cases, some are not actually square, or even rectangular. This is explained by two factors: Firstly, some communal garden spaces are officially squares, while others may locally be referred to as a "square" or "the square" but this is not the official name of a street, park or gardens. Secondly, some older squares were either not square to begin with or have lost their original layout due to the many transformations of London not least following the Great Fire of London and The Blitz. Each London Borough has rules which have been drawn up prevent inappropriate street names being used to designate new developments or to rename existing features - the general requirement for new squares in London is that they be rectangular and be to some extent open.. Billiter Square, EC3 and Millennium Square, SE1 are examples of squares which do not satisfy these guidelines. The making of residential squares fell into decline in the early twentieth century, one of the last notable such squares was designed by Edwin Lutyens for Hampstead Garden Suburb. But in the last quarter of the twentieth century a fashion for making office squares developed. This trend was led by the Broadgate development. The new London Square development indicates a minor revival in the development of new wholly residential squares. However, as a mixed-use focal area squares have become a resurgent planning design, this is reflected for instance by Times Square, Sutton or Canada Square in Canary Wharf. The parks can be split according to garden squares and other squares.
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  • Squares have long been a feature of London. A few, such as Trafalgar Square, were built as public open spaces, like the city squares found in many cities, but most of them originally contained private communal gardens, sometimes known as garden squares, for use by the inhabitants of the surrounding houses. This type of space is most prevalent in central London, but squares are also found in the suburbs. Some of these gardens are now open to the public, while others are still private.
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  • Squares in London
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