Description
Book SynopsisPeter Merriman traces the social and cultural histories and geographies of driving spaces through an examination of the design, construction and use of England's M1 motorway in the 1950s and 1960s.
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- A first-of-its-kind academic study examining the production and consumption of the landscapes and spaces of a British motorway
- An interdisciplinary approach, engaging with theoretical and empirical work from sociology, history, cultural studies, anthropology and geography
- Contains 38 high quality illustrations
- Based on extensive, original archive work
Trade Review"While I wish that he had synthesized his research in a strong conclusion, this criticism should not diminish the merits of the book. The empirical results and the study's framework deserve a firm place in the history of technology." (Technology & Culture, 1 January 2011)
"Merriman’s systematic, detailed and precisely documented description of the cultural context of the M1 will itself stand as a valuable documentary resource for researchers and students alike" (Area, December 2008)
"Thoroughly researched and full of rich … Driving Spaces presents the historical trajectory of the M1 Motorway through a series of cultural and political stages." (Journal of British Studies, October 2008)
“Merriman provides a fascinating perspective on the social and cultural aspects of driving and highways … in this multidisciplinary study. Includes … numerous references … .Recommended.” (Choice)
Table of ContentsList of Figures ix
Series Editors’ Preface xii
Acknowledgements xiii
1 Introduction: Driving Spaces 1
Mobilities 4
Driving, Space, Social Relations 6
Driving, Landscape, Visuality 12
Geographies of the Modern Road 16
Contents of the Book 20
2 Envisioning British Motorways 23
Motoring and the Motor-Car Way, 1896–1930 24
The German Autobahnen: The Politics and Aesthetics of a Nation’s Roads 31
Motorways for Britain? National Plans, National Defence 38
Motorways, War and Reconstruction 43
Motorways and the British Landscape 46
3 Designing and Landscaping the M1 60
Legislating and Campaigning: Towards a National Motorway Network 61
Locating the M1: Regional Planning, Local Protests and the Authority of the Engineer 67
Landscape Architecture and the Post-war, Modern Road 73
‘A New Look at the English Landscape’: Landscape Architecture, Movement and the Aesthetics of a Modern Motorway 83
Towards a Road Style: Service Areas in the Landscape 90
‘Cutting Holes in the Landscape’: Britain’s Motorway Signs 97
4 Constructing the M1 103
‘Operation Motorway’: Constructing the M1 Motorway 104
Song of a Road: Folk Song, Working-Class Culture and the Labour of a Motorway 124
5 Driving, Consuming and Governing the M 1 141
Motorway Driving, Embodiment, Competence 143
‘Motorway Madness’: Driving, Governing, Expertise 152
Motorway Modern: Consuming the M 1 162
Motorway Service Areas and the Motorist-Consumer 178
Assessing the M1’s Performance: Cost-Benefit Analysis, Scientific Experiments, Accidents 186
6 Motorways and Driving since the 1960s 200
The ‘M1 Corridor’ 202
Motorways and ‘the Environment’ 204
Dystopian and Marginal Landscapes? 208
Placeless Environments? 210
Placing the M1 in the Late Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries 213
Appendix: Archival Sources 219
Notes 224
References 246
Index 285
