This space could then be rented cheaply and allowed rapid growth of industry in the city's early years. However, this style of development was not perfect. In fact unemployment in Stevenage was very high during this period. It is important to realise that the 'New Towns' are not sustainable communities in the modern sense. Their recycling of waste, sourcing of energy etc. is no better than that of the average British towns.
Linear parks provide restful pedestrian routes which are well-separated from automobiles.
Linear parks often contain leisure routes and paths for the riding of horses. Where linear parks cross major roads, parking is provided, enabling both pedestrians and car drivers to enjoy the open space. Within the towns themselves, transport planning has been quite different to other British cities, such as London, which were planned before the automobile was invented. Milton Keynes and Telford have the most successful transport systems. This has been achieved by avoiding concentration of businesses and retail areas at the centre of a town served by radial roads, and instead developing a grid-based system with distributed retail and business zones.