Poundbury

Poundbury
Queen Mother Square, with Strathmore House (right)
Poundbury is located in Dorset
Poundbury
Poundbury
Location within Dorset
Population4,100 
OS grid referenceSY671549
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDORCHESTER
Postcode districtDT1
Dialling code01305
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
50°42′47″N 2°27′58″W / 50.713°N 2.466°W / 50.713; -2.466

Poundbury is an experimental urban extension[1] on the western outskirts of Dorchester in the county of Dorset, England. The development is led by the Duchy of Cornwall, and had the keen endorsement of King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. Under the direction of its lead architect and planner Léon Krier, its design is based on traditional architecture and New Urbanist philosophy. The 2021 census showed a population of 4,100.[2]

Due for completion in 2025, it is expected to house a population of 6,000. There are 2,000 people in more than 180 businesses engaged in its development and construction. Poundbury has been praised for reviving the low-rise streetscape built to the human scale[3][4][5] and for echoing traditional local design features, but it has not reduced car use, as originally intended. A 2022 report said: "Poundbury has been highlighted for its pedestrian and public transport links and not being as 'car-based' as other developments across the country."[6]

  1. ^ "Poundbury, Dorset - official guide to visiting, living or working in Poundbury". Poundbury.co.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Build a custom area profile Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ^ Shields, Bevan (24 July 2021). "Prince Charles' experimental city is proving critics wrong". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  4. ^ Jones, Phil; Evans, James (14 May 2008). Urban Regeneration in the UK: Theory and Practice. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4462-0229-6.
  5. ^ "A history of Poundbury: The Masterplan". Poundbury.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  6. ^ Welch, Lottie (18 February 2022). "Poundbury highlighted as 'visionary' development with residents not reliant on cars". Dorchester Nub News. Retrieved 9 October 2022.