The Seven Dials: “freak of town‐planning”, or simply ahead of its time?

Abstract

A 300‐year‐old discarded urban design – the Seven Dials – has recently shown fresh life in London. This paper contrasts its star‐like, radiating streets with London’s more typical quasi‐grid pattern in the seventeenth century, and with London squares. The Dials concentrated a sense of mixed use that was common along London streets, whereas squares were purely residential. Assorted squares were created many times in London in subsequent centuries; the Dials were never imitated. The market judged the Dials a design failure, but through historic preservation, it has recently achieved commercial success. Might today’s urban designers reconsider the Seven Dials’ configuration for new development? Preliminary suggestions are offered.