Driving Spaces
A Cultural-Historical Geography of England's M1 Motorway
RGS-IBG Book Series
1. Auflage September 2007
320 Seiten, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
ISBN:
978-1-4051-3072-1
John Wiley & Sons
Peter 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.
* * 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
List 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
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
"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)
"This is a terrific analysis of the making of a mobile landscape.
It does an excellent job of deciphering the multiple lineaments of
fast, smooth motorized passages of, in this case, the making of the
UK's iconic M1."
-John Urry, University of Lancaster
"The M1 has been with us for long enough for us to
take it for granted and proceed (along it) as if it had always been
there. Consequently it was ripe for just this kind of cultural
historical study that reminds us it was once shockingly new, a less
than certain enterprise and, ultimately, an astounding (and still
evolving) construction in soil, concrete and guttering."
-Eric Laurier, University of Edinburgh
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)
"This is a terrific analysis of the making of a mobile landscape.
It does an excellent job of deciphering the multiple lineaments of
fast, smooth motorized passages of, in this case, the making of the
UK's iconic M1."
-John Urry, University of Lancaster
"The M1 has been with us for long enough for us to
take it for granted and proceed (along it) as if it had always been
there. Consequently it was ripe for just this kind of cultural
historical study that reminds us it was once shockingly new, a less
than certain enterprise and, ultimately, an astounding (and still
evolving) construction in soil, concrete and guttering."
-Eric Laurier, University of Edinburgh
Peter Merriman is a Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. His research focuses on mobility and social theory, spaces of driving, and cultures of landscapes in twentieth century Britain. His work has been published in a range of edited collections and international journals, including Journal of Historical Geography, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Cultural Geographies and Theory, Culture and Society.
