Stevenage, England
Roundabout City Central
"Where Every Road Leads Nowhere In Particular"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield quartered with a roundabout rampant, the Gunnels Wood industrial estate in the second quarter, a segregated cycle path leading resolutely to nowhere, and the motto 'Novus Sed Idem' (New But Somehow The Same) inscribed beneath a satellite dish, honouring the town's aerospace heritage.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Came to visit the birthplace of the modern roundabout system and boy did I get my fill. Spent 45 minutes trying to navigate out of the town centre despite it supposedly being a 'pedestrian-friendly New Town'. The Old Town has some genuine charm but you have to fight through six lanes of traffic to appreciate it. Would recommend for urban planning students, less so for anyone with a sense of direction."— Colin Ratrun, Hemel Hempstead
Property Listing
Nestled in the heart of Hertfordshire, this vibrant New Town offers unparalleled access to the A1(M) via a thrilling network of roundabouts that will keep your daily commute endlessly exciting. Enjoy proximity to the historic Old Town's charming pubs, a thriving satellite and space technology sector at Gunnels Wood, and pedestrian precincts so pioneering you'll need a map from 1958 to fully appreciate them.
Twinned With
Milton Keynes — Both towns were built on the sacred postwar principle that no two roads should ever meet at a normal junction.
Supporting Evidence
Stevenage was the UK's first purpose-built New Town after the Second World War and pioneered the segregated cycle path network that planners across Europe later studied and, in some cases, wisely declined to copy.