A Study On Urban Governance Transformation In Early Modern London (1666—1720)

The early modern period is the key time that England experienced its social transformation.At the same time,London,the British capital,also completed its transformation of civic governance.Since the 16 th century,the economic and social transformation of the UK has led to the prosperity of London economy.However,because of the continued influx of the population,the rapid expansion of the city,and the lagged urban form,London faced some problems,such as traffic congestion,housing disorder and public health deterioration.Facing of the increasingly complex urban social demands,the royal government,together with its catch-up-with-one's-head management,can't solve the more serious urban crisis.To the London fire in 1666 as an opportunity,transformation of urban governance emerged,which takes the reconstruction of the city as the target.Under the leadership of the royal family,the city was controlled by the reconstruction legislation and scientific planning.By the adjustment and re-establishment of the urban layout,the construction structure and the management mode,it made the reconstruction of the infrastructure,the gradual completion of the urban function,the government's adaptation to the social development,the adoption of a proactive management approach and the success of the governance transformation in London.The transformation of urban governance made London as a decisive role in many aspects of the British society,driving the change of the agricultural production mode and the improvement of the productivity,establishing a single national commodity and service market,forming a wider commercial and credit network.At the same time,it promoted the economic and social development of London.And it also laid the foundation of the British industrialization.It is that the road of urban governance transformation in early London is not only the concrete concept of urbanization,but also the development trend of the modern city.