Abstract
This review of the progress made in Cumbernauld new town since being designated in 1956 includes an appraisal of the road system. The road system, based on quantifiable data and with a fairly rigid geometry, was optimised to the detriment of the footpaths. The authors feel that the lesson to be learned is that the pedestrian system has to be designed with as much care, discipline and scale as the road system. The segregated footpath system appears to have paid off in terms of safety accident figures for the town being consistently below the national average.