Abstract
Runcorn, one of the second generation new towns was designated in 1964. Like all new towns considerable emphasis is placed on the needs of the motorist and the master plan envisaged a primary road of high standard, encircling the residential development and separating it from industrial areas. Pedestrian supremacy over the motorist is difficult to achieve when following the rules contained in "new streets by-laws" and "roads in urban areas" and the paper seeks to question the validity of these rules in modern housing estate layout.