The idea was to replace the medieval mix of irregular buildings and intruding narrow streets, that were characteristic of the pre-Fire London. Houses were categorized based on their site and conditions of building; concerned with matters including the height of stories, depths of cellars, and thicknesses of the wall. There were four categories established; the smallest ones, of two stories and an attic were in streets and lanes, those of the second sort were of three stories and an attic on the streets and lanes of note and the River Thames. Furthermore, those in the third category were four stories and an attic, fronting the high and principal streets. Finally, the fourth category was made up of mansion houses from citizens and other personal of extraordinary quality. The fourth category were not standing on either streets or lanes, but were still limited to four stories. Further interventions issued by the Common Council involved regulating street widths, levelling steep streets and lanes running down to the Thames, creating one new Street from Guildhall to the Thames, creating open docks along the river and mouth of the Fleet. The uniformity proposal was approved by the Common …show more content…
Not all the areas in the City were given equal care in the re-building process. This divide started to create and develop areas known as slums, like the Seven Dials, and encouraged the movement of the rich to the newly developing West-End. Many of the Londoners returning to the City were not able to afford the expensive houses made of brick and stone, so numerous families had to resort to living in poorly constructed apartment houses. On the other hand, the West End area soon became one of the most desired areas in the city of London. The West-End was the residential quarter of the elite, residents in this area were national figures, statesmen and aristocrats, whereas many of the titled City residents were but London notables. Places in the West-End had access to clean water and drainage by the year 1675, whereas some of the neglected areas did not have access to such amenities until the year 1844. Social modernization was taking place as families chose their houses in the City solely to live among other families/individuals of similar wealth. Location, which in the medieval city had been based on occupation, now became a symbol of wealth. The City was now divided into two parts, rich and poor, because for the first-time individuals could be placed on a social ladder just by accordance to their home address. This alone created a social divide within the City that is still very much present