Harlow in Essex is a post‑war new town on the edge of the London commuter belt, laid out after 1947 with a deliberate mix of neighbourhoods, green corridors and pedestrianised centres. The town sits beside the River Stort and has plenty of parks and marshland, while the older part, Old Harlow, retains a village feel with historic lanes and pubs. Its proximity to the M11 and Stansted Airport makes it well connected to London and the rest of the region.
Harlow is notable for its planning by Sir Frederick Gibberd and an unusually large public art collection - often called "Harlow Sculpture Town" - which places modern sculpture in parks and squares throughout the borough. Economically it combines retail and service jobs with light industry and science‑park style businesses, and the town has seen various regeneration projects aimed at improving housing, cultural facilities like the local theatre and arts centres, and town‑centre amenities. Socially it reflects the mixed, evolving character of many new towns, balancing planned neighbourhood life with ongoing change.