 The original Harlow New Town was built after World War II to ease overcrowding in London and the surrounding areas due to the devastation caused by the bombing during the Blitz.Harlow was, along with places such as Basildon, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead a result of the New Towns Act of 1946, with the master plan for Harlow drawn up in 1947 by Sir Frederick Gibberd.The town was planned from the outset and was designed to respect the existing landscape.