History of Lanark Landing

Where does the name Lanark come from? Airdrie itself is derived from a Scottish town of the same name. Airdrie, Scotland is located in the historic county of Lanarkshire, which has existed since the 11^th century.  The word Lanark itself is Gaelic in origin and means “a clear open space” a.k.a Lanark Landing. We felt this was fitting for the open expanse of lands before us where the community will layout. A place with a diverse array of housing; master-planned architecturally around thoughtfully integrated park space; giving families and individuals room to grow and live their best life.

The water wheel on the entry feature pictured below is inspired by one of the earliest examples of a master-planned community – New Lanark. Down the road from the City of Lanark, off the River Clyde, New Lanark was a successful cotton mill founded in the late 1700s. It had to be located in a remote area at the time, where the river currents were strong enough to push the massive waterwheels that were needed to power the mills. Needing workers nearby, mill owners hired utopian idealist Robert Owen to design a community that would attract people from other towns and counties. New Lanark saw the construction of not only well-designed housing but also with public buildings and open spaces designed to improve human health in response to the challenges presented by industrial society at the time. Today New Lanark is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important historical milestone in the development of the garden city movement and modern urban planning.