town (“parish”), North Hertfordshire district, administrative and historic county of Hertfordshire, England, located north of London. Britain's first planned “ garden city,” much copied elsewhere, it was founded in 1903 by Sir Ebenezer Howard (Howard, Sir Ebenezer), founder of the New Town movement. The commercial centre and the residential and industrial areas are carefully separated. Industries include engineering, printing and publishing, and light manufactures. Pop. (2001) 42,798.