New Towne is the unofficial name for the unplanned, undefended urban area west of Madrigals Wall. As Haven Towne grew, the city eventually spilled out beyond its traditional defenses and boundaries. Officially, building permanent structures beyond the wall was, and is, illegal. However, there was little the city could do to prevent the hordes of urban poor from constructing a vast shanty town.
New Towne is now one vast, sprawling slum containing more people than Old Haven itself. The whole area is only lightly policed (not falling under the jurisdiction of Haven’s city watch), and the many neighborhoods and enclaves are mostly run by local gangs and protective associations.
Architecturally the buildings are mostly one and two story wattle and dab or wooden structures, the streets are narrow warrens, unpaved and lack drainage or sewers. Fire in Newtowne is frequent and can be catastrophic, and is often rumored to be set by the Oligarchs in order to “thin the rabble”.
The communities of Sur and Bonny Towne are exceptions to the general NewTowne rule. Originally outlying farming communities they were swallowed by the New Towne sprawl over time but managed to maintain their own identity, governance and at least a semblance of law and order and basic municipal services. However maintaining this is a constant struggle for them given the constant pressure from the hordes outside their boundaries.
Ethnically the people of New Towne are mostly Creole, considered second class citizens by the more predominantly Annish ruling and merchant classes.