In the three or four decades following the Second World War, most European cities were extended by large housing estates, many of which were built on the cities’ outskirts. These estates were built in order to resolve the housing shortages resulting from wartime devastation and the increasing number of households in the first couple of decades after the war. At that time, the estates were considered attractive, not only because they provided a home for the many people waiting for one, but also because the estates were clearly different from the prewar urban areas. The open housing blocks, the extent of green space, the separation of traffic from other functions, and dwellings of good quality seemed to mark a stark contrast with the situation before the war. A new kind of living environment seemed to have emerged: one based on the ideas of such architects as Le Corbusier.

This book is about these large post-Second World War housing estates; on most of them, the once ideal situation has developed into a complex and problematic one that deserves the attention of both policy makers and researchers. With the help of a European Union (EU) subsidy within the 5th Framework Programme, we have been able to carry out a research project in which the current and future situations of these estates have been brought to the fore. This research project (RESTATE: Restructuring Large-scale Housing Estates in European Cities: Good Practices and New Visions for Sustainable Neighbourhoods and Cities) commenced in November 2002 and ran until October 2005. RESTATE has described and compared the history and current situation of the large housing estates in ten European countries, the policies aimed at these estates, the effects of these policies, and the expectations of the policy community and the inhabitants for the future of these estates. This book offers an overview of a multitude of aspects concerning these estates.

We selected the authors on the basis of their interest in, and knowledge of, the specific topics addressed in their chapters. Preliminary versions of the chapters were discussed with the authors, and the consequent revised versions of each chapter were sent to a team of external reviewers. We extend our thanks to these external reviewers for their willingness to read the draft chapters and their very helpful and fruitful comments.