While there will be many counterarguments about the need for a better society, the most devastating is that it is simply unaffordable. Yes, it would be nice to live in inclusive and resilient places, but our economy simply cannot afford the cost. The truth is just the opposite. Many of the measures in relation to housing and climate change have real long-term cost savings both in terms of people’s health and well being and in terms of the cost of damage caused by extreme weather. Building highly adaptable housing for older people means that they can remain independent for longer, with cost saving to tax payers. Building municipal and community renewable and low carbon energy schemes can provide valuable new income streams in addition to reducing carbon emissions, helping alleviate fuel poverty, and improving the nation's energy security. Building resilient communities means that cost of flooding in terms of insurance will fall. Indeed future investment in land will be defined largely by its resilience to climate change.

One of the most obvious failings of our current speculative development model is its inability to account for these benefits in assessing the viability of development schemes. Viability is now seen only in very limited terms and in relation to short-term profits for the private sector.