This is a book with a simple question at its heart. How are we going to live?

During our grandparents’ lifetimes the question was not only asked, discussed and imagined but also acted on. Many of the institutions which now shape our lives are part of their legacy. Decent social housing replaced slum cities and health and education were made available to all. In the 1940s in the aftermath of a catastrophic war and as a bankrupt nation we managed to build over 30 new communities, which still house over 2.5 million people. We designated national parks and transformed our infrastructure. We offered people a better way of life and as a nation we shared a collective ambition to rebuild Britain.

This book is inspired by that passionate ambition. It is inspired by the pioneers of the planning movement, who did so much to reshape our society for the better. In the face of growing inequality and the threat of climate change, we need to once again ask the question, how are we going to live?

There is no doubt that we have lost the art of thinking about our future and understanding how it can be made better for ordinary people. We have abandoned any ambition for the ideals of utopia which used to be a mainstream part of our political debate. Worse still, many places seem to be on a pathway of decline. Not only are we incapable of offering communities a better life, we cannot even deal with the challenges that confront us every day. As a nation we are gripped by a collective fear of economic insecurity and environmental crisis, but we have no plan for the future, no strategy to guide us. Have we lost all of our foresight? Is this really the best we can do? Is this really how we will face the future? Perhaps we don't need an idea of a better way of life.