Transforming Towns

Towns have undergone dramatic and rapid change over the lastcentury. Declining historic cores are surrounded by sprawling low-densityhousing, industrial and retail estates. The character and sense of place at theheart of rural towns and villages is under threat. By drawing people away fromtown centres, these developments erode the sense of community and public life.

This book demonstrates how contemporary architecture,community engagement and thoughtful urban design can contribute to the creationof thriving small communities. It addresses a lack of inspiration and ideas forarchitects and designers working in small communities and promotes a character-basedapproach to designing and planning 21st century towns.