Slumming it in public spaces

I find it hard to think of many examples of public spaces created during the past 50 years that have the feel-good factor. We are the fourth-wealthiest nation in the world, and yet we have chosen for a long time to dress ourselves in rags. As a society we seem to accept the poverty of our streets and spaces. A recent survey by the Urban Parks Forum shows that 30 per cent of people will not use our public parks at all, mainly out of fear. Many of them are children and older people, who should have the time and opportunity to enjoy public spaces.

Children are at the heart of my case for public space. We have one of the worst child pedestrian accident rates in Europe. The kids want somewhere to play, they are driven to hanging around on streets that are not safe, and tragedy or bad behaviour too often follows.

The other real losers when it comes to public space are the poor. The latest public parks assessment suggests that good parks in prosperous areas are getting better, while poor parks in deprived areas are getting much worse.

All this is depressing in a country where billions of pounds are spent annually erecting new buildings.

Many strands of this Government's policy have admirably stretched further than a single electoral cycle in seeking to promote social welfare. One example is the Sure Start programme to improve life opportunities for young children in deprived areas. Another is the neighbourhood renewal programme, which lets communities build the capacities to solve their own problems over a ten-year period or longer.

In the past 15 years, the quality of life for most people has improved beyond all recognition, reflected in our homes, gardens and cars, and the services we choose to use and consume. And yet, when it comes to our local environments, we step grimly through the debris.

From a speech given at the ICAin London on 11 March