When George Cadbury and his brother, driven by a zeal for social reform, established Bournville as a model village for factory workers in the 19th century, they enlisted Alexander Harvey as chief architect. The ambitious scheme incorporated not only housing but also shops, schools and churches. Today, as regeneration efforts get under way across the UK, architects are once again crucial to the design and development of sustainable communities.

“There’s no substitute for good quality architecture,” says John Callcutt, chairman of Crest Nicholson and a crusader for what he terms social sustainability. “So architects have a massive role to play, certainly as individual practices. And they ought to have a role as an association in pushing the boundaries forward in what does or does not constitute a good living environment.”