By making ‘local’ and ‘more inclusive’ the focal point of our policies, we can achieve lasting social sustainability in our communities

The way we look at urban regeneration has undergone a transformation in the last 30 years; from a focus on the physical and economic renewal of places, to the building of vital and sustainable communities, in both the social and environmental sense. Andrea Colantonio and Tim Dixon argue that we need to build on the achievements of previous policy on how to build socially sustainable communities, and promote regeneration that focuses on the needs of local communities, and does not displace those on low incomes in neighbourhoods that become victims of their own success through regeneration.