Amid the gloom hanging over the United Kingdom property market, one new trend is proving more influential than anyone expected – it is the Transition Town movement.
The term "town" is used but the movement now exists in 600 locations worldwide, ranging from major cities such as Liverpool and Nottingham to small villages. TTs began in the Irish Republic when environmental activists created a plan, with the support of the local council, on how a town would survive if it drastically cut its use of oil.
Since that day in 2005 the concept has grown; the UK has now declared 50 locations to be Transition Towns, each with a similar plan.
"We create blueprints for buildings where 80 per cent of materials are sourced locally and the construction required involves re-training local people in new skills or 'lost' old ones that will be required when oil becomes too expensive or runs out," says Rob Hoskins, who started the first scheme in Ireland and who now co-ordinates the UK Transition movement.
Far from being a naïve or idealistic, these principles are now being taken up by some developers and authorities.
A mixed-use developer in south west England has adopted these principles for a scheme of offices and homes; the UK's Academy of Urbanism, which enshrines new architectural principles for cities, has a "new urbanism" theory based on Transition Town ideals, where car usage is frowned upon and low energy building is the norm
A pipedream? Perhaps just two years ago, I would have said yes. But these are changing times and the downturn is forcing everyone, including the construction industry, to re-assess how it operates.
Yesterday's idealism may well be tomorrow's realism.