Changing attitudes

Family enjoying a walk in th countryside. Photo: © CPRE.

Taking care of our towns and countryside
It is 2026 and the English countryside is more beautiful, more varied and more tranquil than it was 20 years before. Great care is taken to ensure that new buildings enhance local distinctiveness and the sense of place. Litter and fly-tipping are no longer tolerated. Both rural and urban communities benefit from a thriving countryside.

Almost nine-tenths of England’s total land area remains open and green, with relatively little countryside lost to development over the previous 20 years.

A new focus on quality of life
One reason for this is that social attitudes have changed profoundly. In the face of growing environmental consciousness and a common understanding that financial prosperity alone does not result in good lives, economic growth is no longer seen as an end in itself. There has been a retreat from consumerism and a new focus on quality of life, embracing the beauty of our surroundings, local character and the enjoyment of green, open spaces. Pioneer Transition Towns and lowcarbon villages have shown the way forward for other communities. People everywhere, including country dwellers, live much greener lives.