A new report from the Sustainable Development Commission argues that enabling communities to lead local renewal projects with a neighbourhood-wide approach is the most cost-effective way to ensure villages, towns and cities are fit for the future and create the conditions for people to thrive. ‘The Future is Local: Empowering communities to improve their neighbourhoods’ finds that failing to upgrade local infrastructure will have a negative effect on all areas of life in the UK, hampering our ability to deal with climate change, future housing and transport needs, ill health and unemployment.