Preface. Acknowledgements. Abbreviations. Introduction: The lure of consensus. The idea of consensus. Consensus planning. From garden cities to new towns. Howard's way Influencing events. Post - 1946: A watching brief. The fragile consensus. Dispersal on the right terms. 'The sheep and the lion'. 1950s: Holding the ground. From austerity to affluence. A single design. Widening the net. The second planning revolution. 'Into the White Heat'. Rediscovery of the region. Shaping policy. 1970s: The end of the beginning. The age of dissent. Beyond new towns. Patterns of choice. 1980s: Responding to change. The politics of property. A matter of scale. 'Keeping the Torch Alight'. Campaign profiles. Environmental education. Planning aid. Public inquiries. New communities. Towards a new consensus? 'Some Running Effect'. A question of pressure. Unfinished business. Chronology of important events. Bibliography. Index.