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There is a clear trend towards the suburbanization of city life in the UK. People want the glamour and convenience of living in a city centre, but would rather not have the noise and business activity which has traditionally been associated with these locations. Cities only really make sense when they have a lot of noise and dynamic activity, and it is very dangerous to try to eliminate these elements. The best cities are those which are restlessly active.

It has been the practice for several generations for couples to try to move away from the centre of London, England, when they have children. However, a reverse trend is now developing, with some families moving back into central areas. They enjoy living close to a wide range of facilities, and point out that they do not have to spend time commuting, which improves the quality of family life. They do not mind not having a garden, as there are many parks within easy walking distance.

The modern city offers its inhabitants everything they could possibly wish for in the way of facilities and entertainment, according to Jonathan Glancey, speaking at the Royal Society of Arts on the future of the city. However, deregulation has been allowed to become the dominant force, bringing new problems. There has been a shift away from regulation, order, civic pride and similar concepts, but it may now be time to revive them. If this does not happen, then the modern city is in danger of disintegration.

The traditional divide between urban and rural life, which has been fiercely protected by politicians and planners in the form of green belts, is becoming increasingly invalid. It is likely that new types of settlement will begin to emerge, and these will have a profound impact on the lives of ordinary people. Indeed, they will be much more significant than developments in information technology, for example. It is now time to acknowledge that the UK needs new ways of living and working.

Many country dwellers find that cities smell extremely unpleasant, as they are polluted with traffic fumes and people live and work in very cramped conditions. The countryside has smells too, but at least these change with the seasons, and the air is never stale as it is in the city. There are plenty of attractions in the country as well as in the city, and life tends to be much safer in the country than in the city.

The recent gas attack on the Tokyo underground highlights some key features about modern people and the society they have created. Dangerous technology has fallen into the hands of terrorists, and it is very likely that the spread of weapons of war will continue. Considerable damage can now be caused with limited technical knowledge, and anti-terrorist weapons are no longer capable of keeping up with latest technological developments. Against this background, it is very important to become more sensitive to the concerns of groups which feel that they are excluded from ordinary society.

Many older people are now choosing to move back to or remain in a city, rather than spending their retirement in a quiet seaside or country town. They believe that living in a city will give them a more active social life and that they will benefit from being close to facilities such as public transport, shops and hospitals. They dismiss the perceived disadvantages of city life, such as high crime levels, believing that these problems are also starting to spread to the country too.