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And yet, street violence has brought some of that work into question. What was the point, some have asked, in pouring more than £300m into regenerating Peckham in south London with an idyll of mixed-tenure housing and an image-changing library by a signature architect, when behind the facades the problems persist? Are some of our inner city estate-based regeneration projects merely putting some rather costly wallpaper over the cracks of society’s deeper ills?

For this issue we went to the frontline: our tour of duty in Battlefield Britain, starting on page 15, shows regeneration professionals are fighting an incredibly good fight to deliver enduring and effective improvements, through physical rebuilding and accompanying social and economic change.

The estates we visited – chosen at random rather than because they had promoted their success – had registered some measurable improvements in such indicators as crime and employment as a result of intervention. Residents’ living conditions are dramatically better. Void properties are occupied.

Are our regeneration projects merely putting costly wallpaper over the cracks of society’s ills?

But, as we all know, the problems are not resolved that easily. London’s New River Green Estate continues to grapple with the culture of violence that afflicted its previous incarnation, the Marquess Estate. Dundee’s Ardler Village faces an uncertain future as large-scale unemployment looms over the city for the second time in 14 years.

Recent violent events are raising fundamental questions about our society, how it raises its children and how we live. But we are learning more about how to tackle the problems every day. The fruits of regeneration’s labours may be far from perfect, but we should not doubt that the money and effort are well spent. What price the peace of mind of the Manchester residents who no longer have to barricade themselves into their homes in order to keep their families and possessions safe? Keep fighting.