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What makes the estate work? The original excellence of the construction, the on-site caretaker and the levels of maintenance no doubt all play their part, but I am also captured by the simple quality of the public realm. The internal courtyards have areas for parking, play and respite. There is a simple, well executed landscape strategy and the spaces are well maintained.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment is preparing to take on its new role as champion of public space from April this year, as announced at the Urban Summit. Initial interest in our new role focused on the state of our public parks and larger open spaces. However, I am also passionately interested in the spaces in the midst of our social housing estates – housing amenity land, often under-utilised and difficult to secure.

The importance of these oft-neglected areas of public realm is brought into sharp focus by the prospect of the Communities Plan. If the future for South-east England is to be higher-density, mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhoods, then high-quality public space will be the necessary pressure valve. We talk about an extra million homes in the Thames Gateway, but do we ever discuss the implications of at least 100 new neighbourhood parks, 5000 new pocket parks and 5000 children's play areas?

It should be impossible to discuss housing market renewal solutions without considering the public spaces that will both frame and service the new housing stock.

Our public realm is in a parlous state compared with most European countries. Over the last five years, the government increased annual investment in our education system more than 30% and our health system some 60% – yet local government has only been allocated an additional 19% for all its local environmental services. Minus inflation, the figure is just 1%.

At least this is some form of stabilisation. Since 1979, it is estimated our public parks have lost £1.3bn in public investment, translated as a loss of park-keepers, gardens, public toilets, play areas and bandstands. 30% of the population will not use parks at all, largely because of fear of personal crime. As we move from parks to neighbourhood streets and squares, a similar picture emerges: one-third of the population say they never walk alone in their area after dark.

If the future for South-east England is to be higher-density, mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhoods, then high-quality public space will be a necessary pressure valve

We also need to create safe outdoor spaces where our children can play, meet friends and run around. Too many play areas are dangerous, run down or just plain boring. A recent survey of 800 children aged between four and 16, carried out by the Children's Play Council and the Children's Society, showed nearly two-thirds found things to prevent them enjoying outdoor playtime.

Enough of the gloomy statistics – there is a virtuous circle to be created here, evident in other European cities from Copenhagen to Seville. It is based on the communal right to take ownership of the public realm. Social housing estates are one of the most obvious places in which this can happen.

Stock transfer is one mechanism by which those resources can be generated. But in reality, RSLs are often unable to raise funds to undertake more than improvements to just the properties, even though substantial improvement of the public realm is required.

At present, 56% of local authorities have no urban green space strategy. However, several MORI surveys over the last three years have suggested that quality of the public realm is one of people's top priorities for improving their quality of life, behind reduced crime and an improved health service.