Britain faces extraordinary challenges, from climate change to growing inequality and global economics, but as a nation it has no plan for the future. In their lecture, Kate Henderson and Hugh Ellis of the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) will talk about 'Rebuilding Britain - planning for a better future', their new book which asks a simple question: how can Britain organise itself, not just for survival but to build a fairer and more sustainable society? They will present arguments that refer to the high ambitions of those who pioneered the planning movement and campaigned for a clear set of progressive values, but whose drive for utopia has now been forgotten. They will also explore the value to society of social town planning and offer a doorway for how planning, both morally and practically, can help to meet key challenges of the 21st century. Through the book they hope to challenge the widely held view that it's impossible to achieve a better future by suggesting that there is real choice in how society develops and pointing to contemporary examples of utopia.

Kate Henderson is chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and a visiting professor at The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London.

Hugh Ellis is head of policy at the TCPA where he is responsible for the Association's work on climate change and planning reform.