The past connects to the present and the present connects to the future.
We cannot escape the past.
It is always with us in our memories, in the physical landscape and environment that endures, and in the legacy of past policies and planning decisions, at both local and global scales.
On a personal level, we are constantly learning from past actions and experiences, trying hard not to repeat previous mistakes. But in terms of policy formulation, all too often, the decisions that are made today—and that shape the future—seem to ignore the lessons of the past.
Planning and policymaking would benefit from a greater appreciation of the role of the past in shaping the present, and from recognising the potential benefits of some ways of living that have slipped from our view. This may help avoid the unintended negative consequences that have sometimes arisen from past decisions.