Masterplanning arouses strong emotions. I’ve always found it slightly reminiscent of Albert Speer’s work as chief architect of the Third Reich. It sounds grandiose, authoritarian, and contemptuous of the lives of the people who get masterplanned. The idea that someone can put your home, neighbourhood or social networks into a polygon on a map marked ‘demolish’ or can drive a road through the middle of it is bound to provoke anger and protest. Yet most of us would also accept the importance and value of effective planning, implemented in a way that delivers results and value for money.