Are villages sustainable?

As I sit looking at the Devon countryside I am reminded of a recent workshop I attended that explored the development of cities.

A good city has networks, links, green space, amenities and resources that should all ideally be within a 5-10 minute walk of where everyone lives. We can see from recent developments that the regeneration of inner city areas has become more favourable than the out-of-town developments we have been used to in the past. Large areas of most towns and cities are slowly being pedestrianised so we can see a trend towards creating the ideal city.

So what does this all mean for the country village? Villagers have long had to put up with inflated prices for fuel, food and other provisions because of their rural locality. Local shops that once thrived have been put out of business because of the large out-of-town developments that provided cheaper goods and a larger choice so are villages sustainable?

I look at the village I am in and think about the increased cost of fuel, the lack of choice and inflated prices of the local shop that opens when it is convenient for the owner not the customer and I wonder whether the community will be able to afford to stay here as the cost of commuting increases and rural villages become more and more penalised for wanting a quieter life than the city offers.

Or will the death of the out-of-town parks see a revival in village life with more shops and services opening, essentially becoming mini-cities.

I hope so.