ABSTRACT
The development of Europe’s welfare states began as a gradual motion in the late 19th century as a reaction to processes of modernisation and accelerated in the mid-20th century following the massive destruction wrought by two world wars. The planning of the built environment was one of the key areas in which welfare states in Europe sought to achieve their ambitions of redistribution, particularly during les trente glorieuses – a period bookended by the end of the Second World War and the arrival of the 1970s energy crisis. State intervention in the built environment during les trente glorieuses was not limited to housing, it also included buildings for health, education and leisure to cater to the whole community. In Europe’s various welfare state regimes, built environment experts collaborated not only with major business interests, such as construction companies and property developers, but also with the third-sector actors, such as NGOs and voluntary organisations.
