ABSTRACT
In this chapter I want to take a step back from the Lilac project. I want to put the idea in its wider context in a number of ways. First, I’ll explore what I see as Lilac’s broader context which has offered inspiration. Second, there’s a range of motivations and values that have driven the people behind the project. These make Lilac what it is and include environmental sustainability, self-reliance, grassroots, learning, equality, well-being, diversity and ethics. Finally, each of the three elements of the Lilac concept (low impact, affordable, community) relate to some of the interconnected challenges of our age. This chapter outlines these challenges as they give the project its substance. Lilac is not just a great place to live. It’s a direct response to climate change, financial turmoil and social breakdown.1 Figure 2.1 shows the interrelations between the values and the challenges.
