ABSTRACT
In sharp contrast to the vibrancy, idealism and, often misguided, optimism of the previous decade, the seventies saw Britain plunge into a period of political and economic stagnation. It was a time of disillusionment, when the country was made sharply aware that it was no longer a great world power, and that post-war promises of a brighter future still remained unfulfilled. Public anxiety about housing was to be reinforced by the partial destruction of the Pruitt Igoe estate in St Louis, in the USA. It was a different story from Ronan Point because architectural collapse was preceded by social collapse, which resulted in deliberate demolition of housing blocks. The demolitions solved nothing. Indeed, the financial problems facing councils were exacerbated. They were still expected to repay the government loans taken out to build the towers, but demolition had cut off their rent income.
