Young learners today are overwhelmed with access, material and tools. Learning seems easy. Everything is there – go get it! Cascade of books, papers and reports are describing and celebrating this unbelievable access, these enormous resources. Finally, learning is free for all, you can learn whatever you wish to, just go capture the gold.

Millions of people in the UK live in outer city estates where levels of poverty are high and job opportunities scarce. This series of articles, published in the now defunct regeneration magazine, New Start, sets the social and economic context and proposes ways of improving the  prospects of residents and their communities, drawing on examples of effective practice from the UK and further afield.

The series was edited by regeneration consultants Martin Yarnit and Jane Foot.