Future visions

Carlo Verda: The future, as the lead singer of the Clash, Joe Strummer, once mused, is unwritten. These four simple words are a beautiful statement of the obvious which can be read in two ways. Firstly, what lies ahead cannot be foretold (if it’s not been written yet, how can it?). And secondly, tomorrow is there for the taking.

Interesting times

Carlo Verda: There is an old Chinese proverb (though some believe it may also have been a curse) which says: “may you live in interesting times”.

‘If nothing else, I’ve realised why I’m here’

Carlo Verda: School’s out for summer. Well, it is in the sense there are no more classes to turn up for until October. There’ll be no end to studying, however. Far from it.

Busybodyocracy

Carlo Verda: The novelist Dr Graham Gardner, who in 2006 completed a fascinating research project on behalf of Defra, coined a phrase last year which I just love. Gardner had been tasked by Defra with assessing the success, or otherwise, of neighbourhood devolution – that is, handing the running of local services down, as far as possible, to local people. The ‘busybodyocracy’ was often the unintended consequence of such a policy, he argued.

Searching for the bigger picture

Carlo Verda: As a student on the Foundation Degree in Sustainable Communities, you might expect me to already work in regeneration – or have ambitions to. However, that’s not really the case; well, not exactly. I currently have my own jewellery-making and gallery business and changing careers is not really my motivation for undertaking this degree.