For generations, towns and villages were the focal point of our communities, as places of commerce, governance and social interaction. But in recent years, as the populations of our rural towns and villages decline, essential services like banks, post offices and police stations close down. With fewer reasons to visit the town, footfall declines, negatively impacting existing business while simultaneously discouraging new business and investment. Travelling across the country Duncan discovers the challenges facing our towns and learns what good quality design, strong leadership and community buy-in can do to improve the quality of life for all living and working in our towns. This episode shows how spatial planning profoundly impacts the viability of communities, and how a redesign of our rural towns and villages can breathe new life and hope back into rural Ireland.