The lessons from garden cities could apply to communities in large cities as well as new towns (“Give us a new generation of garden cities!” bdonline July 11).

A scaled-down garden city design is sorely needed in inner-city areas. Fears have been raised in the media that some new, very high-density housing could become the slums of tomorrow.

A couple of years ago, Cabe said developers were deterred from trying innovative design because of the costs. However, we know there are models for such design. We live in one.

Northview, built in 1938 around a courtyard, was designed as a natural community and still works today. Despite sitting between two major roads in Holloway (one is the A1), it provides a restful environment, with green areas and mature trees, decades after it was built. See our website at www.northview.org.uk.

The TCPA report refers to stigma in new developments – this problem is not new. Our estate has several original features that were designed to tackle common prejudices against living in flats at the time.

We were encouraged to see a major landowner, Land Securities, backing the report. Unfortunately, we have found that short-sighted freeholders would often rather cram poky new homes into successful communities than appreciate an example of sustainable housing that has worked for years.

Christy Lawrance, secretary, Northview Residents’ Association, London N7

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