People want a better quality of life now, genuine environmental responsibility, and local control over their own futures. The Urban Village is a seminal intellectual and practical contribution to the construction of such possibilities. It introduces new ideas, like territorial patrimony, and sustainable, local-level autonomous development, describing both the methodological aspects and the visionary, alternative communities which could become possible. Professor Magnaghi sees these as being profoundly democratic, environmentally sustainable, and embodying sufficient local economic strength to resist globalization. Another potential gain would be an increase in social well-being as measured by the quality of life, solidarity, and the development of non-commercial caring relations.