Millions of people live in 'forgotten places'. But places do not forget other places. Only thinking human beings can do so. The paper charts the conscious decision-making and ideology that create forgotten places. Forgotten places are defined as communities deprived of leadership by the actions of those present and absent. Relevant actors are delineated by class, by function and by place, showing how choices made within existing constraints impede or quicken the creation of forgotten places. An exploration is made of emerging ideological constructions: individualism, innovation, migration and the rise of community without propinquity. Whole cadres of professionals in larger cities are employed to render places and the sense of place forgettable. These tendencies may be countered by groups grounded locally and by connections forged beyond community boundaries.
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