A WEE story fir tae stert. In 2011 ma toon planner o a faither had a daunder up East Kilbride tae the magnificent St Bride’s Kirk. It’s a Category-A listit biggan bi Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, the architects wha championed the mid-century modernism o Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottish places the likes o Faifley, Dennistoun, Cummernaud an Glenroathes.

Ma faither wis blawn awa wi whit he saw. The priest telt him aboot the maist recent groups wha’d cam fir tae see that rare space – architecture students frae Germany oan a tour o Scots biggans, a group frae Japan wha’s main reason fir comin aw the wey tae Europe wis tae see St Bride’s.

At thon time oan the Wikipedia page fir East Kilbride the culture section read: “East Kilbride hosted the National Mòd in 1975”. Finito.

Whit is it aboot new toons that despite aw the contrar evidence, we hink o thaim as soulless, culture-free an yeld? Hoo can we celebrate Cummernaud, East Kilbride, Glenroathes, Irvine an Livinston? Hoo can we avoid thrawin oot the social-justice baby wi the concrete-jungle bath watter as wi luik tae the future an decide hoo tae big hooses an communities fir the twenty-furst century?

It’s the richt time tae be re-examinin oor relationship tae new toons. Last year wis the síventieth anniversary o the Scottish New Towns Act. Fir twa year the Embrae International Buik Festival his bin daein festivals in ilka new toons, collectin an sharin stories o life in thae Utopias.

Ane o the hings what his come clearly oot o thae events is the twa-heidit nature o fowk’s ideas o their ain new toons, the places whaur they stey. There’s the story whit culture at lairge tells aboot them – concrete jungle, cultural wasteland, endless roondaboots. But cooried in the heids o the residents at the same time is the joy at haein come oot o slum-like conditions, aften in Glesga, in the 1960s or 1970s, tae a place wi inside toilets, safe places fir bairns tae play, gress, trees, the ability tae walk onywhaur wioot crossin cars. A mind o ae participant describin the early days o life in Cummernaud new toon as “Heiven oan a stick”.

Anither guid reason fir tae luik at oor relationship wi new toons is that the UK is biggan its first new toon in fifty year. It’s cried Ebbsfleet an is doon the Thames frae London an maistly biggat on a broonfield site atween twa existin toons: Swanscombe an Northfleet.

But Ebbsfleet is no cryin itsel a new toon like its post-war coonterpairts. It’s cryin itsel a gairden cíty in the Victorian tradition o Ebeneeser Howard, wha foondit Letchworth Gairden Cíty. Ma best summary o the distinction is that new toons is publicly funded wi some private input, an gairden cíties is the ither wey roond.

A wis able tae vísit the proposed site o Ebbsfleet wi a member o the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) at the stert o this week, an A askit him aboot the differs atween their plans an previous new toons.

He telt me the EDC his haurdly ony control comparit wi whit the corporations responsible fir the development o East Kilbride, Milton Keynes et al had. The land at Ebbsfleet is in private hauns – maistly held bi the Land Securities Group.

New toon corporations aifter the war aucht the laund thirsels an hid greater choice o developers an design – they een made a profit. They cuid decide tae hae roads awa frae the pedestrians and bairnies playin. Cummernaud wis yin that een hid a full-time airtist oan the team, Brian Miller. Ebbsfleet his tae wait oan Taylor Wimpey, Barrat an Redrow an howp fir the best.

A cuidnae wark oot hoo the EDC hid decidet tae hamstring theirsels in this wey – the ainser: Ebbsfleet is a Tory gairden cíty, devisit by George Osborne.

We come back tae the difference atween a gairden cíty an a new toon. New toons are levellers, biggat fir the guid o fowk in mid-twentieth century slums likes o the Gorbals or the Canongait.

They cam oot o the cross-pairty desire tae care that also brocht us the NHS and nationalisation aifter the war. Gairden cíties wis devised by an individual Victorian patrician wi guid ideas, wha wantit thaim tae be business savvy fir private investors.

As we wade intae anither hoosin crisis, we hae three models at oor finger tips: haphazard growth wi oot ower muckle owersicht; the closely controlled new toon, noo deridit; or a Development Corporation tryin tae yaise a carrot tae encourage private companies tae dae guid fir the country.

Gie it a meenute and we’ll see whit happens. It took decades aifter the Victorian era fir fowk tae see Victorian biggans an no think, “Whit a yaiseless, twiddly mess”.

The 1960s hated St Pancras Station wi it’s brick, airches, ribs and spandrels, like we hate Cummernauld Toon Centre wi its Brutalist style. St Pancras hid a £800 million refurbishment tae be brocht back tae life.

Mibbe Scotland’s new new toons cuid hae continued public investment so’s the fowk that live there can celebrate their ain places, and can add thir ivvry nice kirk, AmDram group, local gallery and open mic nicht tae their Wikipedia page of honour.