Alan Welby
Managing Director, Built Environment and Local Growth, Connected Places Catapult
In overhauling Britain’s planning system, we can’t miss the opportunity to create neighbourhoods and communities where innovation drives economic growth.
The Government aims to deliver 1.5 million new homes and will need to reform the planning system to do so. We have a huge opportunity to create places where people genuinely want to live and call home. To achieve this, we need to reimagine how buildings, transport systems and other infrastructure connect to unlock growth and prosperity for everyone. The key to that is innovation.
Urban renewal challenges
Our towns and cities have a rich heritage of innovation. Take Newcastle, my home city – once an industrial centre, a hub for building ships and steam trains and a source of well-paid jobs for its local workforce. Today, it also tells the story of deindustrialisation and urban renewal: a legacy that many cities across the UK are also grappling with.
Whether it’s a struggling city centre or a forgotten coastal community, people know the cost of development without a plan or a plan without development. Poor planning has too often led to houses in the wrong places, car-dependent estates and isolated communities.
Planning must embrace innovation
We have a chance to do things better — and we must. At Connected Places Catapult, we know innovation can break down the silos between planning, economic development, housing and transport, which have too often held back local areas. This will enable local decision-makers to ensure the right developments happen in the right places with the right infrastructure.
An innovation-led approach will also help developers work closely with communities to understand what people want from their urban areas. At the same time, new technologies can provide planners with better tools for improved decision-making.
Scaling digital planning
The UK has made progress in digitising planning, but more is needed. Tools such as AI can streamline processes and accelerate approving suitable developments. Digital twins, building information management and 3D modelling improve cost estimates, enhance efficiencies and identify issues early. Open data platforms boost transparency and give communities a stronger voice.
An innovation-led approach also allows developers and utility providers to unlock the power of data and collaborate better — for example, factoring electricity constraints of a site into plans much earlier to reduce costs and uncertainty.
New technologies are already improving our public realm, creating buildings and neighbourhoods that are more resilient to climate change and promoting health and wellbeing for local communities. However, we need to scale these solutions to benefit more towns and cities across the country.
New technologies are already
improving our public realm.
Reimagining design and place-making
Good design with people at its heart is transforming how we think about place. People must feel connected to and proud of where they live, work and play. In Manchester, the emerging Mayfield Park development has reimagined a former industrial site as an inclusive green space, restoring a river and creating new wildlife habitats. By prioritising nature and community, it sets a benchmark for sustainable urban regeneration.
Kings Cross in London has become a traffic-free oasis in the middle of a bustling global city and an exemplar for sustainable, mixed-use development. Long-term stewardship has been carefully planned to ensure lasting value, strong public spaces and a thriving destination.
Both developments put human-connected design and placemaking at their core. Appealing places increase land values and attract investors. New finance models are needed to help investors see see a return, and innovation can play its part. Yet, this kind of development shouldn’t be restricted to Britain’s largest cities. We need innovation-led growth across all our cities and regions.
Seize opportunities for connected places
Across the built environment, our collective aim must be to seize today’s opportunities while anticipating future challenges. Innovation needs to be at the heart of how we design and build connected places that people can call home.
