21st Century New Communities

Successive UK governments have sought to encourage the delivery of new villages, towns, and cities. Over the long term, these large-scale new community developments have the potential to help address the UK's housing crisis, as well as creating opportunities for fantastic new places to live. However, despite the intent, these new developments often never materialize, or when delivered, fail to live up to their promised potential, and at worst contribute to the continued delivery of the car dominated out of town developments of yesterday. 

In 2020 the Urban Land Institute UK and Prior + Partners launched a research programme led by Disruptive Urbanism’s Founder Paula Hirst to identify the key attributes of inspirational new communities, understand the issues and challenges associated with their delivery, and identify the principles and foundations for success, so that future new community development can contribute positively to the UK’s drive towards net zero and creating healthy sustainable places where people choose to live.

The programme was informed by desk based research and a series of interactive roundtable discussions with UK leaders in new community development. Published in March 2021, this report formed the start of a year-long program to inspire and create positive change in the way in which these communities are planned, designed, and delivered, so that the new communities of the future become the great places they have the potential to be.

Led by Paula in partnership with ULI UK, the programme of events sought to exchange knowledge and ambition to raise the ambition and improve the quality of design and delivery of new community development.