A Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) survey shows that 73% of the British public is not confident that new towns will meet community needs in 50 years
Furthermore, the RTPI confidence survey shows that 74% of incoming residents believe that they should have the biggest say in how their future towns are planned.
82% of those surveys say that they would prefer new towns to be built by a variety of different organisations rather than just large housebuilders, and 59% would like their planning, designing, and funding to be experimental.
New towns have a mixed legacy
The survey asked what words come to mind when thinking of historic new towns built in the post-war period, including Stevenage, Crawley, and Milton Keynes. Negative terms were the most common reply, including “concrete,” “soulless,” and “boring.”
The RTPI has released an interim report titled Futureproof New Towns, which makes recommendations to counteract these negative perceptions, including lessons from new towns outside of the UK on both what to do and what not to do.
Dr Victoria Hills, chief executive of the RTPI, said: “Britain’s first generation of new towns changed lives – but they also locked in outdated ideas. The bold decision by the Government to create a new generation of new towns offers us a chance to get it right – to create ambitious, community-led places that are designed with communities, for communities.”
Professor John Sturzaker FRTPI, University of Hertfordshire, research project lead, said: “There is a lot to learn from new towns around the world. Developments across Europe, Asia and the Americas show us what can be achieved when planning’s power is harnessed to create flourishing, sustainable communities. Our aim is for these findings to be used help make sure that this next generation of new towns in England are adaptable to the inevitable changes we face in the future.”
The survey results, through YouGov, can be read in full here.
New towns face new challenges
Writing for PBC Today in June, Dr Deb Upadhyaya and Andrew Alsbury of AtkinsRéalis discussed the new challenges facing new towns, stating: “First, New Towns must be located strategically to maximise growth and attract investment. A strong economic case is essential to engage the private sector, requiring alignment with national industrial strategy and local growth plans. This means identifying the most viable areas for development, where future communities can link to future jobs and ensuring economic diversity for resilience.
“Connectivity must also be well embedded. If New Towns harmonise with national or regional infrastructure projects, such as East-West Rail or the TransPennine Route Upgrade, both the towns and transport links will be strengthened. In turn, this will boost local public transport systems and encourage investment in active travel networks.
“Second, the New Towns must create high-quality places and communities, not just homes. Place-led growth requires essential ingredients – social infrastructure, access to education and green spaces. Quality of life, wellbeing and sustainability are now understood to be central to healthy communities.
“That will necessitate ambition and a strong, shared vision. Many of last century’s New Towns lacked the economies of scale to be resilient to change; once public subsidies subsided, community facilities struggled.”
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