The University of the Built Environment has launched a new report, Place Building – Developing Homes & Communities, outlining a bold vision for delivering not just houses but sustainable, vibrant communities.
The report, which draws on insights from the University’s latest INSPIRE conference, held on 7 May in London, co-hosted with the Construction Industry Council, The King’s Foundation and the Edge.
Leaders and experts from industry, government and academia took part, focusing on innovative solutions to place-based challenges and best practices for scaling up quality homebuilding in mixed-use, sustainable developments.
Discussions underscored that the current approach to housing, often driven by quick returns and volume targets, is failing to meet community needs. With the UK facing a severe housing crisis (over 100,000 households, including 164,000 children, in temporary accommodation and nearly one-fifth of homes classified as substandard), delegates agreed that a new long-term approach to placemaking is urgently needed.
Key findings and recommendations from the report include:
- Evidence for Long-Term Placemaking: New research demonstrates that well-designed ‘place built’ developments lead to better outcomes for residents. A joint study by Savills and the University found that communities with higher ‘place scores’ (measuring factors like green space, local amenities and walkability) experience lower crime rates, improved health outcomes, better school performance and higher overall wellbeing compared with conventional developments.
- Holistic Design: The report emphasises that housing development must integrate health, wellbeing and sustainability considerations into planning. Rather than merely counting housing units, planners and developers should ensure each new neighbourhood includes the infrastructure and social amenities that allow communities to thrive, from parks and green transport options to schools and healthcare. Climate resilience and environmental sustainability are highlighted as core principles, as is the often-overlooked social infrastructure that knits communities together.
- Fiscal Reform to Enable Stewardship: A major barrier identified is the current fiscal and policy regime, which discourages long-term stewardship of developments. The report calls for targeted tax reforms to unlock large-scale place building; for instance, changes to Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty that would encourage landowners to participate in long-term development partnerships rather than sell land outright to volume builders.
- Innovative Regional Delivery Models: The report spotlights the Regional Building Hubs (RBH) concept – a new regional delivery model championed by The King’s Foundation to scale up place-led development. Piloted as a platform that connects smaller builders, landowners, local authorities and materials suppliers, RBHs would provide a mix of physical and digital support to enable locally led, high-quality development.
- Community Involvement in Design: Placing communities at the heart of development emerged as essential to successful place building. The report recommends moving beyond token consultations to genuine community co-design. Tools like community design workshops, collaborative planning ‘charrettes’ and resident advisory boards should be employed so that local people shape design codes, street layouts and amenities from the start.
Welcoming the report, Ashley Wheaton, Vice Chancellor of the University of the Built Environment, said: “The built environment sector must shift focus – from simply building houses to creating thriving places. This report shows that by committing to long-term placemaking, engaging communities and embracing innovation, we can tackle the housing crisis in a way that delivers lasting social value. We are proud to work with partners across the industry to champion these principles and ensure that what we build today will benefit future generations of residents.”
Dr Wei Yang OBE, Immediate Past Chair of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), commented: “The ‘Place Building – Developing Homes & Communities’ event reinforced the urgent need for a strategic, joined-up approach to sustainable place making. To create communities that truly thrive for generations, we must integrate spatial planning, design innovation and cross-sector collaboration rather than working in silos. By embracing digitally empowered spatial planning, we can deliver resilient, inclusive communities that meet present needs while anticipating future challenges.”
