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Building Social Cities

Building Social Cities

“Building Social Cities” is a compilation of nine papers published in the journal of the Town & Country Planning Association, focusing on innovative urban planning and development strategies. It explores how a British Investment Bank could mobilise bond finance to enhance housing and local growth, addressing the urgent need for increased housebuilding and improved infrastructure. The document examines successful European practices, aiming to provide policymakers with practical solutions to housing challenges. It advocates for land reform and better funding mechanisms to create sustainable, thriving urban environments across the UK.
Smarter Urbanisation and Rapid Growth HFA

Smarter Urbanisation and Rapid Growth HFA

Cities need to change direction fast, if we are to satisfy our needs and retain social values. As the world tips towards the East, and to ‘mega cities’ of more than 10 million inhabitants, countries such as the UK need to offer better models for how to manage growth. The young and the poor feel squeezed out of the residential property markets. But we all complain of congestion, pollution and stress, despite the promised benefits of the Digital Revolution. What is to be done?
Applying land value capture tools

Applying land value capture tools

How can communities harness the value of land to build better places? Some cities, notably in Northern Europe, have avoided the excesses of housing price inflation, congestion and pollution, and thereby kept land costs down. They have instead invested in making active travel and public transportation more attractive than an over-dependence on private cars. This paper summarises the theory of Land Value Capture (LVC) and its role in funding local infrastructure. Further references and examples are set out in Nicholas Falk’s policy paper for the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) with eleven recommendations for applying best practices in the UK.
Oxford Metro

Oxford Metro

This report proposes an integrated transport system for the English city of Oxford that could reduce dependence on the private car and encourage active travel and better forms of public transport to serve a city-region with twice the current population. Such an integrated system could support implementation of the Local Industrial Strategy and increased productivity whilst meeting challenges of congestion, pollution and inclusivity. The report also includes recommendations on innovative financing which will be essential as national resources will be extremely stretched.
Shaping better and healthier cities

Shaping better and healthier cities

The National Audit Office’s report assessing the government’s performance on building new homes concludes that local authorities should not take the blame when so much is outside their control. That report rightly recommends looking at the way infrastructure is financed, as this is not only critical to overcoming local objections but exceeds the cost of constructing each new house. At a time when local authorities seem to have so little power, Dr Nicholas Falk looks at how cities can shape their future.
Indian Urban Futures III: Building eco neighbourhoods in mid-sized cities

Indian Urban Futures III: Building eco neighbourhoods in mid-sized cities

The 2019 Symposium emphasised the importance of developing eco-neighbourhoods in mid-sized Indian cities such as Tirunelveli and Chennai. The event was held from March 1st to 4th, 2019, in Tirunelveli and Chennai, India. The format included discussions, presentations, and collaborative sessions focused on building eco-neighbourhoods in mid-sized cities. Participants comprised a diverse group of stakeholders, including urban planners, local government officials, researchers, architects, environmentalists, and community representatives. This multi-disciplinary gathering aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange, share successful case studies, and develop joint strategies for sustainable urban development tailored to the regional context.
Oxford Central West Hand-out

Oxford Central West Hand-out

This two-page graphic focusses on west Oxford-perhaps the most extraordinary underdeveloped area of any historic city. This area is crucial to the future of the city and the potential of the area will not be fully exploited unless the various planned developments are coordinated. The 200 acre site is currently a fragmented and largely forgotten part of the city. It is susceptible to flood and sliced up by the railway line, river and canal so that east/west movement is very difficult. Despite its proximity to the centre of Oxford it feels isolated. It should be one of the most valuable parts of the city but the constraints make development difficult.
Indian Urban Futures II: How should medium-sized cities grow?

Indian Urban Futures II: How should medium-sized cities grow?

Indian Urban Futures II summarises the 2018 symposium focused on addressing the challenges of urban growth in medium-sized Indian cities. It highlights the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to tackle issues such as affordable housing, water resilience, and local capacity building. The report advocates for innovative solutions that can scale effectively to meet the demands of rapid urbanisation. It also discusses the relevance of historical concepts like garden cities in contemporary contexts, emphasising sustainable, equitable, and healthy urban development. The initiative aims to translate small-scale innovations into impactful strategies for the future of urban living in India.
Indian Urban Futures I

Indian Urban Futures I

The publication reports on a symposium held on May 11th, 2017, focusing on the future of urban areas in India. With a population exceeding 1.2 billion, only 30% live in urban settings, leading to challenges such as urban sprawl, pollution, and inadequate housing. The event featured discussions on smarter urbanisation, addressing transport, housing, public health, and community engagement. The symposium aimed to foster collaboration between Indian and British organisations to share knowledge and develop innovative solutions for urban challenges.
Growing Historic Cities

Growing Historic Cities

A symposium in Oxford’s Kellogg College drew members of the Historic Towns Forum ranging from St Albans to Wells and York, together with a large contingent from Oxford.The aim was to learn from success, and to debate the principles that would lead to sustainable or ‘smarter growth’ that does not outstrip infrastructure capacity. Presentations on Grenoble and Freiburg provided an international dimension, and Dr. Nicholas Falk, one of the co-organisers drew out lessons from four other European cities acclaimed by the Academy of Urbanism, including Montpellier and some Dutch examples.
The impact of urbanisation

The impact of urbanisation

This paper deals with the impact that future urbanisation could have on medium-sized cities, drawing on work by the OECD and others. It has been prepared to help members of the SCAD (Social Change and Development Group) to think about their long-term future, and uses Thirunelveli, a medium sized city in Tamil Nadu, as a case study.(see Appendix) The paper identifies the various forms of infrastructure that will affect growth, different forms of growth, and potential sources of technical and other help. It concludes by identifying the main variables that will affect the growth of cities, and considers the possible environmental impact or sustainability of different sizes and shapes of cities.
Uxcester Garden City: Wolfson Economics Prize submission 2014

Uxcester Garden City: Wolfson Economics Prize submission 2014

We describe in this essay (our winning submission for the 2014 Wolfson Economics Prize) a plan to create a garden city of almost 400,000 people by doubling the size of an existing city. This is based on a real city, if not one that we identify. We have called it Uxcester and created it from an amalgam of at least six other cities, all places with populations nearing 200,000, with long histories, established institutions and settled communities.
Funding housing and local growth: how a British investment bank can help

Funding housing and local growth: how a British investment bank can help

Funding Housing and Local Growth advocates for a transformative approach to housing development in the UK. It proposes establishing a Municipal Investment Corporation (MIC) linked to a British Investment Bank (BIB) to mobilise private investment and enhance infrastructure. By prioritising upfront infrastructure, selecting optimal growth locations, and fostering local authority collaboration, the report aims to double house-building rates and create sustainable neighbourhoods. It critiques the current financial system’s shortcomings and highlights successful international models, urging a shift towards smarter growth that balances economic needs with environmental and social considerations for future generations.
Pillars of the community: the transfer of local authority heritage assets

Pillars of the community: the transfer of local authority heritage assets

“Pillars of the Community”, drafted by URBED for government, serves as a comprehensive guide for the transfer of local authority heritage assets to community groups. It emphasises the importance of understanding the significance of these assets and the need for robust planning and management strategies. The publication outlines best practices for assessing heritage value, developing business plans, and ensuring long-term sustainability. It highlights the necessity of community engagement and the careful balancing of financial viability with cultural preservation. By fostering collaboration between local authorities and communities, the guide aims to enhance the stewardship of historic assets, ensuring they remain vital parts of local identity.
Moving Beyond Decent Homes Standard 2009: Creating the low carbon standard for social housing

Moving Beyond Decent Homes Standard 2009: Creating the low carbon standard for social housing

This new Standard seeks to provide genuine equality of living standards for all social housing tenants. It aims to bridge the gap between modern social housing – some of the most energy efficient in the country – and the wider stock – still containing some of the poorest performing in the country. It also seeks to capture the wider benefits of investment, not just for tenants and their landlords, but also the construction industry as it gears itself up to deliver a low carbon transition in the wider housing stock. This is because social housing is in the best position to deliver greater carbon reductions, earlier and at lower cost.
Investing in the green recovery

Investing in the green recovery

The 2009 Budget heralded the prospects for city regions and for introducing “innovative financing mechanisms to support locally driven investment in growth and regeneration”. This paper summarises arguments for enabling county councils and unitary authorities to raise finance to achieve new (and “greener”) housing and local economic development in the right places through infrastructure bonds and “quality deals”. It builds on the pamphlet Funding Sustainable Communities, which reviews the options, and on recent research projects into US and European experience with infrastructure funding and regeneration.
Partners in Urban Renaissance

Partners in Urban Renaissance

This Partners in Urban Renaissance project takes a close look at how urban areas in England are evolving to meet modern demands. It highlights that a sustainable urban revival is happening domestically, without needing to look abroad for inspiration. The report digs into what urban renaissance means, the challenges cities face like global competition and reversing urban flight, plus the different perspectives on how change is managed and driven. It also outlines practical steps and dimensions for success, including community engagement, transport, thriving centres, and more.
SUN DIAL initiative journal 1995-2001

SUN DIAL initiative journal 1995-2001

SUN DIAL was the journal of the Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood Initiative. One of the recommendations to arise from our work '21st Century Homes' funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation was that we need models for urban environments capable of making our cities into humane, pleasant places to live. These we called sustainable urban neighbourhoods. The SUN DIAL initiative was supported by the DoE’s Environmental Action Fund and a well known charitable trust.
Living Places: urban renaissance in the south east

Living Places: urban renaissance in the south east

This report sets out a framework for the comparatively new concept of urban renaissance as it applies to the South East of England (excluding London) and gives examples, drawn from a range of towns in different parts of the region, which show what is already being done to help bring it about. It is primarily intended for councillors and officers in local authorities in the South East who are concerned about the future development of their towns. It should also be of interest to others involved in investment in urban areas and their professional advisers.
New Life for Smaller Towns

New Life for Smaller Towns

“New Life for Smaller Towns” by URBED serves as a practical guide for revitalising towns with populations under 20,000. It presents over 30 strategies across five key themes: enhancing shopping, diversifying attractions, managing transport, fostering community pride, and securing funding. The handbook emphasises the importance of local partnerships and well-researched strategies to attract resources and drive initiatives. Illustrated with more than 50 case studies, it offers insights into successful practices and encourages ongoing community engagement. Ultimately, it aims to empower towns to adapt to modern challenges and enhance their appeal to residents and visitors alike.
Tomorrow: a peaceful path to urban reform

Tomorrow: a peaceful path to urban reform

To accommodate household growth within urban areas we will have to use every option available to us. This report suggests that it is feasible to aim for a 75% target for new homes in urban areas by developing a new agenda for the renaissance of urban Britain. This is partly about the physical capacity of urban areas but it is much more about our attitudes to cities and our willingness to challenge historic trends. At the end of the millennium the time is right to bring about these changes.
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