New towns need a clearer vision to succeed
Stephen O’Malley calls for a more purposeful approach to new towns.
A new report from the House of Lords Built Environment Committee has called for a more compelling national vision for new towns.
Civic’s CEO, Stephen O’Malley, shares his perspective on what’s needed to ensure these places succeed in the long term.
“The House of Lords is right to call for a more compelling national vision for new towns. This is not simply a delivery challenge, it is a question of intent. Without clarity on what these places are for, and who they are being designed for, there is a real risk that new towns default to housing numbers rather than becoming places where people genuinely want to live, work and belong.
The opportunity is far greater than that. A new generation of settlements could redefine how we integrate infrastructure, landscape and community, moving beyond expansion towards genuinely sustainable, system-led places. But that requires starting differently: with place rather than yield, with systems rather than components, and with long-term stewardship at the heart of how these places are conceived, designed and delivered.”
