Tackling London’s challenges through system thinking
To create thriving communities, we need to pair housing and transport delivery with quality, climate-resilient infrastructure, writes Stephen O’Malley
Connectivity is the central theme for next month’s London Real Estate Forum, a hot topic as the sector strives to solve the capital’s many challenges against a backdrop of the warmest summer on record.
Here, Stephen O’Malley, CEO and co-founder here at Civic, shares why system thinking is more important than ever:
As extreme weather places increasing pressure on housing, transport, energy and water networks, the need for a more connected and resilient approach to planning has never been clearer.
At Civic, we believe the key to tackling interconnected housing, transport, infrastructure and climate challenges in London and beyond, lies in system thinking. This approach helps to identify and bring together all project stakeholders from the very start of a project, including policymakers, design consultants and, importantly, the local community, to ensure every voice is heard, while tailoring solutions to the needs of those directly impacted and ensuring the built and natural environment work in harmony.
Such collaboration is not just a step in the developmental process; system thinking applies a deep understanding of how every element of a project interacts throughout its life cycle to ensure a joined-up process that delivers places that serve people and place in the long term.
To create thriving communities in London that flourish long into the future, we need to pair housing and transport delivery with quality, climate-resilient infrastructure. Things like energy, water, digital connectivity and climate adaptation aren’t separate issues, they are interdependent.
Crucially, if nature-based and other climate-friendly solutions to our problems are to work effectively over the long term, there needs to be strong governance. When it is delivered through local partnerships and a planned system, nature-based infrastructure can help unlock progress in those areas where councils are currently constrained.
This was applied to our work on the Gascoigne East Estate in London, where a placemaking strategy for the entire estate followed a landscape-led approach. In Southend on Sea, re-designing elements of the urban realm and reducing the highway footprint allows us to dramatically reduce flood risk and create greener, safer streets in the Better Queensway area. While at Wingspan Walk in Haringey, the landscape was reimagined with new pedestrian routes and a series of nature-based SuDS features to help manage rainfall and encourage biodiversity.
Paired with the implementation of the new Draft London Plan, this approach could deliver meaningful change. The proposal for a three-tiered system for affordable housing quotas as part of the Plan is designed to offer the market certainty and speed up the planning process by limiting the need for drawn out viability discussions. Along with the recognition that development economics vary from borough to borough, this is a step in the right direction.
Important as it is, this would be just part of the solution to our housing crisis. But as with housing, we need bold initiatives relating to transport, digital technologies, sustainability and climate resilience to ensure we are not just delivering homes in volume but creating well-designed places that stand the test of time. As we advocate through the system thinking, collaborative approach, we must link up every aspect of what makes our capital city work for those who live and work here. If we don’t, we will be making the task of improving London, and the opportunities for its communities, that much harder.
Heading to LREF? Stephen, Gareth Atkinson and our wider team will be there, drop them or Bex.Tinsley@team-civic.com a message if you’d like to meet.
