New research from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) argues that the utopian ambition behind new towns doesn’t need to be abandoned, but rediscovered.
The report, which draws together a mix of on-the-ground and desk-based research, including international case studies, by planning academics from Liverpool, Glasgow, and Hertfordshire, shows how new towns can be planned as culturally rich, sustainable, and genuinely desirable places to live, rather than simply vehicles for housing delivery.
Following recommendations from the New Towns Taskforce on the location of 12 new sites in the next generation of new towns, the Government is expected to make its final decision on locations in May, aiming to build at least three before the end of their Parliamentary term.
However, polling from the RTPI and YouGov in the summer found 73% of Brits weren’t confident the next generation of new towns will meet community needs in 50 years. And, when describing the first generation of new towns, respondents often used negative terms, such as “concrete”, “boring”, and “soulless”.
Despite this, the RTPI’s Futureproof New Towns report finds the bold, future-shaping ideals that defined 20th-century new towns remain alive and successful internationally – and could be replicated in the UK with the right leadership.
Dr Daniel Slade, Head of Research and Practice at the RTPI, said: “We need to move away from the cookie-cutter model of towns and housing that dominates development in the UK and start thinking creatively, from the ground up. These case studies show what becomes possible when we let go of pre-conceived ideas about place.”
Lead author of the report, Professor Alex Lord, University of Liverpool, said: “In Freiburg, the research team found powerful early engagement through a public ‘festival’ sprouted genuine interest in development from local residents.
“It’s one of the greatest lessons we can take from this research. When planners and local governments bring the communities along with them, they can create places where people truly want to live.”
Simon Creer, Communications and External Affairs Director at the RTPI, said: “True ambition for new towns will overcome apathy to more development. This is a chance for today’s generation of planners to build their legacy. How these towns are viewed in 50 years will be seen not just as a reflection of their work today, but of their vision of the future.”
The research examines examples from Almere in the Netherlands, Freiburg in Germany, the Paris region in France, Chandigarh in India, Daybreak in Utah (USA) and Curitiba in Brazil. Like most of the sites proposed by the New Towns Taskforce, these are urban extensions rather than entirely new settlements, offering practical and realistic lessons for England.
