Why we need to put place at the heart of growth

With its nod to place-based principles and the ‘real world impact’ of infrastructure projects, the UK government has given its clearest indication yet that place-led growth will be the driver of regional investment and enabler of socio-economic benefits over the next decade and beyond.

The term ‘place-led growth’ might be relatively new, but the principle is not. It has long been recognised that a far greater agglomerative growth opportunity can be created in our core cities and city regions by ensuring the right enablers are the foundation of any strategy or plan.

We can see where place-led growth is leading the agenda through devolution and the progress made by mayoral combined authorities. These are the organisations that are emerging as the real drivers for change, demonstrating where place-led growth is being delivered.

That momentum is set to continue in the North of England, where there is coast-to-coast coverage of devolved (or soon to be devolved) administrations. That’s a big swath of the country that has now got much more of the power and direct support it needs to unlock those opportunities.

Place-led growth is the central theme for our presence at UKREiiF in Leeds this year, and one of the key outcomes is making sure people have good homes to live in within thriving, connected communities.

From city regeneration and connectivity through transport links to the security of our water and energy supplies that enable sustainable growth and climate goals, infrastructure and housing delivery will underpin the economic and social opportunities for communities for decades to come.

One of the clearest examples of this has been the success of the RIBA Stirling award-winning Elizabeth line where AtkinsRéalis worked in partnership Grimshaw, Maynard and Equation to develop this major infrastructure project.

According to TfL’s own data, there has been an increase in housing growth within one kilometre of an Elizabeth line station – and an estimated 378,000 additional jobs were created between 2015 and 2022.

By rooting strategies in outcomes for communities and translating them into investable, deliverable infrastructure and regeneration programmes, a place-led approach should help more people from disconnected communities to access the jobs and education opportunities they need.

It should also reduce the burden on the public sector by providing more houses, helping city regions become more resilient and able to deal with the shocks and stresses of climate adaptation. It also puts nature at the forefront of our thinking, so that we are creating more sustainable futures, helping cities to decarbonise, improve clean air, get more people active and get more people moving around our cities in a way that is more sustainable.

There is an opportunity now to create the pathways to unlock private sector investment, but it is essential to turn spatial strategies into deliverable programmes tied into the right outcome for shareholder and stakeholder.

It is not just funding that is going to deliver place-led growth; we need the planning reform and policy in place to enable more sustainable infrastructure development to get off the ground. The key to unlocking growth lies in the ability to build partnerships, streamline planning and move at pace into delivery mode.

The government’s recently published Planning and Infrastructure Bill presents a generational opportunity to redefine the way in which we plan, invest and deliver major infrastructure and housing. We welcome the wide-ranging measures, the ambition and reforms that seek to strengthen powers and resources.

Together with the wider proposals, we expect the bill to accelerate infrastructure and development delivery. This will make it easier to secure private sector investment; but crucially it will help unlock our regional growth ambitions and the associated benefits including opportunities for work and education for our citizens, for business and the environment, which is at the heart of place-led growth.