Much of the inspiration for new towns has come from the post-war generation of new towns, which were centrally driven by Whitehall in a planned manner. However, when you look at the more recent history of larger-scale housing developments, it is clear that this centrally-led model is just one route among many. This report draws on this expertise to highlight how the variety of different ways in which new towns can grow – planned, developer-led and incrementally.
The case studies include different models which are all generating new housing supply – though they also highlight the problems of housing growth without sufficient strategy and masterplanning at an early stage. Both their successes and shortcomings present learning opportunities for future new towns:
- New towns will grow over decades, so flexibility for the future needs to be built in, and the details evolve as the town grows.
- New towns should offer a variety of sizes, tenures and types of housing, including market homes, shared ownership, social rent, community-led models and build to rent.
- New towns aren’t just about housing; education, business and industry are part of the mix in any new town. Transport upgrades provided early appear to be closely linked to positive outcomes.
- Much more than in earlier decades, a new generation of new towns and settlements provides the opportunity to deliver climate positive communities, lower cost living and regenerative design.
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