Opinion

Get updates from The Developer straight to your inbox Yes, please!

Going circular: Why London is building the largest material reuse hub in Europe

Tipping Point East in Newham aims to radically transform construction waste and supercharge reuse. Hani Salih meets the people dismantling the system and building a circular economy, one step at a time

Martyn’s Law means we now have a duty to protect people from terrorism

Good design will mean reducing terrorist threats while keeping places inclusive and welcoming, writes Richard Hilson

Councils need to prepare for objection letters from neighbours that don’t exist

We urgently need to reform our democratic systems to keep up with AI generated waffle and fakery, writes Christine Murray

Planning for life, not for movement

It’s not that we are bad at planning transport, it’s that we have been planning for the wrong thing, writes Christopher Martin

On this much we agree: A shared definition of good placemaking is emerging in policy – it won't be enough

Between the NPPF and the Built Environment Committee, we are edging closer to an agreed definition of a well-designed place and the kind of society we want to live in, writes Christine Murray

Shifting the dial for small sites

Despite policy support in principle, small site applications are still subject to lengthy and often unpredictable determination periods, writes Ned Scott

The community came together to stop flooding – and failed: “There is only one winner from all of this”

After an extreme flooding event in 2021, my neighbours worked together to develop a sustainable drainage project. With one planning application rejected, the other withdrawn, what happens now? writes Dr Elizabeth Rapoport

Opinion

Will British Land and Southwark keep their promises at Canada Water?

They consulted over 5,000 people and wrote a Social Regeneration Charter promising 35% affordable homes – but now say they can deliver just 3%. What happens next is up to Mayor Sadiq Khan

Faking it: What if AI clogs up the system and slows planning down?

Is the future of planning and procurement to be found in machines speaking solely to other machines – or will that crash the system? Christine Murray writes

Designing for adolescents: Teen inclusion demands a redistribution of power

The city for adolescents is a landscape of restrictions. We must give them influence and agency, writes Benazir Noor Mohamed

Built Barriers: “Women’s needs are disfavoured, deprioritised, even endangered by our built environment”

Part W shares what they’ve learned from collecting images of barriers to inclusion in the built environment and what comes next in the campaign – including a free online event on 3 December

Teenage girls feel unwelcome in public spaces but we can help

Avoiding or changing routes remains an all-too-common part of girlhood. BDP senior town planner Antonia May argues that wider consultation and a more diverse built-environment profession can help deliver truly inclusive public spaces

Wellbeing is rarely one size fits all: Its definition shifts depending on how people live

To put the Wellbeing Economy into practice, we need to have deeper conversations to uncover the complex, knotty, place-specific challenges that designing for wellbeing poses, Milly Warner reports

Search the Place Database for key information on UK places undergoing development

Roker and Seaburn: Breathing new life into Sunderland's stunning coastal landmarks Sponsored by Vestre

Is my project resilient for the future?Sponsored by Hawkins\Brown

Caregivers and young children rarely consulted in community engagement despite representing a third of the population Sponsored by Van Leer Foundation

placetests

Placetest: Park Hill, Sheffield

What is it like to live here – to be part of its history and its future? Anthropologist Dr Muriel ...

Placetest: Folkestone

Investment in the arts, town and Harbour Arm has spearheaded the regeneration of this coastal town ...

Placetest: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Anthropologist Caroline Bennett speaks to locals with photography by John Sturrock

Placetest: New Poundbury

Its Royal patron makes Poundbury the focus of much attention, and the development is not even ...

Placetest: Nine Elms

What is the experience of this nascent place and its people? Anthropologist Caroline Bennett visits ...

Placetest: Liverpool One

In this exclusive placetest, anthropologist Rebecca Toop explores the user experience of ...

Placetest: King's Crescent Estate

Placetest King’s Crescent Estate: A part-demolished estate in Stoke Newington is enjoying an ...

Placetest: MediaCityUK

Placetest MediaCityUK: What is it like to live and work in Peel’s MediaCityUK and has it brought ...

Placetest: King’s Cross

Placetest King’s Cross: How does it work, who is there – and who isn’t? How does the masterplan ...

most popular

Winners for the Pineapples awards for place 2026 announced

See all the winners and read the judges citations after a glittering presentation at Trinity Buoy Wharf on 22 April 2026

NSPCC calls for walkable, low-traffic and car-free streets to safeguard children

Leading charity releases toolkit and calls on built environment to enshrine child safeguarding into the property development cycle

Size matters: Larger parks, longer visits and wildlife spotting improve mental health boost from urban green spaces, study reveals

What you do in the park matters too: Activities such as walking, running, cycling and picknicking can boost wellbeing too, major report reveals

Ruth Glass: Gentrification visionary

Not only was Ruth Glass remarkably ahead of her time in identifying and naming gentrification as a new phenomenon over 60 years ago, her work has continuing relevance in the subsequent social and housing market changes in London and other cities, writes Chris Hamnett

Planning for life, not for movement

It’s not that we are bad at planning transport, it’s that we have been planning for the wrong thing, writes Christopher Martin

The unintended consequences of School Streets traffic restrictions

Major study shows street closures reduce car use and get children walking, but the spike in those parking and striding from boundary areas suggest careful planning is needed. Christine Murray reports

About us
Media pack
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy

Support us

Sign up to our newsletter

Get updates from The Developer straight to your inbox

Thanks to our organisation members

Become a member

sponsored features

placetests

most popular

Sign up to our newsletter