A new research project commissioned by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is set to shape the future of British new towns, ensuring they are adaptable, resilient, and built to thrive in the 21st century.
This project, led by Professor John Sturzaker FRTPI of the University of Hertfordshire, will draw on international experience to inform how the UK approaches the design and delivery of new communities.
This timely study coincides with the upcoming release of the Government’s New Towns Task Force report, which is expected to recommend potential sites and delivery models for a new wave of developments across England. With housing demand at an all-time high and increasing pressure to create sustainable, future-proof communities, the stakes could not be higher.
Learning from global new town success stories
The research, commissioned by the RTPI, will examine successful new town developments from around the world, offering vital insights for UK planners and policymakers. The aim is to ensure the next generation of new towns in Britain is not only ambitious and community-led but also flexible, resilient, and able to evolve with changing social, economic, and environmental conditions.
From garden cities in Europe to rapidly developing urban hubs in Asia and the Americas, the project will compile global case studies that identify the policy decisions that have either helped new towns thrive or held them back. These lessons will be crucial for ensuring new developments in the UK can adapt to unforeseen challenges such as climate change, shifting work patterns, transport innovations, and economic pressures.
Futureproofing British new towns for the 21st Century
Professor John Sturzaker, who is leading the research, highlights the significance of the project: “The UK, and Hertfordshire in particular, has a proud history of pioneering garden city and new town development. We are delighted to be carrying out this research for the RTPI. The ambition inherent in the Government’s programme is huge, and the opportunity to influence how it is delivered is exciting. There is a lot to learn from new towns around the world, and we will be drawing on some of the latest developments in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Our findings will help make sure that this next generation of new towns are adaptable to the inevitable changes we face in the future.”
This research will ensure that the UK’s new towns are designed with adaptability at their core, able to weather societal, technological, and environmental changes for generations to come.
Supporting ambitious planning for flourishing communities
Dr Daniel Slade, Head of Practice and Research at the RTPI, underlined the importance of getting the new towns programme right: “The Government’s new towns programme is crucially important, not just as a policy intervention that could shape thousands of lives, but as an illustration of what ambitious 21st-century planning can achieve. The stakes are high – a successful programme could reinvigorate our sense of the possible. A faltering programme that fails to produce future-proof places could bring disaffection. This research aims to drive the former and support the delivery of a wave of new towns that support flourishing communities.”
Aligning with the New Towns Task Force report
Initial findings from the RTPI research project will be published in July 2025, aligning with the highly anticipated New Towns Task Force report. The final report, expected later in the year, will lay out clear recommendations for how to plan, design, and deliver new towns that are futureproof, sustainable, and capable of evolving with the needs of residents and society.
The project builds on Professor Sturzaker’s recent appearance before the House of Lords Built Environment Committee, where he provided expert insight into the practical challenges and opportunities of delivering new towns in the UK.
Read next: UK infrastructure less safe eight years after Grenfell – Build in Digital
Are you a building professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
