The Greater London Authority (GLA) has released Towards a New London Plan, outlining several significant policy directions that the Mayor intends to pursue in revising the London Plan.

One proposal that has attracted considerable media attention is the potential release of parts of the Green Belt to support much-needed housing delivery. Undertaking a Green Belt review and identifying ‘grey belt’ land for development is, in principle, a worthwhile strategy for addressing (in part) London’s housing crisis. However, the success of this approach will depend critically on how it is implemented, and how it is communicated to the public.

This strategy will fail if it results, as it has in many other places, in a series of poorly planned greenfield housing developments that do little to address the fragmentation of the urban fabric or the car dependency of communities in outer boroughs. Instead, it must be taken as an opportunity to restructure, intensify, and improve outer London, as part of a polycentric city model, delivering a mix of housing at sensible densities that support public transport and the local economy.

New development should ensure active travel and public transport access to local and district centres, employment opportunities, and essential services and infrastructure. Equally important is creating a stronger, more meaningful relationship with the countryside, improving access to greenspace, protecting sensitive landscapes and environmental assets, and delivering genuine biodiversity gains.

Crucially, improvements should not be limited to newly developed areas but should also benefit existing communities, enhancing the overall sustainability and quality of life in London’s outer boroughs.

Our mapping of London’s Green Belt suggests there are approximately 25,000 hectares of Green Belt land that are unaffected by nature conservation, flood risk, or other significant constraints. Of this, around 5,500 hectares lie within walking or easy cycling distance of existing rail or underground stations. If only half of this land were developed at modest densities, it could yield approximately 140,000 new homes.

If we expand the catchment to areas within 2,500 metres of a station – a distance easily covered by bus or bicycle in under 15 minutes, this would encompass a staggering 17,000 hectares. If just half of this land were allocated for housing, it could deliver around 425,000 homes, located close to existing transport infrastructure. This would deliver approximately half of London’s projected housing demand.

Of course, this is a broad-brush analysis, and a detailed strategic planning and Green Belt review would be required to identify the areas most suitable for release and where they could also deliver wider regenerative benefits to outer London communities. Nonetheless, this analysis highlights the significant potential to address London’s housing needs by considering selective, sustainable Green Belt release, while also leveraging investment into the outer boroughs.

At Urban Initiatives, we have long explored opportunities for growth and character-sensitive intensification, including in areas that may be considered for Green Belt release. Our project Heathrow Gateway, focused on the west of the London borough of Hounslow and their vision for deliberately targeted fragmented Green Belt land to deliver a new mixed-use airport city supporting Heathrow, a new industrial park for distribution and airport-related businesses near Hatton Cross, and a new urban neighbourhood fronting onto Bedfont Lakes Country Park. This could deliver up to 5,000 new homes, a mixed use district centre and create 13,000 new jobs. The proposal included a potential new rail link from the Feltham into the airport, as well as new pedestrian and cycle connections to serve the existing community, reducing car dependency and improving access to local centres, employment, and green spaces for both existing and new residents. This vision demonstrated the potential to deliver significant benefits for the local community: essential new homes, economic growth, and the enhancement of green infrastructure.

We welcome the new direction from City Hall and will contribute our expertise to the upcoming consultation on the next London Plan.

Written by Urban Initiatives Director, Matthias Wunderlich

In just over a month, our colleague Nadya will be heading to Rwanda to take on the role of Community Engagement Lead as part of the two-week Bridges to Prosperity programme. Nadya will join a team of 10 volunteers from across Sidara companies, travelling to the Muhanga District to help build the Kajeje Trail Bridge – a 45-metre suspension bridge that will connect over 4,000 residents to vital resources.

This is one of the many bridges Bridges to Prosperity are building to end rural isolation. These photos show the opening ceremony of last year’s bridge, with an update on the 2025 build to follow in June.

Find out more about their incredible work here: Bridges to Prosperity: Rural Infrastructure Development

Urban Initiatives are proud to announce the launch of the ‘Urban Flourishing Initiative’, a collaborative partnership with The London Collective, Demos and E.C.F.
Together, we are developing a ‘systems-thinking’ framework that responds to the social and environmental challenges shaping our cities today.

Our partnership brings together multi-disciplinary expertise across academia, industry and public engagement, with the goal of influencing how cities can adapt and thrive in the face of these challenges. By combining evidence-based research with meaningful community input, we aim to create a framework for resilient and future-ready urban development.

We’re excited to begin this project and look forward to sharing our progress as the project evolves.

Over the past year, Urban Initiatives has been working in close partnership with Sevenoaks Town Council to develop two masterplans: one for the Town Centre and another for the St John’s Hill area, located just north of the town centre. These plans aim to integrate new and existing buildings while enhancing public spaces and connections, creating a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly environment that supports community life and promotes healthier lifestyles. Improved links between key town assets will also encourage longer visits and attract future investment.

The masterplans have been shaped in collaboration with the local community through a series of in-person and online workshops and engagement events. These sessions helped establish core design principles to guide the plans and ensure they reflect the needs and aspirations of local residents. Sevenoaks Town Council is now consulting on the Draft Masterplans. A consultation event for the St John’s Hill area was held on 17 March 2025, with the relevant documents advertised on the Town Council’s webpage: https://www.sevenoakstown.gov.uk/. Consultation for the Sevenoaks Town Centre Masterplan is scheduled to take place in June

Urban Initiatives Advances Major Urban Expansion Project in Peru

In March 2025, Urban Initiatives Director Matthias Wunderlich travelled to Lima, Peru, to re-engage with our pioneering 2014 Masterplan for an 800-hectare urban expansion south of the capital. Initial site preparation has taken place and momentum is building as the project moves into the next phase.

Urban Initiatives has been commissioned to lead a comprehensive market study, feasibility analysis, and masterplan review to unlock the site’s potential and guide strategic development. During his visit, Matthias met with senior representatives from Lima City Hall and the national investment agency PROINVERSIÓN to align on project priorities and opportunities for collaboration.

Urban Initiatives is proud to be expanding its international footprint – stay tuned for more updates as the project develops!

Urban Initiatives are delighted to announce that the elected members of Cork City Council unanimously approved the Part 8 planning process for the Railyard Apartments. The 217 cost-rental apartment scheme on Albert Quay in Cork comprises a mix of studio, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units, with 40-50 units designed specifically for older people and those with disabilities. The 25-storey building will be the tallest to be constructed in Cork City Centre and will serve as a landmark and beacon for the expansion of the city into the Cork Docklands. The adjoining listed former Blackrock and Passage Railway station will be converted into a restaurant and office, and a series of green courtyards will bring people in and through the scheme. Urban Initiatives supported JCD Group, Henry J Lyons Architects, and the wider team with the design of this proposal and prepared the urban design and tall building statement, as well as the visual impact assessment for the application. Construction is set to start next year.

Over the past few months, Urban Initiatives has prepared the Design Guide for Derby city centre. The area is targeted for significant new development and regeneration. The aim of the guide is to establish clear design principles that will elevate the quality of design in the city centre. It seeks to ensure that future developments will respond appropriately to their context and prioritise sustainability, accessibility, and safety, whilst providing certainty around the Council’s expectations. The guide consolidates strategic, best-practice, and area-specific guidance into a single, easily accessible document.

Derby City Council is now consulting on the Design Guide and has set up two surveys for feedback: one for general views on the document, and the other for detailed, section-specific comments. The consultation is open until January 13, 2025, and can be accessed here. Following the public consultation, feedback will be reviewed and used to refine the document. Once finalised, the city centre Design Guide will be recommended for Council endorsement, making it a material consideration in future decision-making processes.

We are pleased to announce that on Wednesday, 13th December 2023, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council adopted the Building Height and Tall Buildings Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which Urban Initiatives prepared on behalf of the council.

Much of the Royal Borough is comprised of low-rise villages and suburban settlements set within the landscape. Building heights increase slightly in the urban areas of the borough. The town centre of Maidenhead, in particular, has been the focus of several developments of significant height, necessitating specific guidance to ensure an appropriate response to the surrounding context.

The SPD provides a definition of a tall building for different parts of the borough and identifies heritage and townscape assets that are sensitive to tall buildings. It identifies sites in the borough where there may be opportunity for increased building height or tall buildings and provides guidance on heights and building design.

Urban Initiatives Director, Hugo Nowell, recently had the fantastic opportunity to speak in Plymouth at the National Urban Design Conference hosted by Urban Design Group. Hugo shared insights into Urban Initiatives’ approach to creating places that are built to last—rooted in community, shaped by local context, and designed with longevity in mind.

The conference highlighted the essential role of multi-disciplinary collaboration in the built environment, showing how, by working together, we can shape better, more inclusive places to live.

As a co-author of By Design—the foundational manual for urban design in the UK—Hugo reflected on its continued relevance today, calling for a renewed Urban Renaissance: One that not only champions public value and lived experience but also addresses the pressing global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, water quality, pollution, and the erosion of sense of place.

For many years we have been working to guide positive change within the London Borough of Hounslow. This includes a masterplan for Feltham town centre, development framework for the Golden Mile / Great West Corridor and a vision for the west of the borough. Earlier this year we prepared a Tall Buildings Study for the borough. In line with London Plan guidance this provides a locally specific definition for a tall building in Hounslow and identifies potential locations, and maximum heights, for tall buildings within the borough.

The Study informs the new Tall Buildings Policy in Hounslow’s new Local Plan 2020-2041. Both the Tall Buildings Study and our Great West Corridor masterplan form part of the evidence base to the Plan.

Consultation on the new Local Plan started today and will run until 28 October 2024.