Planning for Delivery: How New Towns can pioneer a new connected digital planning system

A new report from WPI Strategy, sponsored by Autodesk, explores how the UK Government’s New Towns programme could drive a major shift in planning processes.

The report reveals that by embracing digital technologies, such as AI-enabled and cloud-based platforms the programme has the potential to transform how we deliver large-scale housing projects and infrastructure, cutting design and validation cycles by months or even years.

The new settlements, urban extensions, and densification projects planned under the initiative aim to tackle the housing crisis while offering a rare opportunity to modernise the planning system. By fostering transparency, streamlining approvals, and engaging communities early through digital tools, the report highlights the potential to reshape planning for future generations.

Through upskilling planners and incorporating cutting-edge technology from the start, the New Towns programme could serve as a model for national planning reform and a more inclusive, efficient development process.