Planning for net zero and nature: A better, greener planning system that empowers local places

Article

What we build, how we build it and where we build it impacts every aspect of our lives: our environment; the economy, and how and where we live and travel to work. In recent years, the planning system has been blamed for the various problems facing land use in England, most particularly the housing crisis.

Planning can address two of the largest sources of emissions – surface transport and buildings – but it needs to be reformed to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Through a series of workshops and interviews, we explored stakeholders’ perspectives on how the planning system could better deliver on net zero and nature, while working better for local communities.

In this report, we set out how the planning system needs to change to deliver net zero and restore nature in England, while also delivering the services people need, including well-connected communities and housing, and supporting the development of renewable energy.

Related items

  1. Brexit 10 years on: Time the North took back control through devolution

    Today marks 10 years since the UK’s referendum on whether to leave or remain in the European Union. 
  2. The Home Office building in London

    English devolution and migration: A role for strategic authorities

    As English devolution accelerates, strategic authorities are becoming more important actors in policy areas that shape how people settle, integrate and build lives in local communities. 

  3. Windrush Day: The unfinished business of immigration reform

    Eight years after the Windrush scandal, its lessons remain highly relevant to debates about immigration policy today.