Publication

Using purposeful participation to deliver successful new towns

The need for more housing to meet the needs of a growing population is widely recognised. Stakeholders, including local communities, can have a significant impact on the development process. In our new report, we’ve been exploring the role of engagement and how we can do this better.

Last updated: November 2025

The UK government's ambition is to build 1.5 million homes, with new towns forming a central focus. These developments will involve extensive construction, new and improved transport links and the creation of new communities.

The September 2025 New Towns Taskforce report recognises the importance of effective public engagement to empower residents to shape visions, build social capital and define cultural identity. But this recognition doesn’t mean developing new towns and communities will be any easier. How do we bridge the gap between an ambition to do engagement well, and generating the desired outcomes?

Our research demonstrates that conventional approaches often fall short of achieving meaningful outcomes for new communities. In this report, we’ve taken learnings from experts across engagement, to explain why a ‘purposeful participation’ approach in delivering new towns should be essential, not optional. We outline why conventional engagement methods are insufficient and through our own case studies, look at how purposeful participation approaches can deliver real benefits.