Green homes in sustainable locations

England suffers from chronic housing shortages and every main political party has committed to building more homes. Where these homes are distributed is of crucial importance to both climate and nature. There is a well documented relationship between dense urban housing and lower carbon emissions, and sparing land for nature is good for biodiversity.

Current planning rules lead to car-dependent developments on the urban fringe. Despite high demand for well connected homes in urban areas, supply is constricted through a number of mechanisms.

This project aims to uncover these mechanisms and explore how housing needs can be met in the best places for the environment.

Street votes could unlock community consent for building more homes in the places that people want to live. By densifying suburbs, we can avoid locking people into carbon-intensive lifestyles and help to protect nature at the same time.

Read the briefing: