The Future of Place

The Future of Place

The Next Generation's Vision for Future Communities

By Marcus Adams

Foreword

Marcus Adams, JTP Managing Partner

In April 2024, I attended and participated in a young people’s workshop in Galway, Ireland. What I heard there left me feeling shocked. Many of the participants, aged from their late teens to early 20s, were convinced that they had no future in Ireland and they talked of emigrating to countries where they believed they would have a brighter one. They believed that the life their parents had enjoyed, including owning or renting their own home, was out of reach due to a lack of access to decent opportunities. They felt that the quality of life experienced by the previous generations had been much diminished or lost altogether.

This scenario has also played out at JTP as, over the course of writing this research paper, we have seen three talented individuals decide to leave the UK and our practice for Canada, Australia and New Zealand where they saw greater opportunity. In December 2025, the Office of National Statistics announced that 195,000 people under 35 had moved abroad from the UK, and British Council research reveals that 72% of 18 to 30-year-olds would consider living and working abroad. This leads to range of questions:

Is the UK neglecting our young people? Are their aspirations and concerns being taken seriously? Are we prioritising older generations over the future of the younger people?

Will London and the UK continue to be an attractive place for young people to live with a quality of life comparable to competing countries, towns and cities globally or will the exodus of talent grow?

Through this Future of Place research, we sought to find out what the younger generation wanted from their places and how JTP’s collaborative placemaking process can go some way to understanding and promoting these aspirations.

Our findings show that while we and our clients can influence part of the picture, many of their aspirations ultimately depend on how government sets its policy agenda and allocates funding.

The young people from London and the south-east who participated in our Future of Place workshops had a positive and pragmatic perspective on what they wanted. There were no real surprises, no wild dreams. They wanted to live in a civilised society with a high standard of living which included having a home, feeling safe as part of a community and living in nature.

Looking back to when our practice began 30 years ago, we believe young people then would have answered these questions quite differently from how they do today.

Back in 1995, there were economic challenges and house price volatility, but housing was still relatively affordable and in good supply. Today, there is a chronic undersupply of decent homes to meet the requirements of a growing population, rising rents and ownership unaffordability.

Since 1995, the impact of global warming has seen the average temperature increase by more than one degree Celsius and young people are naturally concerned about the impacts of climate change on nature, the environment and humanity. There is much greater awareness of the importance of our connection with the environment for physical wellbeing and mental health, a topic rarely discussed 30 years ago. A greater awareness of species loss has meant that appreciation of the natural environment has grown and protection of nature and improved biodiversity are key priorities.

Whilst crime has reduced in the UK over the last 30 years, the perception of crime has increased, and the feeling of safety and security remains a key concern. Social harmony is important to young people who want to see those from different classes, races and religions living and coming together in strong communities.

The generation we talked to may be more comfortable with higher density apartment living. Few we spoke to drove or owned a car or even had a driving licence, so walkable communities and good connections to public transport are priorities for them. They wanted the qualities of places that make safe, accessible and inclusive communities, with gateways to employment opportunities and neighbourhood facilities within walking distance.

What do these insights mean for those shaping the places of tomorrow?

The voices and findings captured in this research offer a lens through which we can consider and reimagine the Future of Place. They provide a foundation for reflection and action, inviting those charged with planning and shaping neighbourhoods, cities and towns to respond thoughtfully to the challenges and opportunities revealed.

1. For Government, Local Authorities and other policy makers

The voices of younger people are often overlooked by policy makers. This research summarises the physical, social, economic and environmental issues that were most important to our younger participants. The needs and aspirations of younger people should be given weight and consideration in the formulation of policy.

3. For clients commissioning new places

Over the last 30 years the voices of younger people have increasingly been ignored. This research describes the issues most important to younger people in their places and the participatory techniques we used to find that out. The commissioners of new places should ensure the needs and aspirations of young people are incorporated within their proposals.

4. For ESG Leaders and influencers

How can ESG be focused for the benefit of younger people?

Our inclusive engagement process through our JTP Engages process has been specifically designed to target, appeal and encourage the involvement of younger people. Their involvement has significant ESG benefits.

2. For organisations seeking inclusive engagement

Traditional consultation techniques often do not capture the views of young people. The research describes how the new JTP Engages techniques and approaches were adopted in an inclusive and energising way to capture the imagination of young people in setting out the aspirations for their future places. Engagement and consultation processes and communication should be targeted to involve a younger audience.

5. For Urban Planners and Designers

As designers we design to create inclusive and accessible places. This research provides an insight into what younger people's aspirations are for their places and neighbourhoods of the future.

The designers of new places should ensure the needs and aspirations of young people are considered in the design and development of their proposals

So, what is the answer?

We need numerous strategies for housing delivery. We need to create the conditions whereby the private sector finds it attractive to build homes of different types and tenures unburdened by the excessive “taxation” of Section 106, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), disproportionate demands of affordable housing and discouraging levels of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). Affordable housing needs to be properly funded and this in turn would help reduce the billions of pounds spent on temporary accommodation each year.

The promised public sector investment needs to be brought forward urgently. Lack of investment in young people and their future, including access to housing, will impact on the wider economy, hold back economic growth and lead to a further decline in living standards and the attractiveness of the UK as a place to live and prosper.

We need to embrace all forms of housing tenure and type. Specialist housing for the older generations is massively underprovided in comparison with the USA, with limited choice for alternative senior lifestyles. Provision of later living accommodation could in turn enable downsizers to move on from under-occupied housing thus freeing up family homes for the next generation.

There is a role for all types of housing from purpose-built student housing, and for co-living and Built to Rent (BtR) accommodation. More innovative housing models need to be encouraged including the role of the social housing providers and registered social landlords, housing co-ops, and community land trusts. The priority must be to tackle the national housing shortage and deliver new affordable homes at speed, without compromising build quality or quality of place.

And it’s not just about building housing. We also need to create communities and to do this, appreciate that environmental, social and economic infrastructure needs to be delivered in parallel with homes.

We need to be innovative in the provision of facilities and spaces that contribute to a quality of life. The significant reduction in public sector-funded third spaces, such as youth clubs and libraries and even nightclubs over a generation is staggering. No wonder our young people crave those spaces and opportunities that no longer exist.

There is greater opportunity for community ownership in providing these third spaces. Community Development Trusts and organisations such as community business charity Plunkett UK can play a key role, with localised stewardship providing improved management and maintenance, and building civic pride.

On 15 December 2025, in the context of the struggling UK economy, The Guardian presented a report from The Resolution Foundation which said, "Young people again find themselves at the heart of this downturn (and rising unemployment) and policy makers and employers need to redouble efforts to support them."

It is imperative that we are more creative in addressing the needs and aspirations of the younger generation. To do this well, we need to understand their values and what quality of life means for today’s young people. We hope that this research provides some answers to their priorities and gives a voice to tomorrow's generation.

Introduction

JTP at 30

2025 marked thirty years of JTP.

For us, marking this milestone wasn’t just about looking back and celebrating our success – it was about looking forward and enhancing our placemaking approach through research and new engagement processes designed to help us understand what the younger generation want from their future places.

Back in 1995 when JTP was founded, genuine engagement with community and stakeholders particularly by the private sector was rare, but we established the practice with a belief that great places could only be created by engaging with communities to build collaborative visions with the very people who will go on to live there and use them.

Three decades on, we are proud of the places we have created through our collaborative placemaking approach, but have recognised in recent years the need to change how we engage with people. To keep our co-design approach relevant and engaging for today’s audiences, and with a renewed focus on working with young people, we made the decision to revitalise JTP’s engagement methodology to launch JTP Engages, a refreshed and imaginative approach to collaborative placemaking – embedding participatory processess that are more accessible, inclusive and diverse.

JTP Engages

Representing the evolution of our 30-year legacy and extensive experience as leaders in collaborative placemaking, JTP Engages creates bespoke engagement strategies tailored to each place, community, client objective and budget. It is the evolution of our commitment to participatory processes, combining the best of codesign techniques with new technologies and accessible methodologies to create more inclusive engagement that reaches a broader, younger and more diverse audience.

We blend cutting-edge data and digital tools like an in-house interactive map, GIS, personalised project websites, targeted social media campaigns and AIgenerated visuals with innovative in-person techniques like pop-up market stalls, youth-focused events and creative hands-on planning workshops.

Using this combination of techniques, we are engaging more meaningfully with more people, to build trust, enrich design propositions and achieve planning permission more quickly.

Evolution of Engagement & Techniques

Historically, JTP has achieved successful engagement primarily through in-person events. However, over the last five years, particularly since Covid-19, there has been a shift in the extent of participation with people, with some less trusting of the planning process and some less inclined to attend in-person events or lacking the spare time to do so.

We have realised that younger people today are especially time-poor and often prefer to engage online at times that suit their busy schedules. If they do come along to inperson events the time they can stay is often limited, and if parents bring young children, they can find it hard to participate effectively.

So, we have adapted our participatory process to provide people with more choice about how they contribute, with enhanced techniques, more opportunities to engage online and with in-person events designed to encourage younger people to attend, stay and participate.

Online Engagement

We use digital interactive maps online that enable people to add comments and suggestions in an iterative process as the design evolves from site analysis to a vision and more detailed plans. We hold online webinars with opportunities to participate live or watch later and contribute comments and suggestions.

We make short videos of the architects responsible for designing the project, inviting people to participate in co-design and explaining their designs as schemes evolve. We then post these on TikTok and Instagram, the social media platform used most extensively by younger people, and utilise GIS software to target posts to Instagram users in a particular geographical area. We also use Facebook, which tends to be used more by older people and community groups, to advertise events and provide updates,

In-Person Events

We have changed the way we run in-person co-design events to make them more appealing to younger people and encourage participants to stay longer. To draw people in, we focus on creating an ambience that is welcoming and fun with good-quality coffee and catering, and provide activities for children. This enables parents who come with children to work with our design team in small co-design hubs while their children are entertained within the same room with facepainting, kids’ entertainers and creative activities.

We use colourful supersized masterplans and information boards around the walls to encourage people to contribute their ideas even if they can’t stay long. Written comments on Post-it notes and images are added to Vision Walls or plans so that people can see each other’s comments and add their own.

Minecraft gaming software and virtual reality goggles can also be used to prompt creativity and get younger attendees involved.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Pioneering new technologies and innovative techniques, our team includes designers with visualisation skills who use AI and visualisation software to bring people’s ideas to life in real time, translating their aspirations and comments into realistic images which can be printed and displayed. We also use AI to analyse the comments and ideas people contribute during in-person events and online. This is a time-effective method of identifying consensus points and key themes.

Our Research

For our Future of Place research in 2025, the JTP Engages team has utilised these new approaches and undertaken an active programme of research with younger people, utilising our co-design tools to encourage them to get involved and get creative.

Our aim has been to identify what today’s young people value about the places they live in now and how we can shape future places to reflect their aspirations.

Case Studies

A. Future of Place Workshop

The Future of Place workshop was a research project involving young people from across London and the south-east of England. It was designed to spark debate and stimulate creative thinking about what makes a great place to live now, and what future places should be like.

B. Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon

Our research at Alconbury Weald involved revisiting a neighbourhood we designed a decade ago to find out what young residents thought about living there today. Through dedicated youth club sessions and attendance at wellattended community events held across a weekend in summer 2025, we sought to talk to and interview residents.

C. Finchley Lakeside, Squires Lane

Our engagement with young people at Finchley Lakeside ran in parallel with a Visioning process we facilitated on behalf of our client, Pentland Group. We worked with youth and social enterprise specialists, 2-3 Degrees, to deliver a six-week programme designed to equip participants aged between 17 and 21 with the skills, confidence and tools to advocate for themselves and their community and make meaningful input into the regeneration of the Finchley Lakeside proposals.

D. Chrisp Street Market, Poplar

On behalf of our clients Telford Living and Poplar HARCA, our engagement with young people at Chrisp Street Market in Poplar formed an integral part of a community Visioning process that included extensive outreach and in-person co-design. We facilitated workshops with a Youth Empowerment Board in Tower Hamlets, East London where young people aged between 15 and 21 gave their perspective on what changes they would like to see in their neighbourhood.

The four engagement processes have deepened our understanding of what matters to young people today. We learnt a lot, and this document concludes with analysis of 10 key findings based on these young people’s concerns and aspirations which we hope will enrich our placemaking in the future for the next generation.

Research and Co-design

A. Future of Place Workshop

Hosted at our project at The Green Quarter in Southall, we designed and facilitated a Future of Place workshop, an event tailored to young adults, inviting a cross-section of young people aged between 16-30-years-old from London and across the south-east.

The event was attended by 35 young people, and we used a range of participatory techniques and tools, specifically conceived and curated to engage this young audience. The oneday workshop successfully sparked debate, creativity and stimulated critical thinking as participants explored what makes a great place to live – today and in the future.

Site Walkabout & Tour

The day started with a site walkabout and a guided tour of The Green Quarter with members of the JTP team who explained the project. The tour served not only to provide context and background to the project, but also to prompt participants to think critically and consider the role of design in shaping places and fostering community life.

Reflections Wall

Following the tour, the participants reconvened in a workshop to engage with a series of Reflection Walls which surrounded the room. Attendees were encouraged to engage with these interactive boards throughout the session to explore what makes a great place to live. The large boards posed questions about priorities for their future homes, spaces, and neighbourhoods, offering both prompts and blank spaces for personal contributions. Each person was allocated five stickers to indicate their top priorities and could also use Post-it notes to add their own insights and ideas. In total our Reflection Walls gathered over 250 comments from the young people, with many spending time having discussions and conversations with the JTP team about their choices and preferences.

The walls were further enriched with precedent images illustrating key themes of home, community, culture, connections, activities, nature, public realm and safety. Layered together, these created a unique mosaic to prompt discussions.

The Art of the Possible (AI + Design Station)

The workshop focused on the Art of the Possible, an AI-generated co-design process. The young people divided into small groups at four tables in lively mini design hubs to debate, discuss and explore their visions for the future of place. It provided the opportunity for the participants to conceive their ideas and visualise them by working with the JTP team to create AI postcards.

The process began by individuals selecting a Google Street View image of a place or space they felt could be improved. This was printed and participants worked directly with the JTP team to reimagine their chosen place. Layering tracing paper over the printed Street View image, they sketched, annotated, highlighted and developed ideas for how the area could be transformed, exploring possibilities such as green space, housing, public art and social infrastructure. Once their ideas were captured on paper, participants worked with their JTP facilitator to generate an AI visual of their redesigned space, turning their sketches and imagination into AI prompts that brought their vision to life.

Their reimagined place was printed out as a Vision Postcard on which the participants then wrote a message from their future self, explaining their design thinking and how such places could look in the future. These were then displayed to create an exciting and visually stimulating collage.

Interviews

In addition, we offered the opportunity for one-to-one interviews where participants talked about their own neighbourhoods and their future aspirations in more depth. In total, a third of the young people volunteered to take part in an interview and were keen to discuss their opinions further in a more intimate setting. For our interviews, we had a list of prompt questions to guide interviewees; however, many were happy to speak spontaneously about the future of place and what they would like to see in the delivery of future communities.

All attendees also had the opportunity to attend a session with our team offering career and CV advice. This was well received with several attendees choosing to talk to our team.

Our collaborative day finally concluded with a lunch of authentic Indian cuisine at local restaurant, Brilliant Gastro, followed by an energetic and fun-filled finale on the padel tennis courts.

Interviews

Key Themes

Analysing our findings from the event we have identified the key themes and ideas that the young people brought to the day. It was evident from the experience that they all valued the opportunity to speak about their future and wanted to actively contribute to shaping the future of place.

1. Homes

The most pressing issue highlighted was affordability and accessibility to their own home: over 50% of participants prioritised affordable neighbourhoods and homes, reflecting widespread concern about being priced out of the neighbourhoods they grew up in.

Our discussions also revealed that young people favoured a mix of housing typologies and sizes to suit a diverse community. They wanted new homes to look different from one another in shape and design with good natural light and there was a focus on places that would promote the wellbeing of residents.

Some participants highlighted the value of homes designed for intergenerational living, describing how, in their culture, it is common for extended families to share a household and support each other – a way of life they hoped new homes would make possible in the future.

2. Nature

The importance of green and natural spaces that were also accessible and within walking distance from homes was a recurring theme in discussions. Thirty-three per cent of feedback focused on creating inclusive public spaces, many of which included access to nature.

Our young people wanted pedestrian trails and routes through green spaces with places to socialise, sit and read. Natural spaces with habitats for wildlife were also highly valued.

3. Activities

A theme that emerged from our one-to-one interviews was the value of keeping physically active. There was strong support for neighbourhoods to provide local facilities and spaces for exercise to encourage fitness and promote wellbeing.

Suggested facilities included tennis, padel and outdoor gyms. They noted that sports clubs help create a sense of community and favoured community activities that encourage everyone to get involved.

4. Safety

Safety was highlighted by 27% of participants, with the importance of better lighting in streets and parks being mentioned by 18% of participants. Visibility and signage were also important for creating safe, welcoming environments. Young people emphasised that a sense of pride in place encouraged people to look out for one another.

5. Connections

Connected cycle routes and well-designed cycle lanes with clear signage were another high priority for our young people. They noted that cycle and pedestrian routes promote community interaction, but private car travel does the opposite.

We had several insightful conversations about this theme with participants who highlighted how many neighbourhoods lack proper cycling amenities. They explained that if cycle paths and facilities were more accessible, more people would be encouraged to use them. They also pointed out the need for better bike storage and welcomed greater investment in bike-sharing programmes. Some said they valued e-bikes as a sustainable and efficient way to travel, and suggested that future places should include more e-bike schemes and well-located cycle stations.

6. Community

Community events and programmes, with different events throughout the year that bring old and young people together, were highly valued. Community centres including public swimming pools were important and a multi-cultural hub for people with different cultures and religions to connect with each other was suggested. Spaces where students and young people felt welcome should be included.

7. Public Realm

They asked for an open and active public realm with a mix of hard and soft landscaping, greenery and trees. Places for people to take dogs were important. Car parking should be tucked away out of sight to give better public spaces and views.

8. Culture

Participants highlighted that neighbourhood design should not only provide functional spaces but also actively embed the cultural and historical narratives of each site. They envisioned environments where cultural identity is visible and celebrated every day. Art and creativity were seen as vital in shaping the character of a neighbourhood. These creative expressions make culture visible in daily life and contribute to a shared sense of pride and belonging.

Markets were identified as essential cultural anchors. By supporting local food and craft producers, markets can sustain traditions, showcase diversity, and create spaces where community members and visitors meet. Participants stressed the importance of practical design features, such as covered areas, to ensure year-round use in all weather. Places and hubs for people to gather and exchange traditions were important as were performance spaces including places suitable for live music.

9. Accessibility

One participant with ADHD reflected on his experience at the Future of Place workshop and explained how the interactive and highly visual format had kept him engaged. The constant tasks, questions and creative activities such as the AI postcards and Reflections Walls had provided the stimulation needed for him to stay focused and understand how design decisions shape both individual experiences and community life.

Elaborating on this, he shone a light on accessibility and emphasised that future neighbourhoods must be designed with accessibility at their core. He stressed the importance of inclusive features, from pedestrian-friendly improvements in car-dominated areas to the creation of quiet spaces for those with additional needs. Simple interventions, such as designated quiet hours in parks, better crossings, or safer pedestrian routes, were seen as small but powerful steps towards building places that feel welcoming, supportive and accessible for everyone.

We are pleased to share a thoughtful piece written by one of the young people who joined our Future of Place workshop, offering an authentic reflection and snapshot of his insights of the event.

THE FUTURE OF PLACE WORKSHOP

Written by Gus Hylander

The event was held on-site at one of JTP’s projects at The Green Quarter in Southall. The regeneration and masterplan combines new housing, community-based infrastructure, nature and sustainability with cultural depth. The site itself, whilst many years from completion, has set the blueprint for a precise and community inspired regeneration. Located a 10-minute walk from the Elizabeth line station, once complete it will have over 8,000 new homes, 20 hectares of landscaped public realm and parkland, a primary school, and a curated fusion of mixed uses including Brilliant Gastro – an authentic Punjabi restaurant fronted by chef, Dipna Anand.

The tour gave us a direct insight into the conceptual approach and analytical framework behind projects like these. The most important consideration is just what makes a neighbourhood happy, healthy and sustainable.

Once in the room at Parkside Yards, the workshop began. Our wider group dispersed into four design tables with the JTP team as facilitators to lead debates and discussions about what makes a good place. We started by using Street View Exploration to find a local space, we felt could be improved. Each of us chose a neighbourhood, area or high street familiar to us and looked to put our own spin on it. Places all over the city were chosen and we thoughtfully explored different ideas from our perspective that would make our area of choice desirable for young people and create a sustainable living environment. We mapped out our ideas using tracing paper and sketching before turning to AI with the JTP team to reimagine such plans. Using AI as a tool to bring our popular and ideal local areas to life was insightful, and helped create a vivid and achievable vision on what we wanted to see in future neighbourhoods and communities. Our AI creations were printed on postcards which we could then write on about our vision for the future and the choices we made.

I envisaged the regeneration of an area local to me in North London by taking into account both popular and personal factors that create a residential area ideal for all. My main point of focus was the high street. A tube station was present for utmost convenience.

This was joined by a communal and dog-friendly park, a library, a supermarket alongside other services such as restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating. Thinking about what appeals to me as a young person, I also made sure to add cycle lanes on the street, an outdoor gym, and most importantly a pub! Using AI to visualise my ideas opened my eyes to the possibility and how we can revitalise neighbourhoods and offer a promising future of community life in London.

Our workshop session also had a ‘Reflections Wall’ which encouraged us to think critically about what makes a great place to live. We worked with JTP on large A1 boards which had questions about priorities in our future homes, spaces, neighbourhoods. Everyone had five stickers of preference and we could Post-IT note our insights and ideas too. The afternoon finished with opportunities for CV workshops and one-to-one interviews with the JTP team were another aspect of the day, key for further sharing our ideas and giving aspiring young professionals and architects advice, whilst also seeing first-hand the thought process behind ambitious residential planning.

What followed after the session was a stunning meal at Brilliant Gastro, and games of Padel Tennis – a growing and social sport. The Green Quarter boasts four courts in the centre of the neighbourhood with a café next to it.

On 5 July 2025, I had the chance to attend a youth-focused, vision workshop hosted by JTP, a leading architecture and masterplanning practice known for their community-led approach to design. Celebrating their 30th anniversary, the day offered an opportunity for young people from across London to voice their thoughts and ideas for the future of neighbourhoods and communities through interactive discussions, Reflection Walls, artificial intelligence (AI) and interviews. We had a unique glimpse into how JTP are creating real-world places with input from the local community, younger people and the application of their new tools and methodologies being used.

Our day started with a tour by JTP of The Green Quarter where we learnt about the themes and factors that influenced the design ranging from convenience uses like supermarkets, community centres and train stations, to places of personal interest, such as pubs, religious buildings and cultural hubs, all contributing meaningfully in their own distinct significance.

Walking through Southall’s streets with architects and then reimagining our visions for the future of place with AI made me see cities not just as places we live in, but as places we can shape. The event deepened my interest in urban design, and showed how much power good planning and design has to connect people and improve lives.

B. Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon

Alconbury Weald is a new town in the making where JTP has been working for master developers Urban&Civic since 2013.

Over 1,000 of the 5,000 homes planned are now occupied. Mixed uses have been delivered alongside the homes including an employment Enterprise Campus, new schools, employment floor space, sustainable transport links, energy infrastructure, and community facilities as well as significant green spaces.

In June 2025, the JTP team visited and spent two days at Alconbury Weald, finding out what residents of the early neighbourhoods thought about living there. This research included workshops with young people attending local youth club sessions, as well as conversations with a wide range of people at the annual Alconbury Weald Food Festival, including teenagers, young adults, parents and grandparents.

Youth Club Sessions

On our first day we participated in two dedicated youth club sessions to talk to the younger members of the community – one with primary school children aged 8-11, and another with teenagers aged 11-16 – to hear their views and experiences of growing up in Alconbury Weald. Our involvement in these sessions was recommended by the Community Development Manager at Urban&Civic, with whom we had discussions with on how best to tap into existing activities and programmes where we could engage directly with a younger audience.

Recognising that traditional consultation methods were unlikely to resonate with the younger people, we designed a series of tailored, interactive activities to capture their views in ways that felt engaging and age-appropriate.

We combined playful methods such as snap surveys, bingo cards and creative visual tools with one-to-one interviews and group discussions. This ensured we were able to keep the sessions lively while still generating meaningful insights. The approach not only ensured high levels of participation but also created an environment where the young people felt comfortable expressing their ideas, preferences and concerns about life in Alconbury Weald.

Snap Surveys

The snap survey was designed to get everyone thinking about the place they lived in. We posed two questions: “On a scale of 1–10, do you like living in Alconbury Weald?” and “On a scale of 1–10, do you feel safe when out and about?”

The choice ranged from 'Love it' at 10 through to 'Hate it' at 0, making it clear and easy for children of different ages to understand.

Using themed stickers which included a mix of young people's words, facial expressions, hand signs representing different emotions, and colourful artwork, we created a visual graph of opinions. The children were encouraged to indicate with their stickers how much or how little they liked different aspects of Alconbury Weald’s community, activities and local spaces.

Bingo Cards

We used cards with icons of different amenities and encouraged the children to identify those they valued most by adding stickers to the cards.

The sticker cards were brightly coloured and featured a wide range of options for the children to choose, such as play areas, a kids’ gym, football pitches and a trampoline park. There were also spaces for the children to add their own suggestions. This activity not only made the session fun and familiar but also encouraged informal group discussions and led to more relaxed, one-to-one conversations.

Alconbury Weald Neighborhood Values

Activity breakdown 76% 2nd place Trampoline Park 3rd place Football pitch most people surveyed wanted more activities

of those surveyed wanted a Swimming pool.

Interviews

We also carried out interviews to capture more detailed insights. To help guide the conversations and make them accessible for younger participants, we used prompt cards with simple questions and ideas to give children inspiration about what to talk about.

Alconbury Weald Food Festival

Community events are central to life at Alconbury Weald, and one of the most popular in the yearly programme is the annual Food Festival, which brings together large numbers of residents and visitors. The day gave us a valuable opportunity to connect with the local community, to hear their insights and discuss the future of place at Alconbury Weald.

Situated on the Watch Tower Green, amongst the market stalls and food trucks, we conducted interviews with residents – many of whom were very keen to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions, and welcomed the opportunity to speak with us. Urban&Civic’s community development representative helpfully introduced the JTP team to residents and encouraged them to participate.

Key Themes

We gathered comments, conversations and ideas from the Youth Club Sessions and the Food Festival, reviewed insights in detail and grouped them into key themes to identify what mattered most to the young community.

Although our research at Alconbury Weald was focused on children and young adults, the informal and ad hoc nature of engagement meant we had conversations with a wide range of people across different ages and backgrounds. This proved fortuitous, as parents and grandparents provided valuable insights into how well Alconbury Weald works for families. For example, they explained that the mix of homes enabled multi-generational families to live near each other, which made sharing childcare more convenient, and they highlighted how the safe environment of Alconbury Weald gave them the confidence to allow children independence of movement. Their comments illustrated how a sense of community had been created at Alconbury Weald and how this underpinned many of the things people liked about living there.

1. Green Spaces

Everyone was overwhelmingly positive about the open green spaces. Alconbury Weald’s high-quality parks, play areas, and open space are cited as standout features, particularly important to young families, teenagers and children. They said the environment was well designed for running and walking, including walking with children, enabling residents to raise children in a healthy and active environment. The ease of access to a variety of natural green spaces was particularly appreciated. Many mentioned that they were dog walkers and appreciated the safe and attractive circular routes. Green spaces were described as enhancing health, recreation, and family life.

With

the variety of parks, play areas and green space

– we just absolutely love it.

There are just so many lovely places to go for a walk and enjoy the green space.

The young adults and children valued the amount of open space, the variety of different activities available in terms of play and sports, and the opportunities to socialise with their friends whilst still being local and close to their homes.

2. Identity & Sense of Community

Many people we talked to described themselves as 'Wealders' and felt proud of being part of the new community. Neighbourly interactions were highly valued, and many mentioned feeling welcomed into the community and said groups and activities at the local cricket club had brought people together.

Everyone seems willing to help each other out… that safe community feel is something that really attracted us to live here.

We are Wealders, and it’s like belonging to a village.

Participants stressed the importance of events like the food festival for getting to know neighbours and explained how this created ties which developed a sense of belonging, fostered camaraderie and mutual care. Older adults particularly valued opportunities to volunteer and meet others through participation in organised activities curated by Urban&Civic as part of their community stewardship programme. The diversity of residents was seen as positive. Connection through Facebook was flagged as important for fostering social connections between micro-communities of people with shared interests such as gym, yoga and churchgoing and facilitating mutual aid.

3. Local Facilities

Residents were generally pleased with the emerging amenities at Alconbury Weald and understood that delivering these facilities takes time. However, many felt that more retail and leisure options were needed to support the growing community.

The sticker cards activity revealed that more cafés, picnic areas, swimming facilities and shops were the amenities that children would most like to see in the future, with 76% of the children surveyed stating they wanted a swimming pool at Alconbury Weald.

The neighbourhood has something for everybody… mums and baby groups, toddler groups, groups for older residents.

One resident, a young adult, noted that while a gym exists, it is small and limited, and they were keen to see a larger sports centre with a full gym and swimming pool which is local and therefore reduces the reliance on a car.

Some people, including several children, regretted the closure of the small temporary shop next to the primary school, which had been replaced by a Co-op in the permanent local centre. Several residents noted that the Co-op was more expensive, and its location made it less convenient for some residents.

4. Safe Streets

Many described Alconbury Weald as ‘convenient’ and ‘safe’. They appreciated being able to walk or cycle to local schools and shops. Some said they didn’t need a car to get around and felt that this contributed to the neighbourhood’s safety. Low speed limits, speed warning signs and good street lighting were thought to contribute to safety in public spaces, and it was described as a safe place for young children to cycle and scooter.

I do not worry at all about letting my six-year-old son walk to school… I feel very good about it.

It just felt very safe and welcoming…especially with the speed limits and well-lit areas.

Safety was especially appreciated by families with young children and by older residents. Numerous residents noted their appreciation and confidence about letting their children walk to school alone or play outside with friends.

5. Multi-generational living

People described Alconbury Weald as a good place for all generations and a family-orientated place. Older adults highlighted the benefits of living in the same neighbourhood as their children and grandchildren, which allowed them to easily participate in family life and childcare.

6. Future Growth

Residents were generally excited about the new facilities that will come forward as future phases are delivered, including more retail, cafés and restaurants, hairdressers, sports facilities including an expanded gym, the secondary school, GP surgery and the Country Park.

If we could live anywhere in 15-30 years? Here, really.

This community has a life of its own…it might exceed your plans.

Future growth was welcomed and many looked forward to ‘more going on’. Some stressed the importance of expanding transport infrastructure with more buses, roads, and a train station. Improved connectivity to Cambridge and London was important for some. Overall, people were very enthusiastic about future growth, although there was some concern that Alconbury Weald could lose its “village feel” as the population grew.

C. Finchley Lakeside, Squires Lane

In 2024, sports, outdoor and fashion company, Pentland Group relocated offices from a lakeside campus at Squires Lane, Finchley, to new offices in central London, leaving the site redundant and seeking a new use.

The former campus offered the opportunity to create a unique place for living, commercial, community, and cultural activities in a beautiful lakeside setting. Pentland were keen to ensure that redevelopment would also bring positive benefits to the wider community.

JTP was appointed to facilitate a co-design process with local people and potential partners to shape this next chapter of the site’s future. The aim was to develop a Vision for the site that reflected community aspirations and to foster partnerships with local organisations.

The Process

The process began with a launch event attended by local councillors, civic societies and sustainability groups. Community Co-design Events were publicised via Instagram to target younger audiences and recorded over 17,500 visits. More than 3,400 flyers were distributed door to door, and electronically to around 70 stakeholders.

The JTP team also met people in person, heard what they thought about their area, and explained the different ways they could participate in co-creating the Vision. A project website provided regular updates and linked to an interactive map where people could post comments and contribute ideas during the visioning process.

Young People’s Workshops

In partnership with youth social enterprise 2-3 Degrees, JTP delivered a six-week youth-focused engagement programme designed to ensure young people living, working, or studying near the former Lakeside Office Campus had a meaningful voice in shaping the future of the site. These workshops ran in parallel with the wider community engagement.

To recruit participants for the Youth Panel workshops, a flyer was produced and distributed, inviting young people from across the local area to get involved. The call for participants highlighted the opportunity to develop new skills, gain experience in community engagement and receive a small financial contribution in recognition of their time. This wide-reaching approach attracted applications from a diverse group of young people, ensuring that the workshops reflected the varied perspectives of the local youth community.

The programme successfully attracted and retained seven participants aged between 17 and 21. Six were of ethnic minority backgrounds and all seven lived locally but had not been aware that the lake in the Squires Lane site existed. Through a structured Youth Panel, these young people were given opportunities to contribute to the marketing of the launch of the Community Co-design Events and to share their perspectives on what the future of Finchley Lakeside should be.

The six-week programme also provided personal and professional development opportunities designed to equip the participants with the skills, confidence and tools to advocate for themselves and their communities. Through six interactive workshops and continued mentorship, the young people developed their communication, creative, and collaborative abilities in a supportive and inclusive environment.

The Youth workshop structure and formats included the following:

Workshop 1

Introduction, Team Building & Site Tour

Participants got to know one another through teambuilding activities before being introduced to the Squires Lane proposals and programme objectives. The session concluded with a guided tour of the site to help young people connect ideas with the real environment.

Workshop 2

Marketing & Communications

Young people learned about JTP’s communications plan for the community event and contributed their own ideas on how best to engage their peers. The workshop also included insights into careers in the built environment sector.

Workshop 3 Your Vision for Finchley Lakeside

This session explored themes of youth culture, green spaces and active lifestyles. Young people were introduced to the Finchley Lakeside Design Challenge and brainstormed creative ideas for how the indoor and ground-floor space could be used.

Workshop 4 Designing the Vision for Finchley Lakeside (Part 1)

Building on earlier ideas, participants refined their proposals for the indoor, ground-floor space at Finchley Lakeside and began brainstorming and shaping their concepts for the outdoor areas.

The session began with some Ice Breaker games to get everyones energy levels up, illustrated in the photos below.

Workshop 5 Designing the Vision for Finchley Lakeside (Part 2)

The young people attended the community event and after reflecting on key learnings, they finalised their designs for the outdoor vision of Finchley Lakeside, developing ideas for an outdoor water feature, running track and food market. The desire to bring local people from different cultures and of different ages together was strongly reflected in their designs. They wanted a place that was active, creative and welcoming, to bring "life and energy into the area and give people a space that they can really make their own". Bright, and colourful seating was seen as important to attract young people and children.

It would be a place where people can come together. It’s active, creative, and welcoming, which is exactly what we felt was missing in Finchley. We want it to bring a bit of life and energy into the area and give people a space that they can really make their own.

Workshop 6 Mastering Communication & Celebration Event

The final session focused on developing presentation and public-speaking skills. Young people shared and celebrated their final designs, presenting their ideas with confidence to peers and project stakeholders.

By the end of the six-week programme, the participants reported that JTP and Pentland had genuinely listened to their ideas and suggestions. Creating an environment where the young people felt able to express their views without fear or judgement was an important aspect of this engagement. It helped participants recognise that their voices mattered, and that their opinions would be treated with respect and valued.

It was a great opportunity working with both JTP and 2-3 Degrees. I have learnt confidence, and I have met architects which inspired me to always do better and never give up.

The facilitators are more than great, the way they engaged everyone brought people out of their shells drastically; however, not to a point where they’re uncomfortable, helping us all grow as people. This opportunity was incredible, letting us all have an impact on the area around us with a space many of us didn’t even know existed until the process started. I had the chance to design an area for us, by us, and the fact that our voices matter in this project means a lot not just to the seven of us here, but also the wider young people community.

D. Chrisp Street, Poplar

Chrisp Street Market is an important local landmark in the heart of Tower Hamlets. As the only designated District Centre across the four wards of Poplar, Lansbury, Mile End and Bromley South, it plays a vital role in meeting the needs of a highly diverse and fast-changing community.

Many local estates are undergoing regeneration, and long-established centres like Chrisp Street Market are under pressure from declining footfall, rising vacancy rates and shifting retail patterns. Ensuring the town centre remained relevant, resilient and community-led was essential.

The area has experienced considerable changes over the years. Heavy bombing of London’s East End in WW11 demolished densely populated Victorian terraced streets and led to comprehensive re-planning of the area as part of the 1951 Festival of Britain. Previous regeneration proposals to replace the unpopular 1960s blocks were never realised due to viability and deliverability issues. Meanwhile, the local population has significantly increased, and Chrisp Street Market is failing to meet the needs of the community.

With momentum to take a fresh look at the site after previous stalled development plans, JTP Engages and place consultants AND London were appointed by developers, Telford Living and their housing association partner, Poplar HARCA, to engage with the community to co-create a new Vision for Chrisp Street Market. Together, the aim is to regenerate the area with a mix of new and refurbished buildings that will diversify the residential, commercial and community offer, and reflect community aspirations.

The engagement has not relied on a single technique. Instead, it has built a multi-faceted process, moving from early conversations and site walkabouts to intensive codesign days, youth workshops, digital engagement through the interactive map and structured report-back events. This layered approach has allowed for both breadth and depth, with thousands of people able to share views in simple, accessible ways, while others worked closely with the team to test ideas and priorities.

Getting to know the Community

The engagement and co-design process took place over the summer of 2025. The first step was getting to know the community and the team got out and about in the area, saying hello, introducing themselves, starting conversations and listening to what people liked and didn’t like. We also asked about their ideas for the future of the area and which existing buildings and spaces they most valued.

Over the initial six-week stage of our engagement and co-design process, we spoke with more than 200 people including local residents, traders, business owners, and visitors. We visited eight local community groups and heard directly from people involved in the life of the community. Local people showed us around, we interviewed traders and held many one-to-one meetings with local businesses, residents and members of the public. We met with the board of the adjacent Lansbury Estate and were taken around the site by a local disability rights campaigner.

Our digital reach amplified this further: 11 Instagram videos targeting younger audiences generated 100,000 views; our bespoke project website attracted 1,200 visits; 3the interactive map received 30 comments; and 30,000 flyers promoted the process and our events.

Upon the project's inception, we also undertook a demographic analysis of Chrisp Street that revealed to us that not only was Tower Hamlets highly diverse with UK’s largest Bangladeshi (34.6%) and Muslim (39.9%) populations, but it was also the youngest borough (median age 30) in England.

These factors influenced the way we publicised and curated our public in-person events which aimed to be welcoming to all and bespoke to the local demographic we were working with. This included having a Bengali translator present at all major events, ensuring the large Bengali-speaking population could engage more accessibly, and reimagining traditional engagement with more dynamic and youthful techniques tailored for younger audiences. This also specifically resulted in our collaboration with Poplar HARCA to host a dedicated Youth Workshop with their established youth panel.

Youth Workshop

A key part of our engagement and co-design process was a workshop with Spotlight Youth Centre’s Youth Empowerment Board (YEB), which is run by Poplar HARCA. YEB meets monthly to present ideas, challenge plans and feed youth perspectives into Poplar HARCA’s future strategies helping shape decisions and drive change across Poplar and Bow.

During the two-hour co-design workshop with YEB, 15 young people aged between 15 and 21 contributed hundreds of comments, sketches and Post-it notes covering every part of Chrisp Street life. Their ideas ranged from evening entertainment and café culture to safer crossings, greener play spaces and maker pods for ‘side hustles’.

Summary of Outcomes from Youth Workshop

EVENING ECONOMY & SAFETY

The insights were grouped by theme. Percentages show the share of youth feedback devoted to each topic. Taken together, these comments paint a clear picture of what matters to young people: including an active square after 6pm, cleaner and greener public space, healthy and affordable food, places to sit and study, and routes that feel safe on foot or by bike.

These priorities will help guide the next stage of design, ensuring the masterplan meets the needs of Chrisp Street’s younger residents as well as the wider community. Their ideas are inspiring and are summarised on these pages.

Many young people from the YEB workshop also participated in the Community Co-design days, helping shape the view of young people with a wider audience.

PUBLIC REALM,

GREEN SPACE & PLAY

PUT CHRISP STREET BACK ON THE MAP

10%

COMMENTS

“YOU GET LOST TRYING TO FIND THE MARKET ENTRANCE”

• Young people believe Chrisp Street needs a stronger arrival and outward face.

• Ideas include:

• a “landmark arch” at East India Dock Road and Cordelia Street,

• bright banners

• neon signs opposite the DLR, and

• public artwork by the bus stops. All “to welcome you in and show you where to go.”

9%

COMMENTS

“WE NEED PLACES THAT SELL HEALTHY STUFF WE CAN AFFORD.”

• Food first Many youth comments focus on places to eat and drink – juice bars, vegan cafés, bubble‑tea or coffee shops, African food and healthy, low‑cost options to sit alongside existing fast food.

• Other key requests include:

• a good corner shop near All Saints DLR,

• a supermarket and • new public toilets.

REFRESH THE MARKET

21%

COMMENTS

“I WON’T CUT THROUGH HERE AT NIGHT, IT’S CREEPY.”

• Young people say Chrisp Street turns into “a ghost town” after 6 pm.

• Young women, in particular, feel unsafe, reporting cat‑calling and harassment after dark.

• They support bringing more residents and activity to the square, designing buildings with clear sight‑lines and no dark corners, adding well‑integrated lighting and CCTV.

18%

COMMENTS

“TURN SPARE SPACES INTO PARKS OR PLACES FOR SPORTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE”

• Young people ask for more trees and greenery, shared seating and ‘places to chill with friends’, as well as play and sports equipment for older children and teens.

• Specific ideas:

• climbing walls,

• an outdoor gym,

• big swings,

• table‑tennis and,

• a water fountain.

• Young people also ask for public drinking‑water taps.

MORE THAN RETAIL

18%

COMMENTS

“THE IDEAS STORE NEEDS MORE COSY AND QUIET SPACES THAT YOU CAN GO ON YOUR OWN.”

• Young people want new places to eat that stay open, evening attractions such as Flip Out, Electric Shuffle, an arcade or a cinema, street‑food stalls and even an outdoor games area with ping‑pong and chess so the square stays busy.

• Many teenagers run ‘side hustles’, from up cycled fashion to jewellery and crochet. They propose small shop units for local makers and start ups.

• Feedback also calls for a youth café‑study hub with Wi‑Fi, charging points, and cosy, quiet corners for study, gaming or relaxing.

10%

COMMENTS

“MAKE IT SAFER FOR BIKES”

PARKING, TRANSPORT & TRAFFIC

6%

COMMENTS

“KEEP IT THE SAME BUT BETTER AND CLEANER”

• More stalls and more variety.

• Make it cleaner and better organised – young people notice litter and untidy stalls and say, “Keep it the same but better and cleaner.”

• Space for young creatives –some request pop‑up pitches to sell crafts and artwork.

5%

COMMENTS

“SOMEWHERE TO SIT THAT’S OURS”

PLACES TO MEET, SIT & CHILLL

• Sociable outdoor seating. Teens want cafés whose tables spill into the square and Cordelia Street, plus clusters of benches where they can sit together without being moved on.

• Covered hang‑outs with power. Requests for sheltered areas equipped with USB charging so friends can meet in any weather and stay connected.

• Inclusive design. Seating that feels welcoming to teenagers but shares the space with parents, shoppers and younger children.

COMMUNITY IDENTITY & CHARACTER

READY FOR DEVELOPMENT - BUT SHOW US PROGRESS

• Slowing traffic around Chrisp Street is important to young people, many cite bike near‑misses..

• Many say cars are unnecessary here and prefer space for cyclists and scooters.

• They ask for speed bumps on Chrisp Street and East India Dock Road, plus safer crossings and wider cycle routes.

3%

COMMENTS

“MIXED COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT”

• Celebrate Culture. Young people value Chrisp Street’s “diverse vibe” and want it celebrated, not replaced.

• Street culture. They suggest public art murals, live music and pop‑up art installations to create platforms for local creativity.

• Create buzz. Ideas include outdoor cinema nights, culture days and art shows along the market edge.

1%

COMMENTS

• The young people we spoke to were positive and excited about Chrisp Street’s future.

• Young people support change but say, “Don’t let it drag on like before.”

• They also ask for a “more modern look” through redevelopment.

Community Co-design Events

At the heart of our engagement was our takeover of a local vacant shop, transforming it into a co-design hub. Two co-design days in May featured interactive and fun techniques for all ages where over 800 people attended to help shape the Vision for Chrisp Street Market. The participatory techniques included a giant ideas wall, children’s table with a design toolkit, hands-on design tables with the consultant team, AI image generation, face painting, pizza and free coffee!

Giant Ideas Wall

A large-scale map of Chrisp Street was displayed on a key wall and became a creative canvas for community input. Participants were invited to draw, write and place comments – directly adding their ideas, concerns and inspirations. The wall was particularly effective in drawing out detailed ideas for improvement around the Chrisp Street Market and offered people a quick way to leave thoughts.

AI Generation

Working with a JTP facilitator, participants were able to discuss and share their visions with the team and turn familiar streets and spaces of Chrisp Street into reimagined AI-generated images, providing instant visualisation of potential designs. This process enhanced engagement, sped up creative input and helped the consultant team integrate community ideas into the Chrisp Street Vision in a creative and inclusive way.

Kids Toolkit

We designed a kids toolkit and set up a creative zone for the younger children packed with colourful materials and playful prompts inviting them to draw, imagine and share their ideas. The technique acted as a gateway to whole family participation, offering parents the opportunity to engage with us for longer whilst keeping children entertained.

for Redevelopment – but show us progress”

Co-design Workshops

Four design tables provided the opportunity for people to sit down with the architects, discuss ideas and put pens to paper in collaborative design sessions. They discussed their aspirations and sketched plans for Chrisp Street’s transformation. It was evident from these sessions that there was a clear desire to ‘put Chrisp Street back on the map’.

A summary of key suggestions from these sessions are summarised in the following pages.

Overall, we engaged 2,800 people through 45 engagement hours across 13 events – producing 4,179 comments that directly shaped emerging designs.

Vision Masterplan

After the Community Co-design Days, JTP prepared plans and 3D visualisations of draft proposals. These were displayed at a public exhibition along with a supersized Vision Masterplan which demonstrated how people’s ideas had been reflected in the design. The public exhibition was an opportunity for the community to discuss the emerging plans with the JTP design team in-person.

“Have different places to eat on the main square, some nice restaurants and other places where young people can hang out.”

“We need a proper supermarket here.”

“A proper supermarket would save a trip to ASDA and keep money local.”

“Put the life back into Chrisp Street. This is a great place to live!”

“Get new residents to the Borough to come here!”

“Sort the market and the rest will follow.”

“The Market gets really packed on a Saturday – it needs a better layout.”

“We need more variety in shops!”

“Pocket gardens with benches would make it welcoming.”

“Benches along the market alley so we can rest with shopping bags.”

“Need more lights and cameras to keep the place feeling safe – too many dark corners.”

“Make the play area colourful and welcoming.”

“A late café with music would bring life back after dark.”

“Kids have nowhere decent to play, give them a reason to stay.”

“We need a real sense of arrival, so you know you’ve landed in Chrisp Street.”

“Better pubs, places to socialise and bring people together.”

“More places to sit and relax.”

Next Steps

At the time of writing, the Chrisp Street co-design process is still ongoing. The proposals were on display throughout August 2025 in a shop window in the market and are now on the project website: chrispstreete14.co.uk . with opportunities for the community to comment on the latest plans.

Ten Key Findings for Future of Place

Although the young people we engaged with were from a wide variety of backgrounds and lived in quite different environments in London and the south-east of England. Yet despite this, a series of strong common themes emerged from our conversations about future places.

We have summarised and analysed these below in the form of 10 key findings which we hope will enhance our placemaking approaches for the next generation.

1. Homes We Can Afford

The high cost of housing was the primary concern for young people. They were very worried by the lack of affordable housing options and feared they would be priced out of their neighbourhoods and forced to move far away from family and friends. Addressing this issue requires giving young people a more meaningful role and voice in the planning process.

Housing that aligns with people’s incomes, life stages, and family structures is becoming increasingly unattainable for many in the UK, with the situation especially severe for young people in London. Median incomes for 18-21-yearolds in London are estimated at £20,800-£23,300 p/a, rising to £30,000-£35,000 for 22-29-year-olds. Median monthly private rents in London for mid-2024 to 2025 were:

• £811 for a room in a shared flat or house

• £1,550 for a self-contained one-bed flat, and

• £1,850 for a two-bed home.

For 18-21-year-olds on the above income, a room would take 42-47% of pre-tax income. Even in cheaper boroughs such as Enfield (£738), Croydon (£732), and Newham (£701), budgeting remains difficult and saving is rare. Social rented homes cost about half as much as private rents, and affordable housing is up to 80% of market rent; however, both are in limited supply.

With such high ratios of housing cost to earnings and the broader cost of living, saving for a deposit is extremely difficult. For young people without family support, a 5%10% deposit on the average London property (£562,000 in mid-2025) puts home ownership out of reach unless they leave London – creating new pressures through long commutes.

The ongoing shortfall in new homes has created a supply shortage, driving up prices across the UK. House prices have been rising by around 4-5% annually, and private rental costs have climbed 7-9% year-on-year in many regions, pushing even modest housing out of reach. These pressures have changed living patterns: 18% of 25-34-year-olds now live with their parents (up from 13% in 2006). Most do so out of necessity, not choice, with the average age of first-time buyers rising from 27 in 1995 to 34 in 2025

The combination of limited supply and high costs has led to serious social and economic consequences, including financial stress and homelessness. At the end of March 2025, one in 30 children in England were living in temporary accommodation – the highest since 2004. In mid-2024 to mid-2025, over 183,000 Londoners were homeless or in temporary accommodation. The human cost of homelessness is unacceptably high with the collective cost to London councils estimated at £4 million per day.

Against this background, it is no wonder that the short supply and high cost of housing were the top priority for so many of the young people we engaged with in London and the south-east of England this year.

Increasing the supply of homes to meet demand is key to making homes more affordable in the long term. This requires not just more homes overall but also the right types of homes in the right places. While the Government’s new towns initiative and planning reforms are intended to address this, there is widespread scepticism about meeting the target of 1.5 million new homes this Parliamentary term.

In the medium term, better use of existing stock is essential. This might include encouraging older people to downsize into high-quality later-living accommodation, freeing up larger homes for families.

More support for renters could involve expanding the private rental market, and accelerating delivery of social and affordable rented homes, which will require both public sector funding and private sector delivery.

2. Diverse Communities

Young people were very aware of the tensions that exist between people of different cultures, religions and generations living in the UK. They were keen to bring people together so they can focus on what they have in common and feel part of a community. They recognised that diverse communities need support and nurturing as well as places to meet and socialise in environments that feel safe and are welcoming.

Funding cuts in the UK have led to a reduction in councilrun community facilities where people used to meet and socialise, and where support for young people was available. Between 2010 and 2023 funding cuts led to the closure of more than two-thirds of council-run youth clubs in England and Wales. Between 2010 and 2019 nearly 800 public libraries closed and many that remained open are now run by volunteers and have reduced opening hours. The number of nightclubs in the UK has also reduced from more than 3,000 in 2005 to around 850 in 2025.

Feeling part of a community is vital for identity, social connections, wellbeing, and safety. Our engagement with residents at Alconbury illustrated how indoor and outdoor spaces and events that encouraged neighbourly and social connections have successfully created a new community there. It demonstrated the importance of community development workers and ongoing stewardship as well as the importance of well-curated social media for encouraging participation and volunteering and promoting mutual support.

3. Local Culture and Identity

Young people wanted their places to have a distinctive identity and character reflecting the spirit of the place and what is special about their community. They wanted to retain a sense of history through preserving landmarks and re-using heritage buildings as well as telling stories through public art. They said understanding the history of places they lived in helped foster a sense of belonging, identity and wellbeing.

They valued familiar landmarks as well as aspects of life that made their place special such as the East End’s entrepreneurial spirit, local festivals, live music, markets or shops and cafés with particular food.

Engagement with the community before developing designs helps design teams create a sense of belonging by reflecting local heritage, culture and valued physical aspects of place such as the range of colours and materials or distinctive architectural features. Reuse of buildings rather than demolition should be explored even when buildings are not considered of heritage value due to the potential saving in CO₂ emissions.

4. Safety

Young people repeatedly emphasised the importance of feeling safe. Fears of becoming lost or finding themselves in threatening situations were common. They stressed the need for clear sightlines, good signage, street lighting, and active frontages with windows overlooking streets. Feeling safe after dark was particularly important.

Feeling safe is crucial to human wellbeing and places that are welcoming and easy to navigate make people feel safer. Young people are more susceptible to particular types of crime, including violent offences, anti-social behaviour, street theft or muggings. Good placemaking and urban design should create pedestrian permeability with networks of streets and spaces rather than cul-desacs and blind alleys. Places should be well structured with landmarks and streets of different character to help people find their way around and intuitively create a mental map. Gateways can help by signalling a sense of arrival; a square, green space or taller building can create a focal point at the centre of the place to aid navigation. An evening economy with shops and businesses open in the evening will get more people out on the streets and improve passive surveillance which increases the feeling of safety.

5. Maintenance

Young people said that poorly maintained places had a detrimental impact on their wellbeing and placed high priority on keeping public spaces clean and free of litter. They said that neighbourhoods that are wellmaintained, and where you can tell people have pride of place, feel safer - it sends a message that ‘people here care for each other’.

Local councils have pared back their services due to lack of funding which has inevitably led to some public spaces appearing to be poorly maintained. Good management and maintenance are important aspects of placemaking. Strategies and budgets for maintaining public spaces need to be considered alongside design; this could include management companies or community trusts as well as local councils.

6. Walking and Cycling

Young people wanted routes for pedestrians and cyclists to be prioritised over vehicles with safe road crossings. They were very concerned about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists and the dangers they faced from cars and other vehicles on the roads. They suggested public squares and streets with high levels of pedestrian traffic should be car-free where possible. Driving and having access to a car did not feature in our discussions.

They pointed out that encouraging more people to walk and cycle increases passive surveillance and makes places feel safer. Parents of young children valued car free routes or routes with low speed limits. They said safe routes help them feel confident about letting their children walk to school by themselves at an earlier age – a milestone in personal independence.

The importance young people place on walking and cycling is not surprising as these are the main ways, along with public transport, that they get about. This reflects the decline in car ownership and use amongst younger people nationally compared with 30 years ago. In the mid-1990s, 48% of 17-20-year-olds in the UK held a full driving licence but by 2022 this had fallen to 27%. The cost of driving lessons, and owning and insuring a car, are likely reasons for the national trend. In London the percentage of young people driving cars is particularly low with only 9% of 17-19-year-olds having a full licence in 2023/24; this is probably due to the availability of public transport, reduced fares for 5-18-year-olds, improved cycle infrastructure, and electric bikes and scooters readily available for rent.

To encourage the shift away from private cars and towards sustainable travel that is evident amongst young people, future places need to provide other ways of getting about. Walking and cycling routes need to be of good quality, making them enjoyable as well as safe to use. Public transport needs to be convenient and affordable, and local facilities including public transport hubs need to be located within walking distance of homes.

7. Local Facilities within walking distance of homes

Young people wanted local facilities for everyday needs – shops, schools, cafés, workspaces, community and sports spaces – to be close to homes. Many younger people favoured lively, higher-density places and recognised the need to balance population density and viability of facilities.

A mix of uses was seen as crucial for social interaction and community life, with busy places perceived as safer due to more “eyes on the street”. They favoured schools acting as community hubs and envisioned future places with flexible

spaces for business start-ups and students, grouped around public squares designed for all ages. The quality and character of these spaces was important.

8. Green Spaces and Access to Nature

Young people placed high value on green spaces and access to nature. They made strong connections between access to green space and their physical and mental wellbeing.

They envisioned new places with a variety of green spaces including lively and quiet spaces, spaces for socialising, picnicking and reading outdoors, as well as playgrounds, pocket parks and doorstep play. They favoured natural green spaces that encourage wildlife and support nature’s recovery with networks of walking and cycling trails including dog walking circuits. Even in dense city neighbourhoods they wanted children to experience nature by seeing the seasons change, touching and smelling herbs, and enjoying colourful flowers. Features such as benches, trees, and seasonal planting were design priorities.

Nature and green space are not luxuries, they are essential to the health, wellbeing and development of young people, and evidence shows the benefits are both real and measurable. In the UK, spending time in woodlands and green environments is estimated to save around £185 million annually in mental health costs alone through fewer GP visits, reduced prescriptions, and less demand on social and inpatient services. Studies have found that even a 15-minute walk in an urban park can reduce stress or anxiety by 14-19% compared to walking along traffic-filled streets. Young people who live near greener environments (within 500m of their homes) are significantly less likely to report depression or anxiety. Access to nature and green spaces can promote wellbeing and encourage active lifestyles.

9. Variety and Mix of Homes

Young people frequently mentioned the need for a mix of homes within neighbourhoods to accommodate the lifestyles of different people. They wanted neighbourhoods to be designed for diverse communities with a range of different types of homes to suit different household sizes.

They pointed out that people in some cultures preferred to live together as multi-generational families. They also wanted smaller homes for older and younger people wanting to live independently but near their families. Homes for Later Living should also be in the mix. Within neighbourhoods they wanted homes to suit households with different incomes and not just high earners to ensure people on lower incomes were not pushed out by the high cost of housing.

They wanted to avoid monotonous places with too much uniformity and favoured interesting streets with a mix of typologies, forms and materials with homes that looked different from each other. Good natural light in interiors, and spaces that contribute to a sense of wellbeing were important.

10. Having a Voice

Young people valued the opportunity to get involved in JTP’s four engagement processes. They seemed genuinely surprised and pleased to be invited to give their opinion on future places but some needed a lot of support and encouragement to build their confidence before feeling comfortable contributing their ideas. Even then many were sceptical that their views would actually make a difference.

Our experience of working with these young people echoes the findings of the British Council’s 2024 research project Next Generation UK which reports that in relation to various levels of politics, young people in the UK do not feel their concerns and suggestions are heard, and that this perception has allowed a sense of powerlessness to grow and fester.

Involving young people in placemaking today needs to address this sense of powerlessness through processes that take them on an engagement journey and demonstrate how their views are genuinely shaping future places. Youth Engagement Boards, Youth Panels and Youth Clubs play a vital role in mentoring young people and giving them the confidence to advocate for their communities. On longer-term projects, setting aside budgets for earlywin community projects and giving younger people responsibility for delivering these can help them develop skills, foster goodwill and ensure improvements reflect what young people actually want.

The Future of Place

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the engagement process –you provided valuable insights.

From JTP MarcusAdams,LauraSlade,ClareSanMartin,CharlesCampion, JeevanChahal,DianaMihailova,JohannaLynn,LewisHill,TomRimmington, LeighYeats,SamKerin,FrancescaMacaulay,GusBrockwell,JoeWood, EmmaArmstrong,StephanosSpirakis,AlpNoyan,EllieHuggins ListofFutureofPlaceWorkshopparticipantsAgathaKho,MichaelThomas, VanessaMolina,RamrajKarthikeyani,ManasaVinodkumar,MarcoNaddafi, ChingNengLien,EdizAhmet,SeyhanAhmet(father),HarjunVirk,MartinAdams, ShikderAfifa,JayneD’Mello,JaydenBennett,TiaWilliams,YanaKostova, OJUgbaje,RheaBurton,BarisEmek,EnkyinOo,GusHylander,SamAdams, SalmaGorod,IliyaKoprinkov,JackKissock,AllysonAcuna,AlexHupe, MaksymilianCody,RhandSaleh,MorganDaffern,InderSohi, HarkaranAtwal,MatthewClayton

Image Credits & Copyright

©Caroline Field FutureofPlaceWorkshop

©Caroline Field FinchleyLakeside,SquiresLane

©2-3 Degrees FinchleyLakeside,SquiresLane

©Caroline Field ChrispStreet,Poplar

©Spotlight Youth Centre ChrispStreet,Poplar

JTP is an award-winning placemaking practice of architects and masterplanners with extensive experience of delivering successful projects for both private and public sectors throughout the UK and Europe.

We are passionate about good buildings and the spaces in between. Our work extends from the city to the building, encompassing all scales – towns, neighbourhoods, streets and spaces; from remaking the old to creating the completely new.

Our goal is to create places where life in all senses can flourish.

JTP London Studio

Unit 5, The Rum Warehouse

Pennington Street

London E1W 2AP

JTP Bristol Studio

Clockwise Bristol

Finzels Reach

Counterslip

Bristol BS1 6BX

Marcus Adams ma@jtp.co.uk

T. +44 (0)20 7017 1780

Scan the QR Code to visit our website and find out more about our process and places.