MIPIM | The route to 1.5m new homes

The UK faces a two‑sided housing crisis: locations unviable for developers, rising costs squeezing out homebuyers. The urban fringe could hold the answer.

Rahul Patalia, director of growth and regeneration for WSP in the UK and Ireland, said urban fringe areas offer some of the strongest opportunities for new homes: places with existing social infrastructure, partial planning precedent, transport links, and communities that can be strengthened.

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These areas can often be activated more quickly and more affordably than city-centre regeneration or remote greenfield expansion.

The best fringe sites will be developed with the community at the heart of their regeneration, ensuring long-term value is delivered to local people.