Future of Planning User Research

Tender description

The Catapult has developed a ‘Future of Planning’ programme to - • Demystify the planning process; • Understand where the planning process is ‘broken’; • Understand which elements of the process can be enhanced through data science, design and digital tools; • Develop concepts, use cases, prototypes and speculative film that demonstrate the future fo planning; and • Quantify the inefficiencies in the current system and value new ways of planning. The planning process, is the tool we use to manage the urban environment. It controls what gets built where, and how buildings, streets and spaces are used. It involves a huge range of actors including developers, identifying available land, its costs and the constraints on providing new homes, offices or industry; to city officials and politicians deciding what development should be allowed where and under what conditions; to infrastructure providers planning where to build new roads, wastewater treatment works and refuse collection centres; to how planning applications are submitted and challenged by citizens; to how central government creates the legal and regulatory framework for new development to happen; to how banks and financiers provide the capital for developers to buy land and build. As part of this programme, The Catapult wishes to commission user research to understand the current needs, demands and ambitions of key actors within the planning process, to help us focus our efforts to innovate.