The challenge of delivering high-quality housing in economically disadvantaged areas is one of the most pressing urban issues in England today. Too often, poor housing quality is the norm, reinforcing cycles of deprivation, while new housing is either poorly designed or not delivered at all because it is unviable. However, as my previous blog showed, there are housing projects that have been able to defy the odds and deliver good quality development in some of the most challenging areas. 

The new Place Alliance report, Tackling Inequality in Housing Design Quality, sets out ten routes to success and illustrates those with twenty stories of success.  Looking across the routes and stories, certain cross-cutting lessons were also apparent that can usefully be adopted elsewhere.  

The 20 projects from which the cross-cutting lessons were drawn

Each of the stories follows a common structure covering the journey from vision to delivery, and the key lessons are structured in the same way.  They will be relevant to housing developers (public and private); design, housing, planning, real estate and highways professionals; and both local and national politicians.

The journey from vision to delivery

The Key to Success: Design Vision and Leadership

One of the primary takeaways from successful housing projects in disadvantaged communities is the importance of a clear design vision. This means prioritising key design factors such as:

A holistic approach to place-making—integrating the mix of local amenities and infrastructure necessary to create a functioning place.Optimising density—to make developments viable and liveable (the average across the 20 cases was 84 dph – the average in the UK is 31 dph).A high-quality, connected public realm—ensuring that streets, green and public spaces enhance community life.Visually appealing and robust architecture—buildings that are attractive and durable.Healthy private living spaces—with ample good quality internal and external areas for residents.Embracing adaptable standardisation—delivering economies of scale and more certain production and quality control while being responsive to context.

Strong design leadership is crucial in driving such principles forward. Successful projects typically feature a collaborative leadership model, where public, private, and third-sector actors work together. Moreover, a dedicated delivery vehicle—such as public-sector housing companies or public-private partnerships—can play a critical role in ensuring a consistent and high-quality approach to housing development.

Proactive Planning: Creating a Culture of Quality

Quality housing doesn’t happen by accident. It nearly always requires proactive planning, with local authorities playing a significant role in shaping and guiding development. Key strategies include:

Building a culture of quality—where high design standards are expected because, quite simply, authorities are committed to uphold them.Setting strategic quality expectations—across all public sector plans and strategies.Providing site-specific guidance—to ensure clear, actionable expectations for developers, through pre-application engagement, design review, and design briefs and codes.Using positive planning approaches—such as CPOs and the direct public sector delivery of new housing (across tenures).

Without proactive planning, disadvantaged communities risk being subjected to substandard development, where profit-driven considerations override long-term quality.

Engaging the Community: The Power of Local Voices

A common pitfall in housing development is failing to engage the community. Successful projects recognise the importance of understanding and balancing the needs of both existing residents and incoming populations. Effective community engagement means:

Understanding the needs and concerns of local residents by spending time with them and using meaningful engagement processes that genuinely influence design and planning.Balancing gentrification risks with opportunities for improvement.Encouraging long-term resident involvement in the management of housing developments.

Communities thrive when residents have a stake in their environment. Housing projects that foster a sense of ownership—whether through co-design, participatory planning, or resident-led governance—are more likely to succeed in the long run.

Financing High-Quality Housing: Making It Work Economically

Many disadvantaged areas are deemed “uninvestable,” leading to a cycle where only the lowest-quality housing is developed, or none at all.  But these localities are all unique socio-economic and market contexts that need to be understood and that will almost always have some place advantages that can be exploited.

To stem the race to the bottom, innovative strategies are needed, such as:

Leveraging public sector land—to offset risks in difficult locations.Densification strategies—to maximise ‘place value’ on public land.Public sector borrowing to invest—to fund long-term, high-quality developments.Cross-subsidisation—using revenue from market-rate housing to support affordable housing, or allowing cross-subsidy across different public sector schemes.Accepting that in deprived areas the answer is not always building more ‘affordable’ homes, sometimes a greater mix is required.Patient capital investments—where long-term returns are prioritised over quick profits.

By understanding and shaping the economic context, it is possible to deliver high-quality housing in even the most challenging environments.

Overcoming Regulatory Barriers and monitoring delivery

Careful design and development strategies can all too easily be undermined by inappropriate regulation or crude value engineering prior to delivery.  A dividend of using a public-private partnerships to deliver new housing in disadvantaged areas is the smoothing of these processes. Successful projects challenge outdated or overly rigid regulations by:

Advocating for flexible planning standards—questioning inappropriate dwelling distances and excessive parking requirements that hinder densityEngaging highways authorities early—ensuring that adoption standards support walkable, human-centric environments.Emphasizing design integrity throughout the process—by anticipating and proactively addressing cost-cutting measures that compromise quality.Monitoring and learning from past projects—ensuring that mistakes are not repeated and that successes are built upon.

Tackling Inequality in Housing Design Quality, unpacks all this in more detail, systematically setting out overarching lessons for success.

Conclusion: What Are We Waiting For?

The research was clear: high-quality housing can be delivered in disadvantaged communities. The success stories prove that with strong leadership, proactive planning, community involvement, innovative financing, sensitive regulation, and delivery with integrity, it is possible to break the cycle of substandard housing.

Cross-cutting lessons for success

The question now is, why aren’t we scaling these successes across the country?

If we are serious about tackling inequality and improving living conditions for all, then investing in better housing is not just an option—it is a necessity. The knowledge and tools exist. The only thing missing is the collective will to implement them at scale.

So, what are we waiting for?

Matthew Carmona

Professor of Planning & Urban Design

The Bartlett School of Planning, UCL

@ProfMCarmona