Planners are increasingly being asked to solve some of society's biggest challenges, from delivering new homes to managing the growing impacts of climate change.  

New research published in the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) Planning Research Matters (PRM) examines the opportunities and risks of digital planning at a time when environmental pressures are intensifying, and demands on the planning system continue to grow. 

Among the projects featured is the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Digital Solutions Hub, led by the University of Manchester, which aims to change the way environmental data is discovered, connected and used. 

The hub provides a practical use case for planning, using readily available environmental data to identify climate risks, heat stress, and future flooding that might be missed earlier in the planning process.  

The Digital Planning Participation project, led by researchers at Newcastle University and University College London, questions the rapid adoption and rollout of new digital engagement technology that use methods such as tick boxes and pins on maps to get faster engagement with as many people as possible.  

The researchers encourage a slower, human-centred approach using creativity and dialogue to achieve more meaningful engagement experiences. Successful engagement, the research suggests, depends less on the technology itself and more on designing participation around people's experiences, aspirations and concerns. 

Alongside the research projects, PRM revisits the Interface collection of essays on the digital data revolution in planning, land and housing, examining how technologies can be used responsibly in the face of such huge transformations impacting everyday life. 

Dr Daniel Slade, Head of Research and Practice at the RTPI, said: “Planners are working on the front line against massive environmental challenges, juggling the responsibility of large housing targets and the increasing threat of housing at risk of flooding, wildfires, and other climate risks.  

“It is therefore encouraging to see researchers from RTPI planning schools developing cutting-edge technology to help address these crises while working to bring communities along with us.”