How vision-led transport planning leads to great places
GeoffBurrage
On 21 April 2026, ITP sponsored and attended the Building New Communities Conference 2026, where Technical Director and vision-led transport planning specialist, Geoff Burrage, joined a panel discussion on integrating new developments with existing communities. Geoff was joined by colleagues from ITP’s Sustainable Development team, including Director of Sustainable Places Scott Marshall, to discuss how vision-led placemaking and ITP’s evidence-led tools, including our new interactive vision-led placemaking tool and Mode Shift Model, are helping turn ambitious ideas into deliverable schemes. Read more to find out how ITP is putting vision-led transport planning into practice.
No longer a ‘nice to have’, vision-led transport planning is embedded in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), alongside the Government’s new ‘Better Connected’ strategy for integrated transport and updated Local Transport Plan guidance. ITP has long championed this approach and has worked with the DfT, professional bodies and more to influence the national conversation.
For ITP, vision-led transport planning starts with a simple question – what kind of place do we want to create? From walking and cycling to public transport, putting sustainable solutions at the heart of new communities is key. This is as much about placemaking as it is about creating genuine travel choice.
Getting this right isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. The benefits for places and their communities are clear. Our approach doesn’t just benefit residents – vision-led schemes are more likely to secure planning consent, helping deliver projects with sustainable transport at their core. Ultimately, being visionary is a waste of time if nothing gets built!
Delivering vision-led planning in practice
ITP puts vision‑led placemaking at the heart of the development lifecycle by:
- Starting with the right site: our advanced design and mapping tools can help identify locations with strong potential for sustainable growth, helping clients promote more deliverable, attractive sites for residents, visitors and employees.
- Co-creating a clear vision: focusing on transport in isolation will result in bad outcomes - collaborative working is in our DNA. We work with clients, planners and consultants so that movement is embedded seamlessly in masterplans.
- Delivering sustainable value: by prioritising sustainable transport, we reduce reliance on costly highways infrastructure, improving viability while maintaining high-quality outcomes. Ultimately, better-quality places result in better returns on investment.
Bringing Placemaking to life
Connectivity shapes the long-term success of developments. To support better decisions from the outset of each project, ITP has launched a free, interactive Placemaking Tool.
Accessible on ITP’s website, users can:
- Assess how well a site connects to its surroundings
- Explore access to sustainable transport, jobs and key services, alongside local context such as car ownership
By cutting through complex data, the tool highlights strengths, identifies gaps and helps focus efforts where it matters most.
Turning vision into evidence
ITP’s work with Urban&Civic in Baldock, Hertfordshire, demonstrates our approach in action. Appointed to support a planning application for a mixed‑use development of up to 3,200 homes, ITP used the Mode Shift Model to analyse how transport solutions could influence travel behaviour.
This allowed us to identify opportunities to encourage walking, cycling and public transport, reducing reliance on private vehicles and future congestion, helping the scheme grow as a natural extension of the town while reducing emissions.
ITP are using evidence-led tools to turn ambitious placemaking visions into deliverable schemes. Stress tested by organisations including Homes England and applied on live projects, the model demonstrates how prioritising sustainable transport can reduce car dependency, strengthen the planning case and support the faster, more viable delivery of new homes at lower cost than traditional predict and provide, car centric approaches.
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Experts team Vision-led placemaking