Social Impact Assessment in London Planning Report: MSc UDP collaborates with the Just Space network

In a dense, interdependent and unequal city such as London, the social impact of development should be given equal weight in planning as other impact assessments. This proposition, contained within Just Space’s Towards a Community-Led Plan for London, framed an ambitious action research project undertaken by 2017-2018 MSc UDP students as part of their practice module. 
 With a Draft New London Plan published for consultation in December 2017, the project was designed to support Just Space’s ongoing efforts to influence long-term strategic planning reformulation at the metropolitan scale. Working with community groups in Haringey and Southwark, students developed inclusive Social Impact Assessment (SIA) tools to help elaborate the Just Space proposal and build the case for including SIA as a core requirement of London planning. Key questions animating the project included: Is SIA an appropriate tool to foreground local needs and safeguard irreplaceable community assets in London Planning? Could SIA become a platform for genuine co-production in London planning? 
Findings from the project were presented back for discussion during a public event held with Just Space in December 2017 (more information available here); and again by Just Space during a Community Conference on the London Plan at the City Hall, Greater London Authority (GLA), in Spring 2018.A report containing consolidated learnings from the project has been prepared, and can be downloaded here.
 For further information, please contact Barbara Lipietz (b.lipietz@ucl.ac.uk) or Tim Wickson (t.wickson@ucl.ac.uk).