Progressive Places - A Framework: Vol 1
29 Oct 2026
Today marks the launch of Progressive Places, a report that culminates a year of conversations with leaders from local government, development, architecture, culture and academia about the future of our towns, cities and neighbourhoods.
Through interviews, roundtables and workshops, we explored the barriers and opportunities shaping successful places and how they can respond to social, economic and environmental change.
Rather than focusing on individual projects, participants examined the wider systems that shape everyday life. They recognised the role that architects, planners, developers, local authorities, cultural organisations and civic leaders play as stewards of place, helping to shape the long-term social, environmental and economic futures of the communities they serve.
From these discussions, five interconnected themes emerged as critical: trust, reuse, agency, culture and nature.
Progressive Places was established to explore these themes and provide a practical framework for how places can navigate change, build resilience and create shared value for communities, businesses and the wider economy. This first volume introduces the framework and sets out practical principles that can be applied today to help create places that are more resilient, inclusive and prosperous.
Progressive Places is intended as a framework for discussion as much as a report. By presenting this first volume, we acknowledge that ideas continually develop and that experiences shape and shift as we learn and try again.
If you have your own ideas, challenges or examples of progressive placemaking, we'd love to hear from you. Over the coming months, we'll continue the conversation with industry and public sector partners, building towards a second volume of the report. Stay tuned for opportunities to contribute and help shape what comes next.
