Third Revolution’s MD Rob Shaw had the pleasure of chatting to PlannerPod, hosted by The Planner’s Simon Wicks and Ben Gosling, and Nicola Gooch of Birketts LLP. Rob talked about the transformational impacts of the energy transition and other technologies on land uses, communities and the economy, and why strategic planning is at the heart of it

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Youtube or The Planner.

Let us know what you think!

If you want a brief summary without listening:

Planning today takes place against a backdrop of rapid and profound change. Over the next 15-30 years, the time horizons of Local Plans and Spatial Development Strategies (SDS), our economy, infrastructure and communities will be reshaped more dramatically than at any point in the last century. Localities that fail to grasp this risk falling behind economically, struggling to deliver homes, and facing the uncertainty of speculative development.

The drivers are clear. Decentralised renewable energy, electrification of homes, industry and transport, and the rise of AI, life sciences and new materials are already altering spatial patterns. These changes are as significant as the 20^th Century shift brought by mass car ownership and cheap fossil fuels, which shaped car-dependent suburbs and a hyper-mobile economy. The disruption is uncomfortable for some, but the opportunities from new industries, affordable energy, better connected places are enormous.

An SDS or local plan must therefore begin with a realistic understanding of these forces. Housing and industry cannot be planned in isolation from energy infrastructure. Locations with access to clean power will prosper; AI demands its own infrastructure and will underpin productivity; life sciences are reshaping food and healthcare. Strategic planning must link these drivers to land use, investment and community priorities, while setting out a compelling vision of how change can improve lives.

TRP has developed the DRROP framework (Drivers – Revolutions – Risks – Opportunities) to help planners and decision-makers do exactly this. DRROP provides:

• Evidence on societal and technological change
• Insight into risks and opportunities for land use, infrastructure and investment
• Clear advice on vision, policy and delivery
• Stakeholder engagement to support implementation

We’ve proven this approach, most recently in North Yorkshire, where our evidence and policy framework for a new settlement was found sound at examination.

Download our brochure and get in touch to see how DRROP can help you.

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