Researchers from Goldsmiths University of London & the University of Cambridge have issued a call to rethink how faith and belief are understood and mobilised in planning new towns and settlements. Their report, Housing with Values: Faith and Belief perspectives on Housing and Community Planning, presents the findings from a Faith & Belief Policy Collective study, produced in light of the UK Government’s ambitious pledge to build 1.5 million new homes.

The researchers’ analysis is based on a dozen interviews with diverse practitioners and professionals chosen for their expertise in faith and community building and/or planning. The 64-page report follows on from publication of the New Towns Taskforce (NTT)’s own recommendations to government at the end of September. 

Faith and belief, the authors argue, are vital contributors to local resilience, social cohesion, wellbeing, and attachment to place. Yet current planning systems in Britain have not embraced faith and belief communities as full partners in building thriving communities. Welcoming the NTT’s acknowledgement that “faith-based spaces [can] enrich communities” and provide “opportunities for personal development”, Housing with Values offers guiding principles for inclusive planning and proposes fuller civil--public collaboration to establish and disseminate good practice.

Lead author Professor Christopher Baker (Goldsmiths UoL) says: 
“As we embark on this next chapter of New Town building in England, it is vital to understand the contribution that faith and belief bring to the sustaining of new communities, through their vision, experience, resources and local leadership. The challenge now is to understand the immense contribution in terms of physical and social resources that all faith communities living in England can bring to the table. It is vital that we create channels through which this important contribution can be leveraged into the planning system as a whole.”

Co-author Dr Iona Hine (Cambridge) adds: 
“Before we began this research, Chris was already an expert on the faith-shaped pioneers who dreamed up England’s garden cities. Through the different conversations we’ve engaged in to produce this report, it was clear developers, agencies, and other planning professionals recognise the effort required to form healthy communities and ensure everyone lives well. Our hope is they’re open to thinking about that challenge in dialogue with people of all flavours of faith and belief. Maybe we can even get faith considerations written in to Section 106 agreements for all the new settlement sites.”

Professor Jagbir Jhutti-Johal (University of Birmingham) emphasises: 
“Not only has the demography of the UK changed significantly over past decades but so has the diversity of our faiths and beliefs. This poses new challenges for planners and developers who need support in ensuring important voices from the faith and belief sector are not missed in efforts to make New Towns work for all.”

The key recommendation for Government and Faith and Belief Communities is to establish a New Towns Faith Taskforce (NTFT) to translate faith traditions’ imaginative resources into constructive contributions within secular planning frameworks. 

Housing with Values arrives at a pivotal moment in national debates about new towns, housing supply, and community formation. Treating faith and belief as partners in planning can accelerate social cohesion from day one, reduce loneliness and social isolation, and provide governance and voluntary capacity that complements statutory services. Ignoring these dimensions risks creating settlements that are physically complete but socially fragile.