It’s all very well having access to data, but where does the real value lie? Is it in being able to analyse that data? Yes, to a degree. But the real returns come when you know how to use it.
This was one of the overriding points made by two people who know their stuff when it comes to applying data to real estate and the wider world: Savills director of urban design Andy Dowding and VU.CITY chief executive Jamie Holmes.
“Data analysis is important, of course,” says Holmes, “but the true value comes from actioning the results of that analysis. It is easy to sit and create arguments and conversation around information, but where is the action? There needs to be more of a culture of analysing data and doing something about it.
“There also needs to be a selective approach to data when there is so much out there. Too much information can slow us down. We call it ‘analysis paralysis’, where you drill far too deep into your discipline. You have to work out what is relevant to you and what will help improve your business, and make a judgement call.”
So how does the property sector go about making sure data analysis happens effectively and is properly actioned?
Get the right people on board, says Holmes. People who will know what to look for and when to stop digging.
Too much information can slow us down. We call it ‘analysis paralysis’, where you drill far too deep into your discipline
There can be no greater example of where data analysis can be harnessed for the greater good than the perennially complicated planning process. Many real estate companies, professionals and developers find themselves walking a fine line between not having enough data and information overload. But, as Dowding points out, the right data can cut down timescales, eliminate delays and make the process far less painful.
“You have to take the right data and use it to test feasibility,” he says. “But that in itself is full of challenges. We oversee the early design and development process of sites throughout London and the South East, and London is a prime example of a complex city where this can be extremely challenging. Apart from anything else, there is a historical angle to consider on top of the standard planning issues.
“You have to know what data is relevant on a project-by-project basis, and VU.CITY allows us to analyse the right layers – from air pollution to bedrock and from conservation areas to housing zones – to really inform the process and, crucially, speed it up for our clients.”
Holmes adds: “We have modelled the whole of London. That’s 1,917 sq km on a platform that allows people to interact with the base model of London but also see all of the future consents, so hopefully better, more informed decisions around planning proposals will be made.
“We have 22 of the 33 London councils now using the tool, on top of developers, consultants and architects, so I think there is a real sense of collaboration – bringing everyone together to be able to see a single story. There are so many examples where people use data to maybe manipulate the conversation. What we’re trying to do at VU.CITY is just lay out the truth in a single platform. And actually, everybody around the table therefore starts talking with a clearer understanding.”
Invaluable tool
As Dowding comments, a three-dimensional “almost parametric model” that can aid the construction, architectural and engineering process to bring all those disciplines together will be an invaluable tool for future planning and development. But do enough people feel the same?
“It is about the analysis and the action,” says Dowding. “There is so much data available now… But it’s what you do with it and how you interpret it that equates to the true value. And our strength, which comes from working with Jamie and others, is that we can analyse and advise off the back of that data in an efficient manner. We can pull out the right advice. And that’s what the planning and development process needs.
“We can target the right data too. It is relatively easy to pull together census data, which is extremely powerful and useful, whether it be socio-economic or demographic. But with the census being every 10 years, it can quickly become out of date, particularly in a changing environment like London, where the population is growing so fast.”
Powers of persuasion
Holmes adds that much of the success of a data provider comes down to the way in which the information is presented. “Someone once told me that people will happily accept an answer that isn’t the answer they want if they feel that they have been taken through a fair process. I think at the moment a lot of people feel that it’s not a fair process.
“It all comes down to communication, and part of our job is bringing all these data sources together, interpreting it and coming up with a proposal which is deliverable, raises value, meets housing need, is sustainable and so on. But people need to know the analysis has been fair, and that the solutions and actions are actually deliverable. Of course, in development, the time to communicate that is during the planning process, early on. And you can only do that if you’ve got the right data and put it together properly.”
So, is it working? A question best answered in the short term by client feedback. “Response has been really positive,” says Dowding. “We have a very large planning team in London. My colleagues in the planning department and consultancy are using VU.CITY daily. I’ve been in meetings with large, leading housebuilders and we’ve tabled it and it’s proving very useful.”
In terms of what’s next, Holmes neatly sums it up: “Is architecture in the built environment an art or a science? I think it’s both, and there is a danger that you view the future as completely parametric modelling. There has to be a focus kept on the art side, though – it’s not all about science.
“I would like to think that a lot of time wasted in the whole process can be taken out to allow us to focus more on the creative side. It would be nice to think that technology and science can help speed that process up to allow more time for proper placemaking.”
To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette
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