Next government urged to support AI adoption in planning

The London Property Alliance has called on the next government to support AI adoption across planning authorities so that developments in the capital can be sped up. The LPA’s AI & the built environment report, which polled 300 design, planning and development professionals in central London, found some 90% of respondents recognised the potential of AI to increase efficiency and productivity. The research considered how AI could ease the burden on the planning system, which is managed by 337 local planning authorities across the UK that manually process more than 3.5m planning applications every year. Some 70% of survey respondents believed their roles will benefit from less repetitive tasks, while 56% thought it would result in cost savings. As such, researchers said AI offered the potential to reallocate time and expertise towards the tasks where a “human touch” is most valued. The report, published with input from Landsec, Arup, AECOM, City of London Corporation, Foster & Partners, Greater London Authority, Grosvenor and Gardiner & Theobald, showed the use of AI in the sector is already under way. Nearly 70% of those surveyed have interacted or worked with AI tools as part of their job. A coordinated approach between the public and private sectors at this nascent stage is vital in realising the potential of AI, said the LPA. Five benefits to using AI The report identified five ways in which London can benefit from harnessing AI in real estate. It determined that AI has the potential to facilitate workstreams and deliver developments more efficiently. It also said an AI-enabled planning system could work faster to support London’s growth. Using AI could reduce the uncertainty of land speculation and ensure appropriate development densities for urban sites. Additionally, AI-generated feedback could inform rational decision-making throughout the design and development process to prevent late-stage issues, redesigns and post-rationalisations. Real-time insights could also steer building management systems towards more sustainable operations to help decarbonise the London property sector, which accounts for 78% of the capital’s emissions. Given that AI integration is still at an early stage and is reliant on whether authorities are able to access resources, support and funding for local planning departments, the LPA noted that central government would have an important role to prevent a two-tiered system from emerging between authorities. Government support will be “critical” The body said additional support could build on the existing work of local and national government. The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities’ PropTech Innovation Fund has provided more than £12m to help local authorities speed up their adoption of technology, while City of London Corporation has received funding from the department’s Digital Planning Improvement Fund to improve its digital capabilities and explore the use of AI. Elsewhere, the Greater London Authority’s planning “datahub” is creating a single open dataset of development proposals in the planning process to enable greater understanding and monitoring of the City’s built environment. Charles Begley, chief executive of London Property Alliance, said: “The adoption of AI in the planning system in particular could see the biggest impact – automating resource-intensive manual tasks and enabling a more efficient planning system that optimises data and real-time insights. “Government support will be critical in enabling AI adoption across planning authorities, accelerating the delivery of much-needed new office space and homes that will support London’s growth. Whoever forms the next government should continue to build on the great work under way at a national and local level to ensure AI’s extraordinary benefits are harnessed.” Image © And Machines/Unsplash