Rethinking resilience: Why London’s planning system must catch up with it’s ambitions

Resilient cities: The future is now

In a cross-industry roundtable, hosted by Cripps, convened leaders across real-estate, urban planning, investment, infrastructure and insurance confronted the realities of climate risk and chart practical, scalable pathways needed to future-proof our cities and safeguard asset value.

Using the framework of The London Climate Resilience Review (2024), participants explored pathways for action across three key areas identified in the report:

• Blue and green infrastructure – The natural solution – unlocking the power of nature in city design and climate adaptation
• New development and retrofit – see article below
• Investing for change – Driving investment and change: Financing climate resilience in the built environment

London is at a crossroads. The city faces three defining challenges: building the homes we desperately need, decarbonising the existing building stock and preparing for the realities of a changing climate. Yet too often, the very systems designed to deliver progress – including our planning process – can hold back meaningful progress.

This tension was front and centre at a recent Cripps LLP roundtable, held against the backdrop of the London Climate Resilience Review. What emerged was not just a list of barriers, but also a vision of how London can turn them into opportunities.

Planning: the weakest link in resilience

It has long been recognised that the current planning system is plagued by delays and uncertainties, and successive governments have pledged to tackle this and address issues created by under-resourcing. To compound this, tougher legislative and regulatory requirements add further complexities , making ambitious projects even harder to deliver. If resilience is about adaptability and preparedness, then the planning system itself needs to become more resilient.

Retrofit: a reimagined approach

Retrofit is critical if London is to decarbonise existing building stock, whilst simultaneously preparing itself for the inevitable impact of climate change, particularly heat stress. Yet delivery is stuck – bottlenecked by contractor shortages, supply chain issues, and a lack of clear standards.

The answer? A complete rethink.

• Design-led decisions can be made upfront, cutting time from design to implementation of retrofit projects.
• A taxonomy for retrofit that sets clear expectations.
• A shift from piecemeal fixes to systemic remodelling.

Without this, even the best-intentioned projects risk stalling.

Innovation over inaction

When it came to new developments, participants asked a provocative question: what if we could rewrite the rules?

Ideas included:

• A carbon tax to incentivise reuse and circular materials, funding new public housing.
• Designing with nature at the core, not as an afterthought.
• Learning from examples like Southwark’s Paper Garden, which proves sustainability and creativity can go hand in hand.

The bigger challenge, however, is cultural. Too often, innovative housing solutions are dismissed as “too risky”. But the real risk lies in continuing to do nothing.

Collaboration over competition

Housing delivery is still framed as a competitive process – developers, investors, lawyers, and councils all working in silos. Yet resilience is not a zero-sum game. It demands collaboration: sharing knowledge, pooling risk, and building trust across sectors.

Governance and the citizen voice

Elsewhere in the world, zoning strategies streamline delivery. In London, governance is still fragmented, and bureaucracy slows momentum. Should politics and citizen voices play a bigger role? Opinions differ, but one truth is clear: new governance models are needed. Alliances like the G15 could provide leadership for housing retrofit, but solutions must also reflect the unique character of each borough.

A city worth betting on

For all the challenges, optimism cut through the discussion. London remains an attractive destination for investment – not despite it being a patchwork city with distinct local identities, but because of it. The next generation of buyers, renters, and policymakers are demanding a housing market that is sustainable, equitable, and future proof.

The bigger picture – summary

Resilience isn’t about tweaking at the edges. It’s about bold, systemic change – in policy, in collaboration, and in mindset. The question is whether we have the courage to move past bureaucracy and embrace innovation. If we can, London has the chance not just to survive future shocks, but to lead the way in showing how a global city can thrive in an age of climate uncertainty.

Over to you

What single change would make London’s planning system more resilient -more resources, more collaboration, or a complete reset?