Planning Services

Great places are made possible through effective and integrated planning

The built environment is more than a sum of its parts, more than just a collection of individual buildings and supporting infrastructure. What makes it successful is the interconnections between people and places, between the physical and digital assets and the environmental, social and economic systems that supports them – and what binds the fabric of these components together, is planning.

With a convergence of rapid changes to climate, technology, resources and demographics, effective and viable planning has never been more important. Whether it’s planning for new urban developments, regenerating existing ones or working with rural communities we help shape places now, and for the future.

5,000 experts worldwide

Breadth of experience and applied capability

Focused on shaping the future

Our Expertise:

We have the global scale combined with local knowledge encompassing a wide range of planning-related expertise across technical, economic, social, environmental and regulatory domains, from the earliest concept and viability stages through to project delivery and beyond.

The location of each project brings unique challenges and opportunities, which is why communication and engagement is a crucial part of any successful planning process. We work closely with all stakeholders, facilitating discussions between clients and the communities in which the project serves. We work with both the public and private sector, including governments, local authorities, utilities, transport agencies, property developers and private companies in industry, mining and natural resources.

Related projects

Project

C40 Cities Protecting the Mass Transit

On 31 March 2021, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group – a group of 97 cities around the world – came together to demand historic levels of investment in public transport to ensure a green and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Underpinning this campaign was research carried out over a period of just two months by WSP’s team in Canada, which provided a solid evidence base to support the mayors of these cities in arguing for an injection of funds by national governments into their mass transit infrastructure.

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United Kingdom

HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline: Leading the UK's net zero journey with hydrogen

Pre-feasibility design work and planning work for a pioneering hydrogen project that will put the UK at the forefront of net zero innovation. At WSP, we’ve advised gas distribution company Cadent as they lead this energy transition project through its lifecycle and to provide a new way to power the UK’s industry and communities.

China

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning and Design Consulting Service for Nanchang, China

With the funding under Global Environment Facility (GEF), WSP will utilize Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) planning expertise to improve and enhance the liveability and accessibility of Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi province in mid China.

Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Kaituna River Re-diversion and Maketu Estuary Enhancement Project

After an absence of more than 60 years, significant volumes of freshwater is again flowing through the Te Awa o Ngātoroirangi / Maketu Estuary on the Bay of Plenty Coast in New Zealand. Mud crabs, tuangi (cockles), and titiko (mud snails) have all started to recolonize the area.

UrbanGrowth NSW and Transport for NSW sought to develop an ambitious urban renewal strategy for the Central to Eveleigh area.

Sydney, Australia

Central to Eveleigh Urban Transformation and Transport Program

We are playing a key role in shaping plans for urban renewal in inner-city Sydney.

Project

Making health a priority for UK communities

Health and wellbeing is at the heart of our work with UK local authorities, replacing the decades-old obsession with single-occupancy car movement. Our street design guidance is helping councils create compact, sociable neighborhoods, while our active transportation advice seeks to take advantage of the cycling and walking boom since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hope is that many of the lessons learnt will remain long after the pandemic subsides, and that we can respond positively to seismic shifts in how we use the spaces around us. This will enable us to promote healthier lifestyles and cater for diverse communities, while tackling carbon impacts.

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm Royal Seaport

Stockholm Royal Seaport will be a vibrant waterfront community, built on 236ha of former industrial land. The first phase of the development is now on site and, over the next 15 years, the plan is to build 12,000 new apartments, and 35,000 new work places.