Cities are more than just a collection of buildings and infrastructure – they are living places that are inhabited by people. Whether a city is newly built or can trace its origins to ‘time immemorial’, town planning is crucial to their continued relevance and support of its population. This is both a technical and political process, encompassing the development and use of land, planning, permission, the environment, and, above all, people. With 54% of the world’s population living in cities today – a number that is expected to rise to 66% by 2050 – efficient master planning has never been more important.

Delivering successful infrastructure projects requires both an understanding of the built environment and the economic, social, and political factors that can influence the outcome. At WSP, we work closely with all stakeholders, including master planners, urban designers, infrastructure engineers, local officials, and the public, to create the optimal plan for your city and to deliver the best-suited solution.

Putting Our Experience to Work for You

When approaching a project, we prioritise the most sustainable and resilient solutions, while minimising costs and maximising resources. Cities have to work in the practical – not just theoretical – world, and if projects are going to disrupt the services and throughways that people depend upon, then proper planning and staging is needed.

WSP is a leading supplier of urban and regional development services, with a proven track record working in both the public and private sectors around the world. We have the experience to develop the right plan for existing and new cities, urban extensions, and regeneration. We apply decades of experience to our continued efforts to help create and support urban developments that can grow, endure the test of time, and build their own reputation for accessibility and as an attractive place where people want to live and work.

We have developed our expertise through a diverse variety of projects, ranging from site-specific development proposals, to wider area frameworks and regeneration master plans. At Kidbrooke Village in London, UK, WSP has been working with Berkeley Homes to transform one of the most underdeveloped areas of one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. One of the largest regeneration projects of its kind in Europe (109ha of land – including 38ha of developable area), the area is being transformed into a comprehensive, mixed land use site. Berkeley Homes adopted a master plan approach to the project, which will result in 1,500 affordable new homes, including 300 aimed at supporting the aging population, as well as 55ha of parks and open space, and more than 170,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and leisure space. All of this is being designed around a Village Centre, with a redesigned transport interchange, including a train station and bus routes.

Building Sustainable and Resilient Solutions

Our first priority as your representative on any project is to establish a positive dialogue with all of the stakeholders crucial to the endeavour’s success. We believe this is essential to fostering a shared long term vision that all players can endorse, that supports local requirements, and incorporates the flexibility needed to endure in a constantly changing world. We combine local talent who understand the intricacies and particular quirks of your city with global experts who understand the big picture and can incorporate lessons learned from a worldwide portfolio of projects, ensuring robust solutions for your needs.

WSP services encompass land use, transportation, housing, open space and recreation, and public services, as well as environmental and heritage resources. In the transportation sector, our solutions range from complete public transit and mobility systems for major developed and developing cities, to travel plans and SMART technology for mixed-use developments. Our services cover every aspect of a development or regeneration project, including:

• Legislative and planning policy advice and development studies
• Masterplanning
• Asset management
• Transportation planning and traffic management
• Strategic environmental and sustainability assessments
• Infrastructure solutions, including highways, drainage and utilities
• Flood risk assessments
• River and coastal engineering
• Structural engineering and building services
• Green building design and energy efficiency optimisation
• Technology-driven design

Our team joins you at the earliest stages of the planning process to ensure that we have the full picture, and to best understand the constraints, opportunities, and economic drivers of your city. Our integrated strategic planning aims to guarantee that essential services like schools, health services, amenities, places of employment, and leisure are accessible to everyone. We are recognised for our ability to consistently combine a wide range of solutions into one cohesive project, fully leveraging our diverse, multidisciplinary personnel and partnering with external professionals as needed.

At WSP, we are dedicated to remaining at the forefront of technological innovation. We use the latest software or, if currently available tools don’t appropriately address the situation at hand, we develop our own digital and web solutions. Our experts have developed tools for project delivery, presentations, and forecasting, as well as to respond to climate change and fluctuations in lifestyle, demographics, mobility, and technology.

In Fisherman’s Bend, a large industrial area in Melbourne, Australia, that the State government of Victoria has designated for urban renewal, WSP was appointed to develop the Smart City Framework. As a part of the overarching Fisherman’s Bend Strategic Framework Plan, this masterplanning project will guide the future development of this inner-city precinct and include housing for 80,000 new residents and commercial opportunities that are projected to create 60,000 new jobs.