From Data to Decisions
How can we boost confidence in data-led decisions for London?
AI points to a major digital shift, but the built environment sector is uncertain how to use data to drive decision-making. Our project looks at ways to develop digital confidence and improve outcomes for Londoners.
From real-time data on how people move through the city to digital engagement platforms, technology has the potential to drive productivity and create cities that are more vibrant, resilient and fair.
Across London’s built environment sector, understanding and confidence in digital adoption is uneven. Local authorities, housing associations, developers and their partners face significant barriers – from data privacy concerns to uncertainty about costs, ethics, and return on investment. It’s often the case that technology is the answer without understanding the question.
At a time when public sector resources are severely stretched, From Data to Decisions will provide a safe, practical space for leaders and practitioners to explore how digital can genuinely improve outcomes – for their teams, organisations, communities, and London as a whole.
The audience includes the borough teams and housing associations at the forefront of delivery, as well as the digital planning, tech, data and change specialists whose practical experience is essential to shaping what effective digital adoption really looks like.
Why focus on digital decision-making?
Despite widespread recognition of technology’s potential and transformative programmes such as MHCLG’s Open Digital Planning and the Digital Taskforce for Planning, adoption across the built environment remains slow and inconsistent. Many practitioners are:
- Sceptical, shaped by past IT failures and digital ‘snake oil’ salesmanship.
- Overwhelmed by choice, leading to a wait-and-see approach.
- Concerned about costs and lock-in, with products that fail to evolve over time.
- Uncertain about ethics and data security, especially in public-facing contexts.
- Hampered by skills gaps and lack of leadership, as senior teams are experts in housing or planning, not technology.
The longer organisations wait to engage, the harder (and more expensive!) it will be to catch up.
Our approach to shaping the digital agenda
As with all our programmes, this project will be collaborative, inclusive, and grounded in practice. Our network has told us they want to hear what specific problems digital tools have solved and their impact on teams, placemaking and communities. They also want to learn from failure.
We’ll bring together cross-sector leaders to share learning, debate key issues, and build the confidence and capability needed to take the next step in digital adoption.
Participants will also gain insights from London and beyond including international best practice examples of effective digital transformation in planning, housing, and place management.
The audience will be practitioners and decision-makers across:
- Planning, housing, regeneration, economic development plus digital specialists.
- Local and regional government.
- Housing associations and developers.
- Large and small consultancies and design practices.
Key themes include:
- Understanding need before deciding that technology is the answer.
- Building organisational cultures that manage risk and enable digital champions to thrive.
- Making the case for investment, communicating value to finance directors, boards, and political leaders.
- Embedding ethics and security, understanding bias, transparency and security guardrails.
- Exploring collaboration through shared platforms and joint commissioning to make innovation affordable.
How to get involved in From Data to Decisions
The project is in development for 2026 and there are several ways you could contribute, including:
- Funding partners: as a not-for-profit organisation, our projects are supported by corporate funding partners who want to engage with the topic and our network to make new business connections and demonstrate thought leadership. You will help shape the brief, have opportunities to speak and host events, and put forward case studies.
- Topic leadership: to help us shape the overall project.
- Expertise at events: we want to hear from you if you have experience and ideas on digital adoption in the built environment, particularly if you work in or with borough teams, housing associations, planning, tech, or change management. You could contribute case studies, suggest field trips, or provide insight to shape our themes and eventual findings. There are also opportunities to host.
- Research/content input: contributing case studies, ideas for field trip locations, thought pieces and other research to shape our themes and eventual findings.
Find out more
Please contact Federico Ortiz, Director of Programmes, for more information about this project. Federico@futureoflondon.org.uk
Image: Generated by Chat GPT
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