Published in 2022, this framework ensures developments align with social, environmental, and economic sustainability, supporting mayoral policies for a better post-pandemic London. As an open-source online resource, it encourages widespread adoption. It has been tested on over 20 housing, commercial and regeneration projects and has been refined through real-world application. Performance data is collected throughout project life cycles, analysed and displayed in a sustainability scorecard, offering a clear visual dashboard of outcomes.

Who is on the project? 

Collaborators - Mott Macdonald, ARUP, Hoare Lea,  BRE, CBRE, Churchman Thornhill Finch, Elementa, FutureNature, McGregor Coxall, Objectif, Real Worth, Transport for London, DSDC University of Stirling, CoCreatif, EVA,  Fosters and Partners, JLL, WorkWild 

 SDF Working Group

TfL Sustainable Development Advisory Panel

Describe the context of the strategy, research or policy. What need does it serve? What questions does it answer? What is its social and environmental impact? 

Places for London (Places), Transport for London’s (TfL’s) property company, is responsible for ensuring that its 20,000 new homes programme is delivered to the highest standard of sustainability through the Sustainable Development Framework (SDF). Places’ SDF is a ground-breaking framework ensuring that developments reflect the triple bottom line approach, encompassing social, environmental and economic sustainability standards. It was created to deliver Mayoral policies and priorities and build a better London in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Integrating leading industry standards, the SDF comprises 100 key performance indicators (KPIs), including 30 unique to the framework. The SDF serves as a response to global climate change concerns, with 58 KPIs dedicated to creating healthy places for people and planet. 100 KPIs span nine dimensions of sustainable development: Vibrant Places, Social Cohesion, Liveable Communities, Health and Wellbeing, Climate and Ecological Resilience, High Performance Buildings, Financial Sustainability, Local Prosperity, Neighbourhood Investment. 

Did you consult key stakeholders or the community in the creation of this document or policy? How did you select participants? Was the final strategy shared with the community? Is this engagement ongoing?

The SDF was developed in an inclusive iterative process which prioritised extensive stakeholder engagement. Key stakeholders from across the transport and property industry were consulted including internal staff working groups, Development Partners, TfL and GLA colleagues, TfL’s Sustainable Development Advisory Panel, public and private sector industry experts (see above). Specific framework dimensions and KPIs were challenged, debated and adapted to capture specialist insights. Each dimension was also championed internally by a member of Places’ senior leadership team. Places held consultations with stakeholders within London’s communities to collect feedback on KPIs, for example, stakeholder advocacy group Mums for Lungs. TfL created an online consultation, sharing a final draft online, and hosting a series of eight public webinars to gauge feedback. Ongoing community engagement is still implemented. Places’ Construction Programme delivers green skills training supporting the delivery of local prosperity KPIs through apprenticeships, local jobs, engagement, and diversity. Places also offers work experience for sixth formers where students explore and apply relevant KPIs to a Places’ development project. 

How will the research or strategy be taken forward or implemented? Please describe any accountability, metrics or enforcement built into the process to encourage meaningful change.

Published in 2022, the SDF is applied to developments undertaken by Places and their partners across the project life cycle. A standard project utilises 60 to 80 KPIs during its development. It is currently being applied to the delivery of 10,846 homes, of which 1,324 have been completed, and 4,384 have commenced on site. Embedding the SDF begins at project inception when applicable indicators are selected, and targets set for design teams to work to. During the procurement process, a checklist of relevant social, environmental, and economic indicators is fixed in the Invitations to Tender. Development partners are also asked to prioritise five KPIs which they deem most relevant to future occupants and set their own targets for these in their proposals. Throughout the project lifecycle, project performance data is collected and entered into a central database. Performance analysis is captured in the sustainability scorecard, a visual performance dashboard, which can be analysed to highlight areas of excellence and underperformance in all KPIs. A common PowerBi dashboard for all projects allows Places to compare developments to track and learn lessons from outliers, both good and bad, and to drive meaningful improvement to overall sustainability scores and identify common areas requiring attention e.g. through research and training. The project dashboard is also used to demonstrate cumulative impacts, for example Places’ environmental impact which captures biodiversity net gain and air quality improvements. SDF project performance is reported internally at board level and included on project board papers with Joint Venture Partners.