Policy Exchange has developed a ground-breaking new tool capable of scoring the placemaking quality of proposed and existing developments. The Placemaking Matrix will seek to identify and collate the placemaking characteristics of any given development and give each one a score, culminating in a final PAX rating that ranges from “Poor” to “Outstanding” and which can be used when determining planning permission.

The intention of both the Matrix and the paper is to prompt an uplift in placemaking standards that will ultimately create better places. Also, in delivering greater public confidence in housing quality and thereby helping stem the tide of objections that is so often a disruptive feature of the planning process, the paper hopes to realise the kind of increase in housing supply necessary to address the housing crisis. Finally, by encouraging residents to engage directly with the placemaking detail of proposed developments, residents can be empowered to play a greater role in forging the future of their own communities.