Impacts of integrating land-use and transport planning: new report from DfT

There is limited empirical evidence on the impact of integrated land use and transport planning - this report summarises the available evidence and highlights gaps

The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a new report on Impacts of integrating land-use and transport planning: a rapid evidence assessment.

Integrated land use and transport planning is a policy and practice framework that aligns land development with the design and operation of transport networks.

This approach recognises the reciprocal relationship between where and how people live, work and spend leisure time, and the travel options that are available to them.

It seeks to establish institutional structures that harmonise land use and transport policies and objectives. 

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) Transport Appraisal Guidance notes that “wider impacts” of transport schemes, which could include interactions with land use planning, should be captured where it is proportionate to do so. There is limited empirical evidence on the impact of integrated land use and transport planning.

This work, commissioned by DfT to Frontier, summarises the available evidence and highlighted gaps. These gaps could be filled to better understand integration of land-use and transport planning. 

About the report

This report summarises evidence on how combining land-use and transport planning affects travel, the economy, and the environment. The findings show that, when implemented effectively, integrated planning can:

• reduce journey lengths

• increase levels of active travel

• improve the performance of public transport

• deliver economic benefits through enhanced productivity and urban regeneration

The rapid evidence assessment examines transport, economic, social and environmental outcomes associated with integrated land-use and transport planning. It also includes relevant case studies and identifies important insights for policy makers.

The annex document sets out the research strategy and gives more detail on the papers used in the main report’s findings.

Key take-aways for policy makers and next steps 

This section synthesises the critical lessons emerging from the evidence on integrated land-use and transport planning: 

• Overall the existing evidence base indicates that the integration of land use and transport planning has the potential to generate significant positive impacts. Our evidence review has found that integrated land use and transport planning, if implemented appropriately, can unlock a wide range of benefits including reduced journey lengths, increased active travel, enhanced public transport performance, and economic gains from improved productivity and urban regeneration. 

• Existing evidence shows that isolated interventions are unlikely to unlock the full spectrum of benefits. Instead, a coordinated set of actions (which collectively provide certainty to other stakeholders), embedded within a strategic vision, are far more likely to produce meaningful improvements in transport, economic, environmental and social outcomes. 

• Integrating transport and land use planning can lead to trade-offs which need to be carefully manged. For example, densification, can lower overall emissions and support active travel, yet it may also lead to higher concentrations of air pollutants in urban cores. Proximity to transit and a mixed-use environment can drive economic gains and increased property values. However, this can also exacerbate affordability issues and even elevate crime rates. It is vital that policymakers are aware of these potential unintended consequences and can take corrective action. This will help balance economic benefits with social equity and ensure that improvements in land use do not inadvertently disadvantage certain population subgroups. 

• Robust governance frameworks are critical for successful integration. Case studies, such as those from regeneration projects at King’s Cross, demonstrate that effective collaboration among public, private, and third-sector stakeholders is essential. Meaningful integration requires shared risk and coordinated decision-making, as weak governance can impede the realisation of anticipated benefits. 

• The effectiveness of integrated planning depends on context in which those interventions are rolled out. Factors such as existing transport infrastructure, economic conditions, and demographics shape outcomes. Emerging technologies, including autonomous vehicles and micromobility solutions create both opportunities and challenges. Land use and transport planning will need to adapt as these external influences evolve.