VeloCity is a strategic vision that solves some of the most critical issues facing the countryside today, delivered by a team of industry experts.

VeloCity is the winning proposal for National Infrastructure Commission’s ideas competition, which sought inspirational visions for the future of development within the arc encompassing Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Oxford, one of the UK’s fastest-growing and most productive regions.

VeloCity was devised by an expert team of placemakers, informing the NIC’s report Partnering for Prosperity: A new deal for the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc, published in November 2017.

We have spoken widely about VeloCity vision to government, local authorities, communities and landowners. We are currently working with Blenheim Estate to implement the ideas and strategies contained within the VeloCity proposition. Our work with Blenheim Estate challenges the way in which the planning and development of rural areas has been approached historically, to the benefit of both local communities and the environment. Oxfordshire Open Thought has now commenced a consultation period canvassing feedback on this approach.

Growing Villages Differently – our manifesto for the 21st Century Village was launched at the Oslo Architecture Triennale in September 2019. The exhibition’s overarching theme of Degrowth explored new ways of shaping our society in the age of climate emergency.

The VeloCity vision has received awards nationally and internationally, including honorary award at the International Making Cities Livable Conference  in Ottawa, Canada (2018), RIBA Research Fund  (2018) and the William Sutton Prize for Excellence in Social Housing Design and Placemaking  from Clarion Housing Group (2018).

“The jury was drawn to VeloCity’s human scale approach to sensitively and incrementally accommodating new homes, alongside the team’s commitment to ensuring new settlements would be communities from the get-go. Creating effective new settlements can be challenging: the team’s flair and imagination in addressing this shows how good design can translate into liveable communities.”

– Bridget Rosewell, Commissioner and competition jury Chair, National Infrastructure Commission