Land as a resource: how to best unlock its “value”

This article summarises a London School of Economics roundtable discussion on how to better “unlock the value” of land in England amid growing pressures from housing, infrastructure, and environmental demands. It highlights that land has multiple, often competing forms of value -economic, social, cultural, and environmental; and that balancing these requires difficult political trade-offs rather than purely technical solutions. The discussion emphasised the diverse interests of landowners, the limits and challenges of current land value capture mechanisms, and the need for more effective, transparent planning systems supported by stronger local government capacity. Participants stressed the importance of collaboration, long-term planning, and new partnerships between public and private actors to manage land more fairly and efficiently, while recognising that uncertainty, risk, and conflicting priorities continue to hinder development and equitable outcomes.

Abstract based on original source.