As London faces housing shortages alongside rising demands for safe, affordable, high-quality homes, and mounting pressure from government targets, there is critical need for data-driven planning and smarter assessment.

The key to a successful housing regeneration requires a strong understanding of place, and how London, indeed Britain in general, needs more affordable housing. But first comes that question of ‘where’. Are these developments being built in areas for the strongest impact? By pinpointing the exact location of properties and understanding the surrounding environments, housing associations can make smarter, more strategic decisions – whether for planning large-scale renovations, addressing tenant concerns, or meeting government standards.

And location data is relevant at every stage of the housing lifecycle – land use and surveying, construction, addressing, and even once the properties are complete. Then there are insurance and mortgage lenders, energy certificate providers, meter readers, and many more. Location data appears at every stage. Buildings data can help identify the pace of developments. Before construction completes a property will be assigned a Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN); a unique identifier which is an even more granular level of detail than the postcode, and to which all relevant datasets – construction, materials, connections – can be linked to that property.

Location data expert, Ordnance Survey (OS), supports both public and private organisations, by embedding geospatial intelligence throughout the property lifecycle. OS’s authoritative geospatial data enables planners, developers, and policymakers to visualise existing infrastructure, land use, routing, environmental factors, and more – with precision. This clarity supports better site selection, risk assessment, and long-term planning, reducing delays and improving outcomes.

For example, OS data has been used to understand a given location’s access to amenities, to better inform planning and development. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) worked with OS for location expertise and insight, focusing on a property’s access to two key amenities: railway stations, and libraries. The project was a succinct demonstration of what becomes possible. While it focused on existing properties, if new housing was planned with that access to local amenities in mind, it would help to sustain surrounding communities, and contribute significantly to a property’s desirability, right from the start.

Elsewhere, OS data has also supported numerous key players in the banking, insurance, and property sectors, to produce scenario modelling and risk assessments. Datasets produced by both OS and its network of Partners can be combined, to enable cross-examination of key aspects such as land use, road networks, rivers, and so on. By integrating location data into these models, private businesses and local authorities alike can make decisions with confidence with OS data; evidence-based solutions that anticipate change, and mitigate unintended consequences.

Even before planning, an organisation may feel limited by its own geospatial skills and understanding. OS and its Partners offer expertise and support in using our data and services; inexperience need not be an obstacle. We want everyone to be able to use our data, to use it effectively, for the betterment of their organisations and their end users – in this case, the citizens of London.

As we look to the next cycle of housing delivery, OS is committed to supporting innovation to ensure that regeneration is rapid and scalable, while also equitable and future-proof. Housing organisations with location intelligence can help London build homes that meet the needs of its diverse communities.