The successful application of emerging technologies and digital tech to planning projects, known as ‘PlanTech’, will be recognised at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2021.

Finalists in the Excellence in Tech within Planning Practice category at this year’s RTPI Awards are:

Planning London Datahub – Greater London Authority, submitted by Atkins Limited

The Planning London Datahub, a collaboration between Atkins, the GLA and London’s boroughs to create a single online register of all planning applications and decisions across the capital, has been shortlisted in the Tech category of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. It is thought to be the first time anywhere in the world that this kind of information has been pulled together in one place for such a large city, helping all those involved in London’s planning system to understand how the city is changing.

The Proposed Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2020 – Delivering Digital Engagement during a Pandemic, submitted by Aberdeenshire Council

The consultation for Aberdeenshire’s new Local Development Plan has been recognized in the Tech category at the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence for its innovative approach to public engagement during the Covid-19 pandemic. The online-only consultation featured a 24/7 live chat function, a series of short films, interactive PDFs that could be easily incorporated into homeschooling and a virtual ‘drop-in room’.

Interactive Plymouth Plan, submitted by Plymouth City Council

Plymouth City Council has been shortlisted in the Tech category at the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence for its innovative digital-only local plan, described as ‘fun, interactive and usable for all sectors of the community’. The plan, designed in conjunction with local company Mutant Labs, brought together what were previously more than 100 separate plans and strategies into a single place. A Plymouth Plan app is currently under development too, providing even greater functionality.

The RTPI’s annual Awards for Planning Excellence are the longest-running and most respected in the UK planning industry. The awards celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society not just throughout the UK but internationally.

The climax of the ceremony, which will take place on virtual platform, The Awards Room by Evessio, on 29 April, will be the presentation of the Silver Jubilee Cup, awarded to the project adjudged best overall.

In total, 93 projects, teams and individuals across 15 categories have been selected by the independent judges this year. A new category for this year is Planning Heroes in a Pandemic, recognising the innovative work of planners in response to Covid-19.

The judging panel in 2021 will be chaired by Dyan Currie HonMRTPI, chief planner at Brisbane City Council, Australia and immediate Past President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners.

RTPI President Wei Yang FRTPI said: “For more than 40 years, these prestigious awards have celebrated the exceptional work undertaken by town planners. In the middle of a global pandemic, I believe they are more relevant than ever before as we showcase the very best of our profession from all the RTPI’s regions and nations and from countries around the world.

“I am particularly pleased to see this year a new category has been created to recognise the incredible commitment and dedication of planners who have risen to the challenge of responding to the impacts of Covid-19 on the planning system.

“I wish all the finalists the very best of luck at the ceremony.”

Sarah Elliott MRTPI, UK&I Town Planning Lead for Buildings and Places at headline sponsor AECOM, said: “AECOM is proud to once again be a headline sponsor of this year’s RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. The finalists are a diverse mixture of outstanding examples of planning, including new responses driven by the pandemic and climate change. Once again this demonstrates the breadth of the impact the profession has on quality place making and delivery in the built environment, alongside our resilience to evolve and adapt.”