Meeting the Housing Challenge

How legacy development principles can help deliver the government’s housing targets and make better places

ADAM Architecture and real estate adviser Bidwells, have launched Meeting the Housing Challenge, a new industry report unveiling how legacy development that prioritises longer-term impact and sustainability offers both enhanced financial returns and broader societal benefits as an alternative to conventional housing delivery models.

The research demonstrates that legacy developments can deliver value premiums of up to 20% while creating more walkable, sustainable and socially integrated communities. A case study analysis for Nansledan, Newquay, showed a 43% sales price increase since 2018 compared with 31% for a non-legacy site, which annually equates to 7.4% growth versus 5.6%.

Alongside the report, Bidwells and ADAM Architecture have launched a logic-based toolkit, including a place-based walkability and amenity index, which provides a measurable framework for future legacy development.

Published in June 2025
View the full report here