A local authority has used an AI-based mapping tool to identify potential sites for housing delivery

In July, Lewisham Council announced that it had identified more than 3,000 small sites with housing development potential using this tool.   The Small Sites Finder was developed with architect RCKa, with funding from the PropTech Innovation Fund Round 4.  A pilot of the technology in the borough had sought to identify the location of small site opportunities, reduce reliance on manual identification, support delivery on small sites alongside larger developments, and understand how existing small sites design guidance was affecting housing delivery.  The conclusion from the pilot was that, while AI can support the identification of small sites at scale, this "must currently be combined with manual officer review and other analysis to determine whether a site has potential for housing delivery".