MILTON KEYNES EVOLUTION Better by Design
- Paul Thomas
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
 | Paul is the Director of Planning and Placemaking for Milton Keynes City Council, leading the city’s long-term growth agenda. He oversees the delivery of high-quality, sustainable places, embedding culture and innovation. Paul has more than 20 years’ local government experience and is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He is also a director on the boards of Destination Milton Keynes and the Milton Keynes City Centre BID. |
Paul kindly agreed to follow up his presentation at the ACES/LSH CPD Day held at Milton Keynes. Paul’s enthusiasm for his role was obvious from his presentation, and in his article. “There’s never been a more exciting time to be a planner, or indeed any built environment professional, in Milton Keynes.” |
Milton Keynes is undergoing a remarkable transformation. From our roots as one of the last – and definitely the largest and most successful – of the UK’s post-war new towns, we are now emerging as a dynamic city with a blueprint that stretches far beyond those original plans from the late 1960s and 70s.
We have big ambitions for our city; across housing delivery, infrastructure, placemaking and economic growth. We are a key player in the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor and a model for future urban development. The recent publication of the New Towns Taskforce’s report to government recognises that our past successes and future plans put us in a strong position to be designated as a ‘new’ New Town.
Planning for growth: MK City Plan 2050
At the heart of Milton Keynes’ transformation is the MK City Plan 2050, a bold vision that sets out our city’s growth plans until the middle of the century. We are already delivering over 2,000 new homes annually – well above our existing local plan targets and including a peak in 2022 of over 3,000 new homes – and our city is preparing for an additional 60,000 homes, supported by a robust evidence base and a commitment to creating people-friendly, healthy places.
The plan is not just about housing. It integrates growth with jobs, infrastructure, community facilities and public transport improvements. The nature of growth is also a step away from the way Milton Keynes has grown to date. Alongside expanding the city beyond our current boundaries, the MK City Plan 2050 encourages intensification within our urban area – including to support our proposed Mass Rapid Transit network – with many more homes in our city centre and in other towns like Bletchley and Wolverton, compared to previous local plans.
Our Regulation 18 consultation in Autumn 2024 lasted 12 weeks and included youth engagement, market stalls and innovative digital platforms and attracted more than 7,000 comments. Late in 2025, we held our Regulation 19 consultation and we’re now working towards formal submission in March 2026. There’s never been a more exciting time to be a planner, or indeed any built environment professional, in Milton Keynes.
A new town for a new era
Milton Keynes is no stranger to the concept of planned growth. So we are delighted that the New Towns Taskforce identified Milton Keynes as a potential “Renewed Town” alongside other possible new town locations, in its September 2025 report.
“A ‘Renewed Town’ in Milton Keynes; reinvigorating the city centre and expanding to the city periphery whilst reshaping the way people travel, by delivering a Mass Rapid Transit system.” New Towns Taskforce, Report to Government, September 2025.
Its recommendation includes a mix of urban and greenfield sites for Milton Keynes:
A new urban neighbourhood in Central Milton Keynes
Continuing the major expansion to the east of the M1 motorway
A developer-led proposal for major expansion to the north of Milton Keynes.
Our city centre and eastern expansion proposals are already embedded in our emerging MK City Plan, and the City Council has embraced the role of an “enthusiastic agent” of the proposal.
In total, these three areas could deliver around 40,000 new homes and as many jobs, and the early delivery of critical infrastructure, such as schools, surgeries, community facilities, open space and the other facilities needed to make the people-friendly and healthy places that our residents rightly expect.
We are now deep in a period of due diligence with government officials, to include a programme-wide strategic environmental assessment across the 12 potential sites identified throughout the country. We are also working with them to further develop the Milton Keynes opportunity and hope that our New Town proposal is supported by government; we absolutely recognise the benefits that being part of the New Town programme can bring to our city and its residents.
Economic powerhouse in the heart of the corridor
Milton Keynes is not just growing in size; our city is thriving economically. Home to 12,500 businesses and approximately 190,000 jobs, Milton Keynes boasts one of the highest rates of business start-ups in the UK. A third of our jobs are in the tech sector, contributing to a £15bn economy that is among the most productive in the country.
Strategically located at the centre of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, Milton Keynes enjoys exceptional north-south and east-west connectivity – set to improve further with the opening of East West Rail services to Oxford in 2026. Euston is just 30 minutes away and in the longer term, HS2 will free up even more capacity for journeys on the West Coast Mainline through Milton Keynes.
Our city’s “Tiger economy” is a beacon of potential, with GVA per worker at 128% of the UK average, according to the Public First Supercluster report. And as Andrew Carter of the Centre for Cities put it: “If everywhere in the UK was as rich as Milton Keynes, we’d be the richest country in the world.”
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Innovation and opportunity
Milton Keynes is rapidly becoming the commercialisation heart of the Growth Corridor, where ideas become reality. With a global reputation as a Smart City, we are a testbed for new technologies and innovation. Plans are underway for a Tech and Innovation Quarter, focused on national security and defence, and there is a long-term ambition to establish higher education facilities in our city centre.
The upcoming Universal Resort in Bedford presents another opportunity. Milton Keynes is exploring how to “capture” some of the anticipated visitor traffic, creating jobs and boosting our local economy.
Transformational placemaking
Our city centre is the focus of transformational placemaking projects. We are supported here by the City Council’s wholly owned development company, Milton Keynes Development Partnership.
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One standout example is the “Walk With Your Dreams” mural at Station Square, commissioned by Milton Keynes Development Partnership and opened in October 2025. Designed by Yinka Ilori, it celebrates the city’s multicultural identity and joins over 270 public artworks that dot the city from north to south.
We also have proposals to transform one of our city centre dual carriageways to create a dynamic and exciting space for active travel and public transport. By limiting car movements along Midsummer Boulevard, we propose to create a Greenway to encourage people to walk, cycle and scoot through our city centre, as well as create a traffic-free route for our MRT vehicles and space for pop-up events, ‘play on the way’ and new green spaces for everyone to enjoy.
Milton Keynes Development Partnership is set to announce the operator and partner for a new city centre events venue which will transform our listed Old Bus Station and elevate and enhance our cultural and leisure offer.
These projects aim to reshape our urban landscape, creating vibrant, inclusive spaces that reflect Milton Keynes’ diverse population and forward-thinking ethos.
A city that moves
Movement is central to Milton Keynes’ future. Plans for a Mass Rapid Transit system (MRT)– dubbed the “Metro” – are in development, inspired by successful models like Belfast’s Glider. This system will enhance connectivity across our city and support sustainable travel. It will also help to show that Milton Keynes has truly shaken off the stigma of being a “city built for the car”. We are now much better known for being “better by design”.
A city of culture and community
Beyond infrastructure and economics, Milton Keynes is a city that celebrates culture and community. Events like our Milton Keynes International Festival showcase our city’s creative spirit and bring people together in shared experiences. Our diverse population – where one in three residents identifies as ethnically diverse – is a source of strength and inspiration. We have our 60th birthday coming up in 2027 and everyone’s invited!
Looking ahead
All eyes are on Milton Keynes. With our ambitious plans, thriving economy, and commitment to inclusive growth, we are setting a new standard for urban development in the UK. As we move forward, Milton Keynes will continue to think big, act boldly and shape a future that reflects the aspirations of its people.
We are Milton Keynes. We are better by design.
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