EMEA Sustainable Returns Report

As cities adapt to the pressures of climate change, demographic shifts, and economic transition, large-scale urban regeneration has become a vital mechanism for revitalising ageing infrastructure, addressing structural inequality, and embedding long-term sustainability.

Consequently, financial considerations drive decision-making, shaping what gets built, when, and for whom. The most urgent regeneration needs lie in delivering social and environmental outcomes, particularly through affordable and social housing, high-quality public spaces, and stronger environmental resilience in areas experiencing decline.

This paper provides frameworks, examples, and ideas to support development and investment strategies that deliver both financial returns and broader social and environmental goals, while addressing increasingly pressing feasibility challenges in urban development.