Five key challenges facing South Wales – and how might we address them?

There have been big strides in improving public transport infrastructure in South Wales. Since opening in June, Cardiff’s new bus interchange is now welcoming up to 9,000 passengers a day. The first new electric-powered trains were recently introduced, signifying an important moment in the delivery of the South Wales Metro. However, our major urban centres in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport are still facing big challenges in terms of how they tackle congestion. Crucially, we need to minimise car traffic, prioritising public transport, cycling, walking and other sustainable travel options in a strategic way. Part of this is about infrastructure improvements and part is about encouraging changes in behaviour. As well as a robust network of cycle lanes connected into public transport, we need much better ‘end of trip’ facilities, potentially making use of under-utilised space in our urban centres to support this. Think public cycle storage and repair infrastructure, as well as changing facilities, like you see in Copenhagen or other European cities. The easier, more pleasant and safer we make the experience, the more likely we are to see meaningful change.

A ‘good city’ is a ‘green city’ that provides healthy, more biodiverse and climate-resilient places to live and work. Pockets of green space are a good start – and Cardiff has been proactive in introducing ‘rain gardens’, which help to manage pressure on urban infrastructure whilst also supporting biodiversity and adding greenery to the streets. However, for biodiversity to be supported effectively, we need to connect the green spaces to create wildlife corridors. In Manchester for example, the National Trust received public support for a temporary ‘sky park’ on a grade II disused Victorian viaduct, inspired by New York’s High Line, to become a permanent feature. There are plenty of disused railways across South Wales with the potential for revitalisation.

There are big challenges facing the construction industry in Wales such as rising costs, government funding constraints, limited supply chain capacity, and changes to statutory requirements. However, we must find innovative ways of navigating these hurdles to ensure we provide the high quality, sustainable and affordable housing needed. The Welsh government’s draft Budget included an extra £81m in capital funding for 2025-26 to help build more homes for social rent – but the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru warned that the 20,000 target by mid-2026 was still at risk. Alternative procurement routes such as joint venture public-private partnerships, forged at the start of the build process, must be considered and provide significant advantages. Risk is spread between two parties, improving viability and affordability; meanwhile, the private sector brings know-how and expertise, whilst being truly invested in ensuring delivery. This is certainly a model we expect to see more of in the year ahead.

Cities accommodate 56% of the world’s population but are responsible for 70% of its CO2 emissions. They must therefore be the focus for strategies to meet our climate obligations and urban centres across South Wales are no exception. The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires public bodies in Wales to think about the long-term impact of their decisions including to prevent persistent problems such as climate change. Wales was the first country in the world to pass the bill, which is hugely positive. However, as a property industry, we need to take responsibility for challenging project briefs to ensure both new and existing buildings go above and beyond this requirement and are, of course, zero carbon ready. First and foremost, we must make the best use of existing places and spaces as far as we possibly can. As an example, it was fantastic to see Swansea’s Palace Theatre given a new lease of life as a tech hub and café following an extensive restoration. Thoughtfully repurposing every part of the fabric of a building to remove the need for carbon intensive demolition and building work is key.

Local healthcare and wellbeing hubs, which direct the public to community-based healthcare provision, where appropriate, to alleviate pressure on emergency healthcare, are already well established in Wales. This focus on ‘hospitals without walls’ is a very positive step in decentralising healthcare services and ensuring people receive the best possible care in the most efficient way. What’s needed now is a focus on social and community infrastructure. It’s of course not easy to solve and requires a lot of joined up thinking but if it doesn’t happen, it will be very difficult to unlock the bigger capital healthcare projects, for example new hospitals, which are of course much needed.