First national digital planning education and training listing launched to build skills across the sector

London 25 March 2026, the Digital Task Force for Planning has today launched the first Digital Planning Education and Training Listing, a major new resource on the Digital Planning Directory that will strengthen digital capability across the planning profession and support the development of future talent.

The Listing brings together, in one place, the universities and training providers offering courses with dedicated digital planning content. This includes programmes focused on specialised digital planning, as well as integrated planning programmes that incorporate substantial digital components. 

The inaugural listing includes 22 degree courses from nine universities, one upcoming course, and five training programmes from four organisations. It gives planners, students and professionals a single place to find opportunities to develop digital skills and aims to encourage more digitally confident graduates to enter the planning profession.

The Listing directly supports the government’s ambition to reform the planning system and deliver 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament. Modernising planning depends not only on new rules and investment, but also on equipping planners with the digital skills needed to put reform into practice. In the last two MHCLG Capacity and Capability Surveys of English LPAs (MHCLG, 2023; 2025), digital skills were identified as one of the biggest skills gaps.

Dr Wei Yang OBE, CEO of the Digital Task Force for Planning, said:

“Planning is entering a new digital era. Addressing challenges such as climate change, housing delivery and sustainable growth all require planners to work with data, digital tools and knowledge from a wider range of disciplines.

“The new Digital Planning Education and Training Listing brings together leading programmes that combine planning, urban analytics and digital technology. By supporting both the next generation of planners and the upskilling of those already in the profession, this initiative will help build a digitally confident planning profession – one capable of harnessing innovation to deliver better places and communities.”

Professor Mark Plumbley, Head of the Department of Informatics at King’s College London, said:

“King’s College London is proud to support the Digital Planning Directory and its new Education & Training Listing. Modernising planning education is essential to creating a more digitally confident sector, and this initiative brings together universities and training providers with a shared commitment to the public good.

“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the Digital Task Force for Planning in strengthening the skills, evidence and innovation needed to shape better and more resilient places for the future.”

The Inaugural Digital Planning Education & Training Listing includes:

Established courses from:

Upcoming courses from:

Training programmes:

About the Digital Planning Education and Training Listing

Seed-funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Digital Planning Directory was launched in January 2025 by the Digital Task Force for Planning. The Directory has quickly established itself as a central resource for the sector.

The newly launched Digital Planning Education and Training Listing is a free, publicly accessible resource will showcase digital planning education programmes and training opportunities in spatial planning, giving institutions an industry-recognised platform to highlight their digital planning education and training offerings.

Purpose of the Listing

The Digital Planning Directory Education and Training Listing aims to:

Scope of Disciplines Covered

The Directory adopts an inclusive approach, recognising the breadth of spatial planning and related fields. Cross-disciplinary courses from non-planning disciplines (e.g., computer science, environmental sciences) are welcome to apply if they include digital content directly applicable to spatial planning.

Relevant disciplines include (but are not limited to):

The Digital Planning Education & Training Listing is now live and will continue to expand as more universities and training providers join the initiative. [Click here to read the full eligibility criteria and submission details]

Application Form Links