Reading is a city on the move. With projects like Station Hill, the Oracle, Broad Street Mall and the Minster Quarter reshaping the core, alongside new investment at Green Park, Reading is cementing its place as the economic engine of the Thames Valley. Its strengths in AI, creative industries, climate science and financial services mean it is not only keeping pace with change but shaping it. 

Growth and its pressures 

But growth on this scale also brings pressures. Reading’s boundaries are tight, which means densification: more homes, more people, more demand on schools, healthcare, transport and the public realm. It is also a place of contrasts. Alongside thriving global businesses, some communities remain among the most deprived nationally, with around 30% of children living in poverty and a nine-year gap in healthy life expectancy across the city. 

Economic expansion is vital because it funds public services and creates opportunity. Yet growth must be inclusive. Residents need to feel its benefits in their housing, jobs, education and quality of life, otherwise it risks deepening divides. 

The impact of a home 

This is why housing delivery matters so much in Reading’s story. At Meeting Place, we recently published The Impact of a Home, a national report that quantifies the social and economic value of getting housing right. The findings are striking: 

• £25,693 of social and economic impact for every person moved out of homelessness. 

• £2,107 for a family leaving overcrowded housing. 

• £9,543 of wellbeing value for an older couple moving into suitable retirement accommodation. 

• Up to £103 billion of national social impact if the government’s 1.5 million homes target is achieved by 2029. 

These are not abstract figures. They capture what we all know instinctively: that the right home in the right place transforms lives. It supports health, wellbeing and education, reduces inequality and creates stronger, more cohesive communities. 

Why engagement is critical 

The report also reinforces something we see in our work every day: numbers alone are not enough. To deliver the homes Reading and the UK need, we must win hearts and minds. That means engaging with local communities openly, listening to their concerns and showing clearly how development brings benefits. This is not just about the economy in the abstract but about improving daily life for people and families. 

Meeting Place has been privileged to support new development in and around Reading for a number of years. This includes for the University of Reading, which owns significant landholdings, on projects such as Thames Valley Science Park and Loddon Garden Village. Central Reading development projects we have played a part in also include Kenavon Drive for L&Q, Forbury Retail Park for abrdn and the area around the Caversham entrance of Reading railway station on behalf of Chart Plan and Hermes Investment Management. These projects, diverse in scale and character, all demonstrate how inclusive engagement and a focus on social impact can help unlock growth in ways that benefit the city and its people. 

A city with potential 

Reading has always had the ability to adapt, from its industrial roots to today’s strengths in tech, science and culture. It now has the chance to become a model for how cities can grow not only bigger but also fairer. 

At Meeting Place, that is the opportunity we see: to ensure Reading’s transformation delivers for all its communities. By combining bold regeneration with inclusive engagement, Reading can turn growth into genuine social impact and set the pace for the wider Thames Valley.