Yesterday (26 June 2025) the Department for Transport (DfT) launched their new Connectivity Tool, designed to help built environment professionals and others to understand the connectivity of places in England and Wales. 

You can use the tool to display how any location in England and Wales is connected to everyday services such as schools, hospitals and places of work by walking, wheeling, driving, cycling and public transport and plot new transport routes to understand how these would affect an area’s connectivity. 

The tool is currently available to people working in local or central government who have been granted access to it.    

CIHT welcomes the launch of the tool, as connectivity is key to facilitating sustainable travel choices.  

As outlined in CIHT's 2019 report, Better planning, better transport, better places, late consideration of transport needs is a significant barrier to better planning. Fixing a failing planning and transport system (2024) likewise highlights the importance of integrating planning and transport. 

Antoneta Horbury, Director of Policy and Technical Affairs said: 

People need homes where sustainable transport infrastructure is ready on day one. Building homes first and considering connectivity later will simply entrench car dependent behaviours if people are not provided with credible alternatives for travel when they move in.

For more information about the Connectivity Tool, please see Connectivity Tool - GOV.UK