Patterns of Mobility: Densifying northern new towns Part 2 Project 2025 Sean DaviesRyan Farrell Isabel PiercyAlice Holmes University of Liverpool | UK In 2024, the Labour Government proposed 12 New Towns, proposing 550,000 new homes to address the housing shortage. What if we could achieve this goal by regenerating the declining new towns through targeted densification?We tested this proposition in Skelmersdale, a typical Northern New Town, developing a radical approach for revitalisation through densification, grounded in research into its decline and current patterns of mobility.Our strategy tackles poor-quality, inflexible housing and disconnected neighbourhoods using our formula: Density × (Intensity + Diversity) = An Ideal New Town. Central to this is the ‘Stitch’, a new high street that connects the Tanhouse and Digmoor estates. The proposed commercial and community spaces support the local economy and enhance daily life at different scales of intervention.We introduced seven housing typologies, integrating pavilions for shared uses and enhancing interaction through communal courtyards. Existing buildings are upgraded with a translucent polycarbonate “second skin,” improving daylight and passive surveillance.Using this approach, we can densify Skelmersdale by 220%, surpassing our target.Through thoughtful design, our project provides a framework to transform existing New Towns to meet future needs. As originally hoped, "towns are about people, and must be built for people." (Basildon Our Town, 1974). Tutor(s)