The future of city centre residential development

Urban living has undergone dramatic shifts in recent years. The pandemic temporarily reduced demand for central locations, but the long-term trend is firmly back towards city living.

Young professionals continue to drive demand for high-quality apartments with strong amenities and transport links. At the same time, city centres are diversifying with more mixed-use schemes, blending residential, retail, and flexible workspace.

For developers, this means opportunities remain strongest in well-connected regional cities like Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds, as well as London zones 2–4. However, planning requirements, sustainability standards, and affordability pressures all demand careful structuring.

Financiers are supportive where demand is clear, but cautious about oversupply in smaller cities. Schemes with strong design, ESG credentials, and realistic exit pricing are most likely to attract backing. Imperial Blue Finance offers loans for residential and mixed-use schemes in London and the regions, with direct access to our credit team to assess demand drivers and deliver capital quickly.