Spencer West and Gravita support TLA PropTech’s launch of The Digital Place Playbook
TLA PropTech hosted a fascinating roundtable at PropTech Connect, where it launched the Digital Place Playbook, proudly supported by Spencer West and Gravita. The 12-chapter Playbook serves as a discussion as to how technology, data and digital infrastructure are reshaping the full lifecycle of place – from how environments are imagined and designed, to how they are operated, experienced and valued.
The roundtable heard from Spencer West Partner James Klein, who introduced Spencer West and the work of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, was moderated by Mark Jenkinson, and featured insights from Linda Chandler (Digital Futures), Dan Drogman (Smart Spaces), Dan Rose (Gravita), and Jo Tasker (Community Coworking), who each presented their contributions to the Playbook.
The conversation – including both panellists and audience members – largely centred on the notion that digital placemaking should no longer be a specialist add-on or a final-stage procurement decision. It should be central to the way successful places are planned, delivered and sustained. Below is a look at the key takeaways.
Embedding digital thinking from the start
A recurring theme was the need to move digital infrastructure at the inception of planning. Too often, the technological layer of a development is treated as something to be fitted around a physical asset once the major decisions have already been made. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, data-led decision-making and changing occupier expectations, it is apparent that this approach is becoming difficult to justify.
The Playbook’s discussion introduces the idea that the digital layer needs the same strategic rigour as physical design, with masterplans considering infrastructure, data strategy, operational needs and long-term adaptability from the outset.
From tenant experience to digital value
CEO of Smart Spaces, Dan Drogman, challenged the narrow view of tenant experience, reaffirming that tenant experience is not simply an app; it is the combined effect of access, amenities, communications, environmental controls, data, community, services and everyday interactions working together. The best technology should reduce friction, help people engage with a building or neighbourhood, and reinforce the identity of a place rather than sit apart from it.
Gravita Partner, Dan Rose, posited that this practical value also raises important valuation questions. Digitally enabled buildings may generate additional value through operational efficiency, stronger tenant engagement, improved sustainability performance, better data and more resilient asset management. As digital infrastructure becomes more closely tied to investment performance, owners, developers, investors, occupiers and advisers will need greater consistency around how that value is measured, attributed and protected.
Skills and collaboration will define the next phase
Rounding out the conversation, Jo Tasker highlighted a significant skills gap. Digital placemaking requires people who can brief clearly, frame the right problems, understand the interaction between hardware and software, analyse outcomes and work across professional boundaries. The value lies in connecting technologists, property professionals, investors, local authorities, designers, occupiers, lawyers and community stakeholders around a shared vision.
The future of real estate, infrastructure and technology will depend on advisers who understand the commercial, legal and operational implications of innovation, and who can support clients as physical and digital environments become increasingly interconnected.
A playbook for better connected places
The Digital Place Playbook’s value lies in opening up discussion and giving the industry a practical reference point for the next phase of digital placemaking. The launch at PropTech Connect made clear that the conversation is moving from whether technology matters in the built environment to how it can be proactively embedded intelligently, responsibly and collaboratively.
You can download the Playbook here.
