The future of digital places: Key themes from the Digital Place Playbook 2026

Four themes from the playbook

The roundtable explored four themes from the Playbook, starting with ‘The Enterprise Architecture of Place’, written by Linda Chandler. The chapter opened up discussions around the relationship between technology, data and business functions, and how this can become fragmented when there is no one responsible for managing technology end-to-end across the property lifecycle.

Attendees also discussed the cost implications of bringing digital expertise into a project too late. By the time someone is brought in to connect the different systems and solutions, key foundations may already have been established, making it much harder to create a truly integrated approach.

Linda also explored the importance of digital master planning and bringing different disciplines, such as engineers, into the conversation early. Digital, technology and innovation need to be considered as part of the foundations of a development, with the right people involved at the right time to help futureproof the project.

The conversation highlighted that while there are already many vertical technology solutions available, these do not always work together horizontally. What is needed is greater coordination and guardianship of the digital strategy from the outset.

As AI continues to develop, James Klein, Partner at Spencer West, asked whether it could help support this approach. While AI can assist with producing key outputs, the discussion highlighted that the underlying people, processes and responsibilities need to be addressed first.

The second chapter explored tenant experience, written by Dan Drogman, CEO and Co-Founder of Smart Spaces. Dan discussed how buildings are made up of multiple systems, from lifts and lighting to access controls and sensors, which are often not connected. Smart Spaces identified an opportunity to bring these systems together through a single IoT platform, while using the resulting data to understand how buildings are being used.

The discussion reinforced the importance of putting this infrastructure in place early. When technology works effectively in the background, it can create a more seamless experience for tenants, supporting how people interact with a building both digitally and physically. With customer expectations continuing to change, particularly from a landlord perspective, there is an opportunity to use digital technology and data to better understand and respond to what tenants want and need. However, technology is evolving rapidly, while the infrastructure within buildings can struggle to keep pace.

The third chapter, written by Daniel Rose, Gravita Partner, focused on valuing digital assets within a building. Daniel opened by highlighting that technology can mean different things to different people and deliver different benefits depending on how it is used.

Traditionally, commercial property valuations have focused heavily on the physical asset and the rental income it generates. But as digital infrastructure becomes increasingly important, could it also contribute to the value of a building and potentially influence rental yields?

This also raises questions around the data generated by properties and who has the right to use it. Where data is collected from tenants, for example, agreements need to be clear around whether it can be used by the landlord, the technology provider or other parties. There is also potential to use this data to create value beyond the immediate building. Understanding how tenants interact with different spaces and services could inform marketing, improve the tenant experience and provide useful insights for future developments, for example through post-occupancy evaluation.

The final chapter explored skills in the workforce, written by Jo Tasker, CEO and Co-Founder of Community Coworking. The discussion focused on the skills gap within the industry and the challenge of finding the right people to implement digital technology effectively.

As with the other themes, the message was clear: digital needs to be considered from the beginning of a project, with the right people and skills involved early enough to influence the outcome rather than being brought in once key decisions have already been made.

What’s next?

The 2026 Digital Place Playbook can be accessed via the PropTech page here. The conversations at PropTech Connect highlighted the importance of bringing different disciplines and perspectives together to address the challenges around technology and innovation in the built environment.

As part of the TLA PropTech group, we will continue to explore these conversations, share ideas and collaborate across the community to help create a more integrated approach to digital places. If you have any questions on property or valuations, please reach our to Gravita Partner, Daniel Rose.