Prior + Partners’ Place Economics Director Polly Barker, named in The Planner’s Woman of Influence list for 2025.
Each year the Planner Magazine publish a list of planning’s Women of influence, as nominated by their readers and assessed by a panel of judges from across the UK. This list highlights the most influential woman in planning and celebrates the impact they’ve had on the industry.
Prior + Partners’ Place Economics Director, Polly Barker, was one of the 55 featured for 2025, recognising her commitment to strategic planning and economics.
Polly joined Prior + Partners in 2024 to drive forward the Practice’s Place Economics offer; She has extensive expertise in place-based economic advisory and case-making, and how to add value to public sector decision making through spatial planning. Her recent portfolio includes several nationally significant transport-led regeneration projects and economic strategies across the Middle East, as well as, currently leading an economic and social impact assessment for Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on behalf of the London Legacy Development Corporation.
Additionally, Polly shaped the Economic Impact Assessment for the Bakerloo Line upgrade to ensure a highly visual and compelling impact report to gain better traction with central Government. As part of this, Polly facilitated highly engaging and interactive workshops with senior officials from the Boroughs, TfL and GLA to gain greater understanding of potential impacts.
The Planner commented:
“Polly specialises in strategic spatial planning and economics. In 2024, she made a major career move to establish the Place Economics offer at Prior + Partners (P+P) – this year’s RTPI Planning Consultancy of the Year. She joined P+P to add value to the spatial planning and design offer by providing a genuine integration with economic strategy to set stronger vision and strategic direction across all scales of projects.
“Polly has actively promoted and engaged with UK Government through the New Towns Programme and the P+P Strategic Planning group to ensure that planning reforms maximise opportunities to realise regional and national economic growth – and that consideration on the economic rationale and vision for a place is embedded from the outset.
“She is currently leading a high-profile commission in London to consider the economic and social impact of development corporations and the economic impact of planning powers – which will provide a series of lessons for future large scale new communities and regeneration.
“During 2024 Polly led a major regeneration strategy in Abu Dhabi to transform a 40 square kilometre industrial area into a high value and greener economy to increase its resilience and competitiveness.”
To find out more about the awards and others featured, please visit – The Planner’s Women of Influence 2025 | The Planner
