The Goldsmith Street Stirling prize-winning affordable housing scheme in Norwich by Mikhail Riches and the government’s ‘Planning for the Future’ white paper bring into sharp relief the issues facing housing development in the quest for Net Zero Carbon. Passivhaus principles, for instance, push the envelope of ‘affordable’, while social sustainability jostles the need for a new aesthetic and a strict prioritisation of carbon-cutting design moves. What is best practice, and how can the planning system be managed to support development at the pace we need while ensuring low- or no-carbon homes?