Dan Edwards

Sustainable Legacy and Impact Manager, Transport for Wales

Dan leads work to maximise social purpose and long-term value through planning, investment and service delivery, helping embed sustainable development and future generations thinking into decision-making.

Dan is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and holds an MSc in Sustainability Planning and Environmental Policy from Cardiff University.

Session | When value isn't financial: Unlocking social impact through sustainable impact approaches in Wales

This presentation highlights how community co-produced, values-driven projects can deliver meaningful social impact through Transport for Wales’ five-year Sustainable Impact Programme.

It focuses on a series of low-cost, locally led initiatives that have generated long-term benefits, including improved well-being, stronger community resilience and enhanced place identity and connectivity. Drawing on practical examples such as the “power of the planter,” it demonstrates how small-scale interventions can unlock wider value by preventing future costs and delivering measurable savings across public services.

The presentation challenges traditional approaches to valuing benefits, illustrating how collaboration, inclusivity and long-term stewardship can achieve outcomes beyond direct financial returns and support higher Social Return on Investment (SROI).

Ultimately, it shows how focusing on micro-level actions can build capacity and resilience at a macro scale, translating policy ambitions into tangible, practical place-based solutions.