Welcome to Future Cities Forum - a leading built environment network - providing high level connections between government and local authorities, investors, developers, science and innovation leaders, cultural organisations and museums, city and town authorities, architects and planners, through forums, panel discussions, interviews and reports, on best practice for the development and regeneration of cities.
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The forum was created by former BBC and Channel 4 producer/journalist and is co-run with financial communications specialist, Matthew Locke, who over a twenty year career at organisations such as WPP's Hill & Knowlton and Kleinwort Benson, has advised on cross-border take over bids, launched new stock exchanges and market places, for clients in the technology, construction and financial sectors.
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Forum members are able to profile their expertise and network for new business opportunities.
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Keep checking this page for updates on our latest forums and details of all of our previous events.
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Membership details can be viewed on our Tickets and Membership pages.
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Future Cities Forum debates the latest urban investment, regeneration, planning and design issues around the world, bringing together city leaders, councils, long-term investors, developers, planners, infrastructure and transport operators, construction companies, technology innovators, hospital trusts, universities, cultural organisations, architects, engineers and real estate advisers.
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Over 400 organisations have contributed across 70 forums and numerous panel discussions to date and include: The Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Wellcome, Tate Modern, the V&A, LCR Property, Network Rail, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Mount Anvil, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Aviva Investors, Grimshaw, BDP, M & G Real Estate, Laing O' Rourke, Oxford City Council, Deloitte, Arup, Peabody, Transport for London, Liverpool City Council, London Borough of Newham, Hepworth Wakefield, Birmingham City Council, Costain Group, Cushman & Wakefield, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, The National Infrastructure Commission, Greater London Authority, Stride Treglown, East West Railway Company, HS1, Imperial College London and Zaha Hadid Architects.
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Infrastructure, construction and energy 2024 - with the IPA and RPC LLP at Tower Bridge House:
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Future Cities Forum will be holding its April infrastructure forum 'Powering Cities' at the London offices of RPC LLP.
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We will be discussing the UK government's re-directing of HS2 funds for new infrastructure connections in the North and Midlands, plus the development of innovation excellence in the UK for energy transition / digital twins and also super hubs / battery storage for the electrification of transport.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority will join the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, EDF Renewables, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, LDA Design, BDP and Grimshaw among other contributors to talk about transport measures to increase transport connectivity across the Leeds and Bradford city regions and more broadly the north of England.
In recent news, a new multi-million-pound investment to improve walking and cycling routes in West Yorkshire has been welcomed by Mayor Tracy Brabin. Announced by Active Travel England, the £5.5 million investment will help to make travelling on foot, wheeling and cycling, a more attractive option for people making local journeys.
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Image: Manchester Victoria station remodelled for Network Rail by BDP (courtesy BDP)
Knowledge Cities 2023 - with Barts Life Sciences:
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Future Cities Forum is delighted to be hosted by Tower Hamlets Council for its 'Knowledge Cities' event in November in the historic former Royal London Hospital now re-modelled into a modern town hall, with senior public and private sector leaders from London and regional UK - from hospitals, universities, science park development, investors, planners and councils.
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The focus will be on best practice in the planning and development of life sciences and technology districts, with strong digital and power infrastructure that connect well to their local communities.
Barts Life Sciences says that in order to build on the significant life sciences work already undertaken at Barts Health, it plans to create a thriving life sciences centre at the heart of a vibrant cluster which will sit next door to The Royal London Hospital.
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In July 2018, the Department of Health and Social Care bought underused land from Barts Health to kick-start the development of this cutting-edge research campus:
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'The plan is to develop several plots of land left over following the development of the new Royal London Hospital into one of the most modern research facilities in Europe. The land covers a ground area equivalent to two-and-a-half football pitches.
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The new development will create up to 11,500 full-time jobs and will be a powerful incentive for attracting new start-ups and other innovative and dynamic enterprises. Revenue will be reinvested back into local healthcare, securing clinical and financial sustainability.'
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Above: Frontage of the remodelled former Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel now Tower Hamlets Town Hall (Courtesy AHMM)
Innovation cities: economy, creative clusters, communities & housing
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Future Cities Forum is delighted to be hosted by Here East for its all-day event on 20 September 2023 looking at how the creative industries, technology and sport are proving vital for the growth of the UK economy. The Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Homes England, The Turing Institute, the V&A and the London College of Fashion will be among the contributors.
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With leaders from UK government, the cultural and tech sectors, investors, developers, city planners, and architects, we will discuss the cultural possibilities of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and 5G alongside the developments in the film production sector, fashion industry, heritage, and tourism. Of great importance are the opportunities for training and job opportunities for young people – in east London and the rest of the UK, and the creation of housing that can be measured against environmental, health and cultural perspectives, and how local communities can benefit from investment in the creative sector.
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Image above: Here East, the Olympic Park and Stratford looking towards Canary Wharf (Credit: Jason Hawkes / Here East)
Arts and science districts - at Lambeth Palace Library
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Future Cities Forum is holding its May forum at Lambeth Palace Library in London on the relationship between arts (‘creative’) and sciences districts in cities – how these can be further planned, supported and developed to attract visitors and talent to boost the economies of city districts, particularly around life sciences and medical technologies.
Background on Lambeth Palace Library
Wright & Wright Architects have designed a significant new addition to London’s civic architecture, as Lambeth Palace Library is the first new building on the site for 185 years and hosts the Church of England’s archive – the most important collection of religious books, manuscripts, and archives in Europe, after the Vatican.
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Image above of the new Lambeth Palace Library building (courtesy Wright & Wright Architects), which sits opposite the Evelina Children's Hospital and the St Thomas' Hospital campus
Science Cities - Cambridge
Future Cities Forum is holding its February event at Newnham College, University of Cambridge,
The City of Cambridge’s science development success has led to over-heating and scarcity in terms of affordable housing and good transport. Yet the city remains as an attractor for international talent and leading life sciences and tech companies. Other innovation clusters in the ‘Golden Diamond’ such as Stevenage could take some of the pressure off in providing lab and office space, and are planning for good public realm and cultural amenities.
So, can there be a new vision for connected living in Cambridge and the city region and how can that deliver net-zero goals?
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Leading science park investors and owners including BioMed Realty (Blackstone), TusPark (investor in Cambridge Science Park), and Wellcome Genome Campus (discussing campus and housing expansion at Hinxton) will be joined by the leader of South Cambridgeshire Council, Bridget Smith and the CEO of the Hertfordshire LEP, Neil Hayes and others.
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Image: Newnham College at night (Walters & Cohen Architects)
Science Cities in Oxford
Future Cities Forum is holding its October Science Cities event at St Anne's College, Oxford University.
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The theme will be 'developing world-class R&D districts with housing and joined-up infrastructure' on 11th October at 9.30 am to 12 noon. Jason Dorsett, CFO from OUH will be taking part to talk about accelerating plans for R&D development and master-planning housing around the Churchill Hospital site in Headington - among other projects and themes across the 'Science vale' and across the OxCam Arc.
He will be joined by Tom Bridgman, Executive Director of Development at Oxford City Council, CEO of Harwell Campus, Stuart Grant, MEPC's Commercial Director, Philip Campbell and Peter Ward, Director of Real Estate Development at King's College London / Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust., among others.
Birmingham, the West Midlands and levelling up
Future Cities Forum is holding its third 2022 levelling up event on 13th July at The Exchange Birmingham, courtesy of the University of Birmingham. Leaders from government, local authorities, investment and development, planning, engineering, and design – as well as R&D, universities, and the cultural sector, will be discussing the levelling up agenda through the lens of the highly successful city of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.
We will be discussing the following themes:
• Infrastructure-led regeneration (and the HS2 opportunity)
• Innovation in health, technology, and life sciences
• The office recovery and Birmingham as a corporate HQ destination
• Regeneration of districts and new housing
• Sport and cultural infrastructure ahead of the Commonwealth Games
• Net zero ambitions for the city and region
We will be asking the following questions:
• How can Birmingham continue to sustain a creative and tech industry that remains ahead of and competitive with other UK and global cities?
• Which elements will build Birmingham’s brand for international science and tech innovation?
• Will Birmingham be the first city to reach its climate goals in 2050 and which technologies will enable it to do this?
• How can sports-led regeneration deliver benefits for the region’s communities?
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(Picture of the Exchange and Centenary Square copyright: Make Architects)
New Districts: planning, development and design
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Future Cities Forum is running another in its series of 'New Districts' discussions, which look at the investment and development of new areas of economic and visitor interest in cities.
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Gloucester City Council, Historic England, Chapman Taylor, LB Hammersmith and Fulham and Coventry City Council are all expected to take part.
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We will ask questions around office development, tourism attraction, preserving the historic fabric of new districts and the re-design of shopping centres.
Leader of Gloucester City Council, Cllr Richard Cook will be joining us this April to discuss new developments in the city which provide for leisure as well as technology work opportunities for those living in the region.
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Construction company Kier is ready to start enabling works on the second phase of The Forum in Gloucester City Centre, that will include the development of Grade A workspace, a 4-star hotel, rooftop restaurant and state-of-the-art digital conference facilities, as well as a wellness centre and members club.
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Phase one is already under construction and will see 43 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, cafes, bars and restaurants and 5,000 sq ft of retail space which will be occupied by Tesco. This phase is due to complete by autumn in 2022.
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The Forum (pictured above, courtesy Reef Group), which is being brought forward by Gloucester City Council and its partners Reef Group is due to be completed in summer 2024.
It is set to attract a mix of tech businesses from start-ups to big occupiers, tapping into the booming digital and cyber-technology industry, as well as providing workspace suitable for 'hybrid' working. The development is part of the massive multi-million pound regeneration scheme underway in the city centre that includes the revamp of Kings Square into a world class events space.
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The Making of the Modern City
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Over the last twenty months – through the extraordinary stresses and confinements of the global pandemic - we have seen an acceleration of the pressures that have been changing how we live in cities. Advances in communications technology, combined with lockdowns, has meant that organisations that are not involved in manufacturing can work remotely – successfully - without the need to enter a conventional office building.
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This has had a profound impact on the ecosystem of businesses with physical premises that have traditionally supported office life in cities – hairdressers, sandwich shops, restaurants and bars, dry-cleaners, and other retail as well as transport services. Some towns and cities have proved more resilient than others.
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Owners and asset managers have had to re-think the role of the office building towards a much more flexible multi-use role, designed to enhance collaboration, meeting and adaptable spaces, while accepting that some must be converted wholly or partly to residential or other uses.
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Online shopping has boomed, cementing evolving trends that have been damaging many high streets since 2000. The John Lewis Partnership’s decision to convert the upper floors of the Oxford Street flagship store to residential is a sign of the changes wrought partly by Covid-19.
However, the drive towards Net Zero has encouraged local authorities and BIDs to invest in healthy streets programmes, taking out the car where possible. The onus put on cultural life, entertainment experiences, and higher education by some cities, has been a catalyst for the conversion of failing department stores into hotels and flexible university space – as well as a review of how public space works.
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The UK government continues to drive more efficient transport and energy infrastructure for 2022 with the electrification of cities. The phased removal of diesel and petrol driven transport has presented new challenges for city authorities around energy supply and management, freight deliveries, with new design and construction costs for EV charging, conversion of roads for cycle traffic and new pedestrian public ream.
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In our 14th January 2022 forum at Bow Bells House, we will discuss themes that include the future of offices, sustainable transport, housing and mixed-use regeneration, and the emerging character of retail post pandemic.
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Science Cities and the Arc
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Future Cities Forum held its 'Science Cities and the Arc' event at Newnham College Cambridge on Wednesday 13 October.
The vision for the Arc and role of the OxCam Arc Expert Advisory Panel was discussed by Emma Cariaga, Chair, OxCam Arc Expert Advisory Panel / Joint Head of Canada Water & Head of Residential, British Land - followed by three panel discussions.
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How do we create sustainable settlements for the Arc, linked to first class, joined-up infrastructure?
Emma Cariaga, OxCam Arc Expert Advisory Panel and British Land
Anna Strongman, Chief Executive of Oxford University Development
Julia Foster, Managing Partner, David Lock Associates
Fred Pilbrow, Founding Partner, Pilbrow & Partners
Planning workshop – led by Tom Perry of LDA Design (Head of Cambridge Studio and formerly The Design Council’s Head of Architecture & the Built Environment)
How do we design the best places for R&D collaboration - for universities, health trusts and the private sector?
Professor Lynette Ryals, Chief Executive, MK:U / Pro Vice Chancellor, Cranfield University
Laurel Powers-Freeling, Chair - Cambridge University Health Partners, Interim Chair - Cambridge Biomedical Campus Ltd
Dr Martin Dougherty, COO, Wellcome Genome Campus and Wellcome Sanger Institute
Matt Smith - Head of Leasing, BioMed Realty
Ed Hayden, Director, Scott Brownrigg Architects
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How do we deliver high quality affordable accommodation and workspace in our university cities and across the Arc, servicing the knowledge economy?
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Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council
Dr Jason Matthews, Development Adviser to Oxford North / Thomas White Oxford for St John’s College Oxford (and Director, Matthews and Sadler Estates)
Jo Cowen, CEO, Jo Cowen Architects
Chris Williams, Senior Director (Occupier Transactions), CBRE
Cultural Cities with the DCMS
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On 10 September 2021 Future Cities Forum will discuss the role of museums and libraries as vital civic anchors for the cultural life of cities, as well the strategies for attracting visitors and tourists post-pandemic.
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Lord Mendoza, Commissioner for Cultural Recovery at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) will lead the discussion, which will have input from leading museum directors, libraries, local authorities, planners and architects.
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(Portrait of Neil Mendoza by John Cairns)
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Cultural Cities - the Recovery
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Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO of V&A Museum will lead our 'Cultural Cities - The Recovery' panel discussion on 22 June, alongside directors from the leading art museums and cultural centres in Bristol, Lisbon and Blackpool. Contributors will include Beatrice Leanza, Director of MAAT (Lisbon), Gary Topp, Director of Arnolfini Bristol, Naila Yousuf - Partner at Wright & Wright Architects (and Project Lead for the recent upgrading of Museum of the Home in East London will contribute and the Leader of Blackpool Council, Cllr Lynn Williams will also join to talk about the collaboration with the V&A on the Blackpool Museum Project, which is set to reflect the entertainment and circus history of this famous seaside resort.
Image: The Circle and Nature - at Zurich Airport - copyright www.mir.no
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Infrastructure 2021 - innovation, sustainability and transport hubs
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Our April forum panel will debate current thinking for planning, development and innovation around multi-modal transport hubs, against a background of changing commuter behaviour and operating models post-pandemic.
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The discussion will include Zurich Airport's Chief Commercial Officer, Stefan Gross, alongside Transport for London's Director of City Planning, Alex Williams. Also joining will be the Leader of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Ian Courts who is the HS2 and Environment Portfolio holder for West Midlands Combined Authority, and Newcastle City Council's Head of Transport Investment, Graham Grant. Grimshaw partner, Jolyon Brewis, Costain Group Head of Business Development (Transportation), Andrea Green and Ellie Evans, Senior Partner at economics consultancy Volterra Partners complete the panel.
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Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto won the competition set by Flughafen Zurich AG to design the Circle (pictured) which is a destination district next to the airport, made up of a convention centre, shops, restaurants and the new University Hospital Airport as well as a woodland park.
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Future High Streets and city centre development - footfall recovery
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Our 'future high streets forum will discuss measures to help city and town centres recover footfall post-pandemic.
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Contributors will include the Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, Patrick Melia and Cllr Steve Pitt from Portsmouth City Council who has been instrumental in the rescue of the New Theatre Royal. Both councils are beneficiaries of the government's High Streets Fund. Louise Brennan, who oversees the Heritage Acton Zone fund and strategy for Historic England will also join alongside senior planners, developers and architects.
(Image: National Glassworks Museum, Sunderland Riverside)
The forum – part of the ‘European Science Cities’ series – will examine how cities can best plan and create affordable homes linked to jobs within hospital and R&D campuses, learning from international best practice while respecting local culture and architecture.
The debate will look at the ambitions of creating ‘porous’ campuses which integrate with the wider city and provide meeting and social spaces – that benefit R&D collaboration and well-being
It will discuss how to transition from car-dependent environments towards Net Zero cities, and which create biodiversity from brownfield sites.
The discussion will be Zoom-based, will be recorded for inclusion in a related Future Cities Forum report.
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(Image: proposed new Moorfields Eye Hospital and research facilities at St Pancras London - Penoyre + Prasad)
Future Cities Forum will be running a series of discussions on the topic of sustainability over 2020/2021 to include areas such as housing, energy, climate change and public realm design.
The debates will ask whether the government’s new ideas on planning will lead to housing provision which meet targets on carbon reduction, how the design of city and district heat networks will help tackle climate change, the role of hydrogen in improving green energy supplies, and whether Covid-19 has accelerated the implementation of better public realm, creating healthier and more sustainable city centres and retail provision?
Back in the summer the UK government announced a reform of the planning system, which could see land being divided up into three categories – ‘growth’, ‘renewal’ and ‘protected’. On land earmarked for growth, new homes, schools and hospitals will be allowed to be built automatically, with councils unable to veto. Other measures included that all new homes should be carbon neutral by 2050 and all new streets should be tree-lined.
Critics argued that this would lead to rushed poor quality housing and the new rules would diminish the influence of local authorities as well as communities being side-lined in decision making.
Alan Jones, President of RIBA told BBC News:
‘While there is no doubt the planning system needs reform, these shameful proposals do almost nothing to guarantee the delivery of affordable, well-designed and sustainable homes.’
Planners, investors, developers, engineers, architects, transport and energy companies and local authorities will all take part in these important discussions – the first of which is online 18th November at 2 pm.
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Key contributors in our debate will include
Patrick Allcorn, Head of Local Energy, Department for Business, Energy, & Industrial Strategy
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Patrick has led the local energy team in BEIS since October 2015, previously working in the Heat Strategy team where he developed a range of community initiatives, developing the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive. He will be talking about the following topics below.
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University of Cambridge: Newnham College (Dorothy Garrod Building), Sidgwick Avenue, CB3 9DF
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Introduction
Our science and health forum will be held at Newnham College Cambridge on 20th November 2019 where we will be discussing the best approaches to creating knowledge hubs and clusters within cities that are both economically and socially successful - and very importantly are well designed, especially in urban settings. We will also be looking at tackling health issues in cities and will showcase innovation in medical care. We will consider the following questions:
1. With the interest in the growth of science hubs, how do cities accommodate incoming talent with transport and housing needs?
2. How can we ensure world class collaboration in the development of our science, healthcare and technology hubs?
3. How does the growth of knowledge hubs shape a city’s architecture and planning?
4. What are the discussions that councils need to have with developers and urban infrastructure experts to protect cities and plan future needs?
5. How do we plan for disease control in city populations and cyber-attacks to our healthcare systems?
6. How will Brexit affect the science brain drain and the influx of medicines to cities?
7. How can arts and sciences combine to build the strength of a city’s identity and sustainable culture?
These are some of the questions that we will be asking in our forum panel discussions and through our workshop round table exercise.
RIBA North, Liverpool, L3 1BP
Future Cities Forum will be running an event in February at RIBA North to look at infrastructure investment, transport innovation, jobs generation through the knowledge economy, as well as and art, culture and sports-led regeneration in major Northern cities. The prospects for affordable housing supply, linked to jobs and infrastructure, will be discussed in the light of government house building targets. The speakers and audience will be made up of a balance of city council directors, developers, cultural leaders and sports club chief executives from London, the Midlands and Northern England. Written and video content will be posted on Future Cities Forum web site.
Panel discussions will be arranged around:
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Infrastructure and smart transport
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Health sciences and the knowledge economy
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Sports-led regeneration
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Arts and culture for communities and tourism
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Housing and jobs in the North
Westworks, White City Place, W12 7TU
10 am to 12.30 pm
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This event will be our 9th Future Cities Forum and will gather together councils, architects, planners, developers and investors in a morning of debate with panel discussions and individual presentations.
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It will be held at White City Place, London, W12 – the home to a growing group of media and creative businesses including the BBC, ITV, Yoox, Net A Porter as well as being a new campus for Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. It has some of the newest flexible work spaces in the UK designed by Allies and Morrison. Stanhope PLC has been developing White City Place since 2015 – along with partners Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo – adding to its long-term commitment and investment through its Television Centre project into the transformation of this West London hub. Berkeley Group – though its St James subsidiary – is developing a 10-acre brownfield site next to Television Centre into a new residential neighbourhood with 1,465 homes. It will have a new public park and attractive public realm linking through historic railway arches to the south to Westfield London.
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At the White City Place forum we will be looking at the future of new model office workspace and creative hubs mixed with restaurants – and homes and leisure provision. The blue-print for successful place-making from city regeneration sites will underpin the discussions.
We will be asking some of the following questions:
How should we design homes and neighbourhoods given future ways of living and working and the dramatic changes in modes of transport?
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How can data analytics be deployed to transform planning, environmental health and transport withincities?
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Is London still able to create successful new areas for knowledge hubs? How important is new residential provision for these projects?
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Is there an ideal model for community engagement, and private / public collaboration on new neighbourhood creation?
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Does Brexit threaten the London office market and the growth of flexible working?
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Are UK regional cities going to provide most of the investment opportunities for the long-term?
How do we integrate planning around industrial land use with housing and transport development?
Oxford Science Cities 2024 - economy, infrastructure and energy:
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Future Cities Forum will be holding its June forum in The Cheng Yu Tung Building at Jesus College. According to MICA Architects 'it is a new prominent and unique mixed-use building in central Oxford, which brings together teaching, retail, research, NHS healthcare and student living within a 21st century fourth quad for the Elizabethan college. The scheme is a major addition and new active building in Oxford’s evolving city centre,
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At the forum, contributors from government, investor developers, science and energy leaders, architects and planners will be discussing the topics of science hub development, sustainable energy investment, transport connectivity and housing to support key workers and for talent attraction.
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Image: Jesus College from Market Street (MICA)
UK Innovation Cities
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Future Cities Forum March 2024 forum at Paddington Central with Imperial College Health NHS Trust and Paddington Life Sciences follows ‘Innovation Cities’ in Bristol and Here East, London, in September 2023, where infrastructure to support the growth of R&D clusters, and to power AI innovation and health data, was a core topic.
The collaboration between university R&D departments, hospital trusts and life sciences and technology companies from the private sector has also been a major theme.
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New for 2024 will be the additional topic of the future for digital twins. The discussions will look at how innovation and investment will underpin the UK’s energy and digital infrastructure at a time of major transformation, transition and growth.
In addition to the battery revolution for transport and 'greening' manufacturing, the convergence of the UK tech and life sciences / healthcare sectors requires huge support from power networks and digital infrastructure, especially around the sustainable development of new data centres.
Image: Paddington Central campus (British Land)
Future High Streets and retail regeneration:
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Future Cities Forum is holding its 'Future of High Streets' event in Knightsbridge this October where we will be discussing the latest developments in retail - including retail parks and shopping centres - and construction of new homes to create thriving districts in Greater London and the wider UK.
We will be asking which retail districts are thriving in London and how other mixed-use developments around the country are being designed for economic and social sustainability. Future Cities Forum has featured the work of BDP at its previous forums in bringing back nature to historic shopping streets such as Regent Street, (above) for The Crown Estate and Westminster City Council, to create healthier and more attractive environments.
Kensington High Street has lost its once renowned department stores - Barkers, Derry and Toms - and like other high streets has been under pressure from online fashion and retail businesses. The Design Museum has opened nearby attracting thousands of new design-conscious visitors to the High Street, but there is concern about the number of empty shops. While the West End of London has generally bounced back from the pandemic, there is concern from Westminster City Council that some shops are still empty.
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Image above: Lower Regent Street, London
Sustainable tourism, culture and investor development - Venice
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Future Cities Forum is delighted to be hosted by Generali Real Estate and The Human Safety Net at the Procuratie Vecchie, Piazza San Marco on 6 September 2023.
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Investors, government, universities, architects and planners will be meeting to discuss how the City of Venice - and other historic cities - can create more sustainable models of tourism, culture and development.
Venice has faced recent problems with tourists arriving by large cruise ships on day trips avoiding spending money in restaurants or on overnight accommodation in hotels. In addition, there are reports that city dwellers no longer spend time in squares such as Saint Mark's as they have become places they do not recognise. The restoration of Procuratie Vecchie, (home to Generali and its social initiative, The Human Safety Net) now open partly as an exhibition space and innovation centre, is seen as a first step to encourage the real citizens of Venice back to St Mark's Square.
Questions at the forum will focus on what kind of cultural offer the City would like to develop in the future, the current success of the Dorsoduro Museum Mile, the reviving of traditional crafts and building skills in the creation of the proposed opera house, Teatro San Cassiano and the restoration of flood damage to monuments such as the Basilica San Marco.
Image above: Piazza San Marco - Procuratie Vecchie on left (Credit: David Chipperfield Architects)
The making of the modern city: Birmingham and the West Midlands
Future Cities Forum is holding its next 'Making of the modern city' event in Birmingham, hosted by MEPC, the developer of Paradise. Leaders from local authorities, investment and development, planning, engineering, and design – as well as the sport and the cultural sector, will be discussing the future of office campuses, and sports stadium-led regeneration through the lens of the highly successful city of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.
We will be discussing the following themes:
The office recovery and Birmingham as a cultural and business destination
Sports-stadium led regeneration – and the legacy of the Commonwealth Games
Net zero ambitions for the city and region, especially around air quality, low-carbon transport and the creation of new housing,
Image above of Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
The making of the modern city II
Future Cities Forum is holding its January event in the City of London. looking at the year ahead for developments in housing, mixed-use office campuses by transport hubs, healthy streets, and night-time enterprise zones.
Will the UK government keep its commitment to house building in challenging economic times and will those developments be exemplars of good design with high-quality place-making and connected transport? How will levelling up in housing and transport both in the north of the country and southern areas be supported? How will TfL extend its healthy streets programme in London, now it has the funding? How will towns and cities ensure day to night activity through cultural and entertainment projects to support an ailing time for the high street and challenges for cultural districts?
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Jonathan Reekie, Director of Somerset House Trust, will be talking about the success of the Strand Aldwych remodelling - and will be joined by leading developers, planners and architects as well as TfL and the Corporation of London.
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Image: City of London and St Paul's Cathedral at night viewed from the Bankside cultural district
Cultural Cities at the V&A
Future Cities Forum is holding its Cultural Cities 2022 event on 27th September at the V&A Museum, South Kensington, SW7 courtesy of the Director of Design, Estate, .and Public Programme, Dr Pip Simpson.
Dr Simpson leads the Design Studio, the Estate including all Capital Projects, and the Public Programme including exhibitions.
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The themes of Future Cities Forum's cultural discussion event will be the regeneration of cities through culture post pandemic, master planning for new public realm to encourage outdoor events in towns and cities as part of the UK's tourism drive, cultural development on the high street, library development as cultural regeneration, and community engagement to encourage diversity in employment and further involvement in the arts from young people.
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(Image: The John Madejski Garden at the V&A in May 2022)
Manchester: innovation, culture and place
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Future Cities Forum is holding its June 2022 Manchester levelling up event at the Museum of Science and Industry. Leaders from government, investment, science, culture and development will be discussing the levelling up agenda through the lens of the highly successful city of Manchester. We will be asking the following questions:
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How can Manchester continue to sustain a creative and tech industry that remains ahead of and competitive with other UK and global cities?
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What elements will build Manchester’s brand for international science and tech innovation?
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Will Manchester be the first city to reach its climate goals in 2050 and which technologies will enable it to do this?
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Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
A multi-million-pound programme for the Museum is underway at the globally significant industrial heritage site to carry out crucial restoration work and reveal new spaces for visitors to enjoy. At the Grade I listed 1830 Station and Warehouse, which is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world, the first £1.9 million phase of work funded by the DCMS, will give the building a new roof, gutters and rainwater pipes.
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Future plans include a dedicated STEM learning space, together will improved outdoor area linking new connections and entrances between the Science and Industry Museum, The Factory and the developing St John's and Castleford neighbourhoods.
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(Picture of the Science + Industry Museum Manchester copyright: The Board and Trustees of The Science Museum)
Science Cities: Cambridge and the Arc
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Future Cities Forum will be in Cambridge again this March 2022 (at Newnham College - pictured - new wing by Walters & Cohen) to discuss the record investment in it as a science city, the success of the City Council in developing new homes for this over-heating city and the need for enabling infrastructure/transport to serve the level of continued activity that this city is seeing.
The Guardian newspaper has been writing about Cambridge drawing record investment last year placing it as the UK’s leading tech hub. It states that research reveals the number of UK unicorns or start ups work more than $1bn (£750m) grew to 116 in 2021.
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‘The UK technology sector drew a record £29.4 billion in investment this year, according to research, with Cambridge declared the country’s leading regional tech city…more than double last year’s total of £11.5 billion…This increase in $1 billion companies brings the total numbers of unicorns in the UK to 116 according to figures published by the government’s Digital Economy Council, an advisory committee. This compares with 31 in France and 56 in Germany, according to the DEC.
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‘References to the government’s levelling-up policy, which seeks to reduce the wealth and opportunity gap between London and the rest of the UK, featured heavily in the Dec research. It declared Cambridge the leading regional tech city in the UK, ahead of Manchester and Oxford, reflecting factors including its high levels of venture capital funding and number of unicorns. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are also in the top ten.
Future Cities Forum will be asking the following questions:
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Is there sufficient investment in the region's infrastructure and housing to support the booming tech industry?
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How can Cambridge maintain its public realm to enhance the physical attractiveness of the city to new talent?
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Is the right balance of private and council housing being planned for a range of workers across the Arc?
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How can Cambridge maintain its number one position as UK leading tech city over the long term?
New Districts: planning, development and design
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Future Cities Forum’s series on ‘New districts: planning, development and design’ which started in August 2021, draws partly on the November Budget announcement that there will be £24 billion to support housing including £1.8 billion for the development of brownfield sites by councils. According to LocalGov.co.uk the Brownfield Land release Fund has already given £58 million to 53 councils.
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This focus has additional interest at a time when the pandemic has accelerated decisions by owners, investors and local authorities to re-think and re-purpose struggling shopping centres.
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In the series we examine best practice in place-making and construction approaches across contrasting sites in different cities, with thought for sustainably sourced materials and energy-conscious construction methods. The provision for affordable housing and better workspaces close to transport hubs will also be discussed and how this will reduce the development pressure off greenfield land across the UK.
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Our second event in the series on 1st December will discuss some challenging but historic sites in London, Oxford and Milton Keynes (such as the Agora redevelopment in Wolverton - picture above from developer Town) , and also the re-purposing of 1960s shopping centres.
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Science Cities and the Arc
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On 13 October at Newnham College Cambridge we will holding a physical forum to discuss the planning and design for the best places for R&D collaboration.
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Future Cities Forum is delighted that the CEO of Oxford University Development, Anna Strongman, and also Dr David Hardman, Managing Director of Bruntwood Scitech (Birmingham) will join this event at Cambridge University alongside local authority directors, infrastructure operators,, university senior bursars, and developers.
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OUD is a joint venture between Oxford University and Legal & General, set up to build Innovation Districts and subsidised accommodation for graduate students and the university workforce.
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Anna was previously Managing Partner of Argent LLP. She spent 12 years on a there working on a range of asset, development and business planning projects. Highlights included leading the Asset Management of King’s Cross, developing Coal Drops Yard and setting up a BTR portfolio with JV partners Related.
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David spent 10 years in Cambridge leading the early commercial development of the Babraham Research Campus and then moved to Birmingham in 2008 and over the last 13 years has developed and implemented a strategy to build on the legacy of Aston Science Park. The result is the Innovation Birmingham Campus; an urban focal point promoting digital innovation and adoption across all sectors. In 2018 the Campus became part of Bruntwood SciTech to create a focal point for a thriving innovation district in Birmingham.
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Following 'Science Cities' forums which have discussed the planning and integration of R&D hubs both within cities and in new residential districts such as Stockholm (Karolinska Institutet), Heidelberg in Germany, Oxford North and the West Midlands (Warwick University) our October 2021 forum will discuss best practice collaboration between public and private sectors.
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It will have a focus on how the Arc linking Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge will become a powerhouse of innovation, connected to Birmingham's emerging tech and life sciences hubs and to London's world class centres at King's Cross St Pancras, Imperial West in Hammersmith, and the developing South Bank campuses of Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Trust.
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New districts: planning, development & regeneration
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On 18 August 2021 Future Cities Forum will discuss the planning, development and design of new settlements and regeneration districts. This will include best practice examples for transforming urban brownfield sites in London and Birmingham.
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Contributors taking part include developers Hadley Property Group and Cole Waterhouse, planners from Birmingham City Council and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, as well as LDA Design - which is part of the core design team tasked with transforming the Thames-side Blackwall Yard into a 'new piece of city'.
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(Image: Proposed development of Upper Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham)
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Image from Rotterdam Partners
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Planning for Net Zero: energy and sustainability
Future Cities Forum is delighted that the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Camden and Lewisham Councils along with investor and asset manager Amber Infrastructure will be speaking at our 20th May 'Planning for Net Zero:' energy and Sustainability 2021' forum.
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Karl Fitzgerald, Development Director at the I&PA will be describing how infrastructure planning around energy, housing and transport needs to be joined-up if Net Zero ambitions are to be approached - especially where there are new settlements.
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'The key', Karl says,' is to find willing stake-holders, who are prepared to drive up the quality of thinking, planning and implementation. The themes of Net Zero, bio-diversity net gain, and natural capital are all relatively new in planning and infrastructure terms. There is no pattern book (around infrastructure and sustainability) but we need to establish one. It is only by getting under the skin (of these issues), getting stuck in to projects, and learning by example that we can move forward. The range of stake-holders involved in planning the housing and supporting infrastructure of energy, utilities and transport for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is massive.
Science Cities - new developments
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Our April Science Cities forum will welcome speakers from Warwick University, BioMed Realty, Exeter, Begbroke (University of Oxford) and Oxford science parks, Westminster City Council and architects Pilbrow + Partners.
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The UK government has been championing science and innovation for economic growth, but how our over-heating science cities of London, Oxford and Cambridge in particular are developing for 'balanced city living', has been a key topic of discussion for Future Cities Forum.
Director of Real Estate, at Warwick University, James Breckon, will be speaking about the recent completion of the £30 million IBRB biomedical research building which includes the Wolfson Tissue Mechanobiology and Human Disease Laboratory. This has been developed with a £750,000 grant and comprises a 400-seat lecture theatre and five-storeys of laboratories, as well as social and collaboration spaces. The research work to take place in the building will increase understanding of a wide range of diseases from cancer to brittle bones and heart conditions, increasing the ability to fight human diseases.
James described how the building has been delivered during exceptional times and is testament to the tenacity and commitment shown by all those involved in designing and building it from the construction industry:
Infrastructure & development: railway station investment
Our February 2021 'Infrastructure and development forum will be led by Stephen Dance, Head of the Commercial Adviser Team at the Infrastructure & Projects Authority.
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Future Cities Forum is debating the growth and direction of investment in infrastructure and related developments this week with the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, looking at the future economic benefits, especially around the Oxford to Cambridge ARC, the HS2 stations proposed for the West Midlands and at Crewe, and the Northumberland re-opened railway lines.
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The UK government's recent package to reopen two important rail routes closed more than five decades ago, includes the delivery of the next phase of East West Rail, which will create 1,500 skilled jobs, and reinstate direct rail services between Bicester and Bletchley for the first time since 1968. It also includes £34 million to progress plans to reopen the Northumberland line between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Ashington, which closed to passengers in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts.
Themes will include the levelling-up investment and planning strategy for UK transport infrastructure, digital innovations as well as the importance of transport hub led district regeneration.
Cultural Cities - London districts, communities and the pandemic with V&A East
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Future Cities Forum will be holding a new cultural forum in January 2021 to look at the development of cultural real estate, creative districts and the social, community and economic value that cultural institutions play in our cities’ fortunes.
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Our lead contributor will be Gus Casely-Hayford, OBE, the Director of V&A East and he will lead discussions debating the future role of museums in the regeneration of cities post Covid-19.
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A renowned museum director, historian, writer and broadcaster, Gus has moved from his director role at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington DC, to lead the creative strategy and programming across V&A East's two new public venues - a five storey museum on Stratford Waterfront and a dynamic collections and research centre at Here East - both now under construction in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Both sites will open in 2023 as part of East Bank, a new powerhouse of culture, education, innovation and growth.​
Future Cities Forum held its 'Science Cities ll' discussion event on 7th October to debate the best ways of supporting the planning, development and design of the UK's knowledge clusters (Image above: CGI of Oxford North development - Fletcher Priest Architects for Thomas White Oxford / St. John' College Oxford University).
The forum had contributions from - among others - Stephen Dance, Director of the Commercial Adviser Team at the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Professor Lynette Ryals, Chief Executive of MK:U - the new Milton Keynes University - and Dr John Williams, Managing Director of Birmingham Health Partners, as well as William Donger, Director of Thomas White Oxford who is overseeing the Oxford North development for St John's College Oxford University.
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA
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Introduction
We will be back at City Hall, London on 26th June this year to run our regeneration, planning, transport and energy conference. This will be an important year for the UK in terms of developing vital infrastructure for economic advancement and social cohesion, providing joined up housing with appropriate infrastructure that avoids leaving communities isolated, and harnessing the benefits of green energy.
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The National Infrastructure Commission has recently announced (7th May 2019) that excellence in design will be the ‘beating heart’ of all new UK infrastructure. This announcement has come from Professor Sadie Morgan, Stirling Prize Winner and NIC Commissioner who says the new influential Design Group, which will lobby to ensure that design is considered at the outset of every major project, and at every stage of delivery to make the most of our infrastructure without increasing costs.
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The NIC stated that its ‘first ‘National Infrastructure Assessment, published last year, set out the benefits of effective design, highlighting how embedding it into the culture of planning and delivery leads to an outcome that both works well and looks good, enhancing the quality of life for the communities who experience it every day.’
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Sadie spoke at our November forum in one of the original factory buildings of Woolwich Arsenal, set for major redevelopment into housing and a new cultural hub, about the importance of joined-up infrastructure and regeneration. This June, Head of Policy, Katie Black, will further this dialogue, and bring into the debate, the latest thinking on energy and climate change, illuminating how this is set to impact our cities’ environment.
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This filmed forum will gather investors, developers, professional advisers, architects, city and transport planners along with government and city councils into one research event with the outcomes written up in a white paper. The panel discussions will be facilitated and professionally recorded.
Forum timings
0830 Networking / coffee
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0900 Infrastructure and innovation 2019
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Opening remarks: Stephen Dance, Delivery Director, Infrastructure Projects Authority
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0920 Panel discussion: Infrastructure and transport – completing the UK’s major projects and transforming mobility.
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1000 Panel discussion: how can cities best prepare for new energy infrastructure to meet climate change goals?
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1045 Research round-tables and networking
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1115 Panel discussion: cultural infrastructure – how will City Hall’s map change the economic and psychological well-being of the capital?
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1200 Panel discussion: future housing infrastructure – should we focus on inner city development or invest in garden communities and new towns?
Future Cities Forum is producing two large events this autumn. The first is on 10th October in West London at White City and will look at the UK government’s reaction to and support of the housing crisis, a strategy for joined-up infrastructure, transport and place-making. The provision of new retail concepts will also feature, place-making around sports stadiums and major rail stations, as will a discussion about the impact of modern methods of construction.
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Rachel Fisher, Deputy Director of Regeneration and Infrastructure at The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, will be making the opening presentation at our forum ‘City Regeneration and Place-making’. She has written a guest blog for our forum on how to support the modern high street as well as how to improve productivity across the Camkox corridor. This link between housing and first class transport infrastructure was discussed at our previous City Hall, London forum last May with the Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission, Phil Graham.
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The role of railway lines and stations will feature at the forum because of the importance for joined up housing and infrastructure, along with how our retail can develop at these important junctions and termini. Retail is becoming essential to station development and for the Japanese this has spurred the idea of creating ‘my third place’ between home and ‘somewhere public’. Atkins, part of SNC-Lavalin Group will be speaking about master planning for new high-speed rail stations, so they become a properly integrated asset for city communities and a catalyst for regeneration.
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Sports stadiums are not only central to the life of many communities, but they can also act as as a tourist draw. We will be looking at innovation in stadium design and how adjacent districts can benefit from intelligent regeneration to create new housing, education hubs and activity throughout the year.
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Key Speaker –
We are delighted that our our key speaker for this forum will be:
Phil Graham, Chief Executive, National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) UK.
Forum introduction:
The collapse of Carillion has sent shock waves through the UK for the potential nationwide impact it will have long term on construction projects. It has raised a debate on how we manage such fundamental construction and maintenance services and who is put in charge of them.
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Our systems for modern cities are highly interconnected, so for this our 8th Future Cities Forum - at City Hall, London - we thought we should look at how our modern day cities function successfully and sustainably.
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Will new infrastructure provide aesthetically pleasing physical additions to our environment and what of the social benefit to our society of these developments? The construction company Mace has called for ‘social value’ measures and targets to be formally embedded in all major construction and infrastructure programmes in the UK.
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National Infrastructure Commission
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Responding to the National Infrastructure Commission’s report ‘Data for the Public Good’ on 14th December 2017, Professor Lord Robert Mair, President, Institution of Civil Engineers, commented:
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‘Good infrastructure underpins thriving communities and economic growth. It enables peoples’ day to day lives – creating connectivity, access to key utilities and underpinning our social infrastructure.’
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While Sir Alan Wilson, Chief Executive of The Alan Turing Institute, explained:
‘ ..there is a new utility, so crucial to the efficient functioning of modern life that we could not do without it: data. Like any major system such as transport, housing or telecoms, data requires its own infrastructure, to collect it, store it and derive knowledge and value from it.’
How much will the resignation of Lord Adonis, Chairman of the government’s Infrastructure Commission affect this year’s march of new infrastructure and in which direction with the new Chair, Sir John Armitt take it?
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The Commission is preparing for the publication of the first National Infrastructure Assessment later this year. Speaking about his appointment, Sir John Armitt said:
‘Making the right choices about planning and investing in infrastructure is critical to the UK’s prosperity and quality of life. I want the Commission to remain focused on tackling the long-term issues of congestion, capacity and carbon – and to continue to hold the government to account where decisive action is needed – so we can secure the improvements that companies, communities and families need.’
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Investment
The Telegraph last year reported that although the UK ‘remains as one of the top countries for investors… it is falling in the ranking as Brexit and political stability weigh heavily.’
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It quoted the law firm CMS as saying that the UK could look to top placed Netherlands as an example of ‘’transparent and efficient procurement process and a healthy multi-billion euro pipeline in road and water Public-Private- Partnerships’’
While in the USA, The Brookings Institution – a non-profit public policy organisation based in Washington – in its research report ‘If you build it: A guide to the economics of infrastructure investment’ argues that ‘because much of the nation’s infrastructure generates broadly shared benefits that are not limited to those who can pay, decisions about this infrastructure are an important public policy concern and not just a matter for private firms and investors’
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In the UK, £42 billion has been spent on progressing HS2 from London to the North , and £540 million extra funding was announced in the 2017 Budget to boost Northern Ireland’s infrastructure.
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Recently, an all-women team ‘VeloCity’ won the ideas competition set out by the National Infrastructure Commission to revitalise six villages and a network of cycling in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes –Oxford Corridor.
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The team including Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, Featherstone Young, Khaa, Marko and Placemakers, Mikhail Riches and Expedition Engineering looked at the development of the region over the course of 30 years.
Research questions
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Questions at the 8th Future Cities Forum will cut across the future of infrastructure in the UK, place-making, modular construction in housing, investment in academic research and transport:
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· Do we need a better dialogue and decision-making over how construction projects are commissioned?
· How do we address the funding gap in infrastructure projects?
· What can the UK learn and borrow in best practice from successful European city infrastructure projects?
· How can cities prepare to achieve social, economic and cultural maximum benefit from new rail projects?
· Why is city gateway design and investment essential to regeneration?
· How can data infrastructure be integrated into future city planning?
· How can we enable smaller infrastructure projects?
· Is the UK moving fast enough on modular construction and housing?
· Can we ensure that infrastructure investment helps solve the UK housing crisis?
· Is airport investment the Achilles heel of UK infrastructure?
· How can the UK road network become fully “smart”, and how will these innovations reduce congestion, pollution and respect place-making and quality of life in cities and suburbs. What can we learn from “smart” port projects in Europe?
· How should city planners prepare for the electric age in transport?
· Has risk become too high for office construction?
· What has happened to the Northern Powerhouse?
· How should companies protect themselves from cyber-attack and will these measures protect our essential services?
City Hall, London
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This forum gathers academics, investors, developers, consulting engineers, architects, and city planners along with government and city councils into one research event with the outcomes written up in a white paper.
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The hall will be arranged into cabaret tables with guests of 10 on each. There will be a top table of panel experts and a break-out session for research gathering and networking.
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Please contact Future Cities Forum for further details.
Creative Cities 2024 - at the BFI London:
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Future Cities Forum will be considering the UK government's investment promises into cultural development during its 'Creative Cities' forum to be held at the British Film Institute this May.
The Chancellor during his budget confirmed £100 million for a programme of culture projects across the UK, recognising the vital role that culture and pride in place have to play in levelling up. The projects will include:
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revamping the National Railway Museum in York
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transforming parts of the Royal Albert Docks in Liverpool into a national museum
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supporting the development of the country’s first National Poetry Centre in Leeds
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supporting the redevelopment of the Temple Works building in Leeds so that this historic site can serve as an eventual home for British Library North
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funding for Venue Cymru in Llandudno
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supporting the V&A Dundee for the remodelling and extension of their Scottish Design Galleries
Image: The British Film Institute in Stephen Street London W1
New Districts development & regeneration 2024
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Deirdra Armsby, Head of Place-shaping at Westminster City Council will be contributing to Future Cities Forum's February discussions, describing the council's work on Ebury Bridge Estate regeneration and other projects in the borough.
We will also be discussing the new masterplan for Earl's Court with Sheppard Robson and the new district at Granton Waterfront regeneration with Edinburgh City Council. Newcastle City Council will be discussing its £50 million programme transforming the city centre in its goal to be carbon neutral by 2030.
The round table will involve local authorities, investor/developers, architects and planners and will cover the important topics of housing development, transport connectivity and place-making.
This is part of Future Cities Forum's ongoing discussions on new city districts.
Above: Aerial view of Granton waterfront and the Firth of Forth (Courtesy Edinburgh City Council / Aerial Photography)
Science cities 2023 - Oxford:
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Future Cities Forum is delighted to be holding its 'Science Cities' event on 27th September at St John's College Oxford, with senior public and private sector leaders from London, Cambridge and Oxford - from hospitals, universities, science park development and councils.
We will be discussing 'cluster' developments for life sciences and technology in London and Oxford and how these will have a significant impact on how the UK competes on the world stage.
We will be joined by - among others - Oxford City Council's Leader Cllr Susan Brown, Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust (Dr Suki Balendra, Director of Development for Paddington Life Sciences), investor and developer Stuart Grant, CEO of Harwell Campus and of ARC Group.
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Image above (from Hufton + Crow): St John's College, Oxford - new Learning Centre and Archive, designed by Wright & Wright Architects.
New model work places, mixed-use regeneration and ESG at abrdn PLC
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Future Cities Forum is holding its June forum at the new offices of abrdn PLC in the City of London at 18 Bishop’s Square (part of the remodelled Royal Bank of Scotland building now known as DUO Bishopsgate), to look at the future shape of workspace, office campuses and mixed-use districts post-pandemic - and the impact of ESG on city developments.
Chief Operating Officer for the real estate division at abrdn, Simon Moscow, will be speaking about the firm's move to new workspace in in Spitalfields as well as its investments across mixed-use developments, and Simon Walker, Real Estate Technology Lead and Deputy Head of Asset Management (UK), will be commenting on how technology is improving sustainability across buildings and campuses that it owns. They will be joined by property leaders from the BBC, Tower Hamlets Council, and leading architects, and planners.
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Image above: Bishop's Square, Spitalfields, London, E1
Film Cities and Creative Industries - at the BFI
Future Cities Forum is holding its March event at the British Film Institute, Stephen Street, near Tottenham Court Road station in London.
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The future of film studios in the UK is yet another way that the cultural industry is helping to support strong economic stability. Bruce Calton, Director at Scott Brownrigg, told the forum (at ‘Cultural Cities’ hosted by the V&A in September 2022) that there is a need for 2.3 million feet of studios over the next ten years:
‘Investment in film studios is a sub sector of arts and culture that we are producing in the UK, and we should be clear about what we need to provide for. There is a (global) spend of £177 billion to make productions and £414 billion in value from that for the global film industry which employs 14 million people full time. Canada has increased its production and so has the UK. The pandemic started it with so many people watching Netflix, and it has continued from there.'
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Our discussions at the BFI will include input from investors, local authorities, planners and architects as well as leaders from the creative industries and universities.
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Image above of Shinfield film studios, near Reading - courtesy of Earth Grid & Curo
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The making of the modern city: infrastructure, energy and place
Future Cities Forum is holding its November event at DLA Piper LLP in the City of London,
This forum – opened by the Infrastructure & Project Authority’s Head of Commercial Adviser Team, Stephen Dance, will look at the current issues around investment in infrastructure, energy and science R&D in the UK, with a change of Prime Minister and concerns over the economy. The forum will also look at preserving place while tackling climate change and building renewables.
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Questions will be asked at the forum:
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How will the new Prime Minister ensure that investment in infrastructure is built to support a strong economy and for levelling up?
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Why is 'place' important and how is the UK tackling biodiversity around rail infrastructure?
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What is the direction for investment in nuclear and hydrogen?
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Will investment in the redevelopment of hospital estates continue, especially for the creation of R&D districts for life sciences and medtech?
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Image: Walbrook Square in the City of London
Science Cities - new life sciences districts
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Future Cities Forum is beginning its new ‘Science Cities’ season this September in the City of London (on 5th September at Cannon Green) to consider best practice in the design of life sciences districts and explore developments across London's science innovation hubs and how these compare with those in the regions, especially the science powerhouses of Cambridge and Oxford. This will build on our forums in Cambridge in 2019, 2021 and 2022, which had input from AstraZeneca, Oxford University Hospitals, Cambridge University Health Partners, BioMed Realty, Arup, Bruntwood SciTech and the Wellcome Genome Campus, - among others - and forums in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds with Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester University, Leeds University Teaching Hospitals and Birmingham Health Partners.
Contrasting areas that will be looked at will include the Barts Life Sciences programme and new district at Whitechapel, the Stevenage biosciences cluster, and Royal Street, Lambeth for King’s College London / Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.
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(Image courtesy of Barts Life Sciences)
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Levelling Up and UK cities: Leeds city region
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Future Cities Forum is holding its first ‘levelling up and future work-place’ discussions of 2022 this May in Leeds. We are delighted to be hosted by international law firm DLA Piper, which is building a new office in the centre of Leeds next to Channel Four (Image of Majestic and Leeds City Square above from Rushbond).
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We are now looking at the importance of investment in regional cities, notably Leeds, which has a historic central plaza where new development for business is taking place. In addition to financial services and a thriving tech start-up community, the city has been attracting a re-location of staff from leading legal and media businesses for a few years now and the UK government is keen for this to continue.
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With input from the Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr James Lewis, Bruntwood's Head of Strategy Jessica Bowles and the British Library's Head of Culture and Learning, Jamie Andrews, we will be discussing how investment in infrastructure, economy, place and cultural assets can help to attract businesses and tourists to the region, while supporting communities..
Infrastructure and development 2022
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Future Cities Forum's transport, development and energy forum on 28 February will look at the need to improve city infrastructure - best practice in airport design for sustainability, and strategies to meet net zero targets on transport, housing development and implement district heating networks.
The forum will follow on from findings at our recent Infrastructure event hosted by abrdn PLC in the City of London and led by the IPA's Deputy Chief Executive, Matthew Vickerstaff. Discussion took place on the topic of the '15-minute city', the public/private funding of EV infrastructure and sustainable transport in the return to work.
In our February 2022 forum we will be asking the following questions:
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How will councils, businesses and commuters react to plans for healthier travel from the government ie better cycling provision, and is there the investment to create the new measures with good levels of safety?
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Will these new measures tackle climate change sufficiently according to current net zero goals and can all cities tackle this drive towards healthier lifestyles on an equal footing or will some need more financial support? How can UK cities learn from European rivals like Paris (pictured - RSH-P)
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How do we fund our public transport systems if over the next year it seems there is not a significant return to the office and the commute?
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How do we ensure that development and regeneration planning in cities is joined-up properly with the new infrastructure projects (NB that adjacent districts benefit, and there is investment in multi-modal hubs to serve suburbs and connect to regional towns?)
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Is the UK government putting sufficient funds into the levelling up agenda so that areas like the West Midlands can move forward with greener transportation?
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How can district heating networks in our cities help to create net zero benefits in the way its links greener heating for large city buildings with residential?
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Can we say that cities are attending to greener transport plans if that transport isn’t really joined up with new fringe of city housing developments?
The UK government has now announced that Olympic champion Chris Boardman is to lead a new body, Active Travel England, which will seek to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians as well as funding to improve air quality. In addition, a report published by Element Energy, commissioned by the Mayor of London, sets out the scale of the action required to move London towards a greener future and net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
The Digital City
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How is the increasing digitisation of cities helping solve climate change issues?
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On 11th November Future Cities Forum is discussing the recent UK government investment announced in the Autumn Budget 2021 to digitise the planning system in England and how this can support action against climate change, how one museum is digitising its collection to help scientists research new drugs to combat disease, whether predictive analytics could guide the investment and roll out for EV infrastructure and how digital planning in one of the most sustainable of cities, Heidelberg in Germany is working to achieve net Zero ambitions.
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Sustainable infrastructure and green cities
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We are very pleased that the Head of Transport Strategy and Planning at Transport for London, Christina Calderato, will join our September debate on 'Sustainable Infrastructure and Green Cities'.
For the last 10 years, she has worked across a diverse range of policy areas at TfL and led the team that developed the current Mayor’s Transport Strategy. In her current role, Christina manages teams leading on freight, road danger reduction, air quality and Healthy Streets.
Future Cities Forum will be discussing how planning and design can encourage healthy lifestyles and travel as well as planning green spaces in cities around joined up housing and transport.
More investment from the UK government is being put behind active travel post pandemic to encourage healthy lifestyles.
The Department of Transport states that the active travel boom seen throughout the pandemic will continue to thrive thanks to a £338 million package to boost cycling and walking across the country. Infrastructure upgrades, changes to The Highway Code and new requirements to ensure that active travel schemes' effects are properly assessed are among the new measures published in recently
The government says this comes after last year saw cycling rise more than in the previous 20 years put together, with the number of miles cycled on British roads rocketing by 45.7% to 5 billion.
Independent opinion polling and new research also published by the DfT shows that active travel schemes are supported on average by a ratio of two-to-one.
As the UK prepares to host COP26 later this year, these initiatives will play a key role in the government's drive to build back greener from the pandemic and achieve net zero emissions by 2050
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Science Cities: new research and connected places
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The BBC has just announced that the prime minister has set out plans to cement the UK's place as a 'science superpower'. It states how he will chair a new National Science and Technology Council to provide strategic direction on how research is harnessed for the public good.
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At our forum on 24 June guests will debate how planning should be used to ensure that our 'overheating science cities' are preserved as attractive and well-functioning places to live and work in, how science and innovation is helping to promote connected and seamless travel and how our science buildings will enable the scientists of the future to come up with important 'light bulb' moments.
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Future High Streets & City Centres
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Westminster City Council's Programme Director for the Oxford Street District Elad Eisenstein will be speaking at our 13th May 'Future High Streets and City Centres' discussions along with the Chief Executive of Worcester City Council, David Blake and Head of Regeneration at Leeds City Council, Adam Brannen. They will be joined by Partner at DLA Piper, Andrew Clarke who has master-minded the creation of a major new Leeds office for the UK's largest law firm next to the railway station and Channel 4's HQ.
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The forum discussion will look at the recovery of retail and offices as well as the planning of residential and public realm post Covid-19.
Elad joined Westminster in October 2020. He is responsible for working with local groups and partners to develop ideas and deliver on the council’s investment in this key district within the West End.
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He is trained as an architect and urban designer and has over two decades of experience specialising in leading, designing and delivering complex and large-scale urban projects. His work balances global challenges such as climate change or economic instability with the aspirations of local communities.
Elad is a member of the Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Advisory Panel and further serves as invited critic at leading international universities.
Image of Elad Eisenstein from Westminster City Council
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Cultural Cities: bringing back visitors
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Our 'second in our 'Cultural Cities' series in March 2021 will discuss measures to help museums and performance venues recover footfall post-pandemic
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Contributors will include the Director of National Museums Liverpool, Laura Pye (pictured - courtesy Gareth Jones), Zak Mensah, Co-CEO of Birmingham Museums and Dr Xavier Bray, Director of the Wallace Collection in London. The discussion will also include senior planners, developers and architects.
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National Museums Liverpool is currently running an extensive project to re-design the connections between its sites, and to provide high quality public ream so visitors can spend more time around the building environments.
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(Portrait of Laura Pye by Gareth Jones)
Science Cities - key worker housing
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The forum – part of the ‘European Science Cities’ series – will examine how cities can best plan and create affordable homes linked to jobs within hospital and R&D campuses, learning from international best practice while respecting local culture and architecture.
The debate will look at the ambitions of creating ‘porous’ campuses which integrate with the wider city and provide meeting and social spaces – that benefit R&D collaboration and well-being
It will discuss how to transition from car-dependent environments towards Net Zero cities, and which create biodiversity from brownfield sites.
The discussion will be Zoom-based, will be recorded for inclusion in a related Future Cities Forum report.
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(Image: proposed new Moorfields Eye Hospital and research facilities at St Pancras London - Penoyre + Prasad)
European Technology Cities
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Future Cities Forum is holding its 'Cambridge and European Technology Cities' event on 3rd December with leading speakers from UK and European innovation hubs. (Image: CGI of Google's London HQ - Heatherwick Studio)
Topics to be discussed will include the need for private-public collaboration and the impact of R&D sector growth on real estate and housing affordability. We will review technology investment (especially across healthcare) and development in the Cambridge region, a year on from our November 2019 ‘Science Cities’ forum at Cambridge University.
Cities to be included in the debate and follow-on report include Cambridge in the UK, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Stockholm / Uppsala in Sweden and Manchester. Contributors will include investors, city councils, university technology transfer offices, teaching hospitals and professional advisers.
This forum will compare the approaches and fortunes of selected European technology clusters and their host cities. It will look at how cities make themselves attractive to businesses and to human talent working at the cutting edge of technology innovation. How these cities work as test beds for technology trials across health, mobility, infrastructure and everyday living will be examined.
This debate follows two forums – Science Cities I and II – that looked at how the UK can sustain and grow leadership in science and technology with a focus on creating the best places and campuses for R&D. It explored the proposed development of the Knowledge Arc between Oxford and Cambridge and approaches to building the right infrastructure and housing for expanding communities in this knowledge-rich region, which contains world famous universities, research institutions and science-led businesses.
Venue: Herbert Smith Freehills
Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2EG
Introduction
We begin a new year of Future Cities Forum infrastructure, transport and housing development discussions in 2020, having left the EU and with a government committed to infrastructure investment. How will our economy develop post Brexit? New connections will be forged around the world for trade and the UK economy will be looking to current and future infrastructure to connect our cities, develop new communities and attract foreign investment.
The UK government has begun a new drive on infrastructure. In the Queen’s speech, it pledged a revamped national infrastructure strategy designed to help support growth across the UK, as well as an aviation bill and proposals for rail reform. A long-term vision has been laid out to improve the nation’s digital, transport and energy infrastructure.
Our first infrastructure forum of 2020 will be held at leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills' London offices near Liverpool Street Station on 11th February. There will be three panel discussions, two workshops, coffee on arrival and lunch to complete the morning's networking. Those participants contributing to our discussions will be publicised through our on-line communications programme, research will be gathered and published from our round table workshops and a report will be compiled to summarise key findings for government, investors and city leadership.
Timings
9 am Coffee and networking
9.30 am Key speaker address : Dyan Crowther, CEO HS1
9.45 am Panel 1 – How do we build the UK economy through future infrastructure investment?
10.15 am Panel 2 – How do we use infrastructure investment as a catalyst for town and city centre regeneration and where should we put the design and development focus for long term sustainability?
10.45 am Workshop 1: Planning case study - Peterborough city regeneration
How do we achieve the best balance between residential, workspace and retail development in our historic city centres?
11.15 am Panel 3 – How does national planning need to evolve to incorporate future innovations in transport mobility, technology and the move to low carbon energy?
11.45 am Workshop 2: Planning case study - North Essex Garden Communities
How can we re-design towns for sustainable transport and mobility, low carbon energy and make our infrastructure 'smarter'?
12.15 pm Feedback and conclusions
12.30 pm Lunch
1.15 pm Close
Questions to be posed at the forum:
What direction should the UK government’s drive on infrastructure be taking in 2020?
Is there evidence that the current UK road infrastructure programme is working and genuinely making for better connections between UK cities?
Will the economy of the north of England stall under any re-direction of rail investment and will attention be focussed on rail infrastructure that connects us back to Europe?
How can a balance be struck between creating airport expansion to encourage foreign trade and protecting UK citizens’ rights against noise and air pollution?
How does the UK government’s policies on expanded infrastructure tie in with a drive to combat climate change?
What changes are needed to national policy to support the delivery of significant new settlements (10,000 + homes)?
How are local authorities coping with devolved responsibilities in tackling climate change, especially on energy and transport?
Will the National Infrastructure Commission manage to change policy for energy regulators to insist on long-term energy and digital infrastructure investment?
Join us for a morning of exciting debate and important networking.
Apothecaries’ Hall, Blackfriars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ
Introduction
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Back in April this year, the world-renowned medical journal, The Lancet and one of China’s most prestigious universities, Tsinghua, jointly published a report on building healthy cities in China, ‘Healthy Cities: Unlocking the Power of Cities for a Healthy China’.
‘By 2030, China’s cities will house close to a billion people and the mass mobilization has also created unprecedented health challenges, such as pollution and social inequality’, the report states.
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Ignored until recently, the Healthy China 2030 plan has now highlighted and recognized health as the centrepiece of sustainable development.
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Our January forum will look at city planning and place-making for well-being and resilience, the development and design of science research hubs, the urban integration of sport and exercise for a healthy population, the evolution of well-designed city public transport and the new ‘NHS towns’ in the UK, as well as how the current housing crisis is affecting health.
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Our previous healthy cities forum had leaders speaking from the Design Council, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Trust, Plymouth University, Peabody, Transport for London, EY, the Royal College of Physicians, PwC and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Panel 1 Healthy and sustainable cities
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This panel sets out the current inequalities in health in our cities, the future needs of our urban population and how our built environment enhances or hinders our health.
Panel 2 Transport, infrastructure, pollution and climate
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Discussion will centre around climate research, joined-up infrastructure, pollution and electric vehicle introduction, last-mile deliveries.
Panel 3 Planning and place-making
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Contributors will debate how we plan for healthier cities, place-making for multi-generational living and mental wellbeing, walkable cities and how transport and our road system affects our future world.
Panel 4 Technology and health
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What will the science and technology innovations that will change our future health provision and how will our cities look and feel different with new types of healthcare centres, hospitals, wellness clinics and university research centres?
Our second event involves Brocket Gallery. Based in South London, which has invited us to run filmed discussions on the theme of new cultural quarters at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair to be held in November at the former Royal Arsenal in the London Borough of Greenwich. Famous names such as Tracy Emin and Grayson Perry as well as the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers will be exhibiting in this the third year of the print fair.
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The fair is a member of the Creative Industries Federation and a founding partner of the Woolwich Creative District (London). Greenwich Council is creating areas for concerts and open-air art/drama displays in and around the historic buildings where from the 18th century military cadets were trained. Some of the arsenal stores and factories where weapons were manufactured during the two world wars remain and Berkeley has been building new homes on the site.
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Since launching our forum, we have been looking at the growth of creative districts in London, the UK and in Europe, debating the social and economic impacts. Brocket Gallery following our event last January at RIBA, during which the Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Art spoke on the topic of the sustainability of creative districts, has been awarded funding by the famous art institution and admits that this has been a game-changer.
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In November speakers will debate the need for the careful planning of creative districts, the elements that go to support local communities and allow for developments to flourish. Art exports post Brexit will also be discussed in reference to the UK government’s announcement that Britain should strive to be a ‘21st Century exporting superpower with a rise in exports from 30% to 35% as a proportion of UK GDP.
Welcome to Future Cities Forum - a leading built environment network - providing high level connections between government and local authorities, investors, developers, science and innovation leaders, cultural organisations and museums, city and town authorities, architects and planners, through forums, panel discussions, interviews and reports, on best practice for the development and regeneration of cities.
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The forum was created by former BBC and Channel 4 producer/journalist and is co-run with marketing leader, Matthew Locke, who over a twenty year career at among organisations such as WPP and Kleinwork Benson, has advised on cross-border take over bids, launched new stock exchanges and market places, with clients in technology and investment businesses.
Forum members are able to profile their expertise and network for new business opportunities.
Keep checking this page for updates on our latest forums and details of all of our previous events.
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Membership details can be viewed on our Tickets and Membership pages.
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Future Cities Forum debates the latest urban investment, regeneration, planning and design issues around the world, bringing together city leaders, councils, long-term investors, developers, planners, infrastructure and transport operators, construction companies, technology innovators, hospital trusts, universities, cultural organisations, architects, engineers and real estate advisers.
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Over 400 organisations have contributed across 70 forums and numerous panel discussions to date and include: The Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Wellcome, Tate Modern, the V&A, LCR Property, Network Rail, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Mount Anvil, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Aviva Investors, Grimshaw, BDP, M & G Real Estate, Laing O' Rourke, Oxford City Council, Deloitte, Arup, Peabody, Transport for London, Liverpool City Council, London Borough of Newham, Hepworth Wakefield, Birmingham City Council, Costain Group, Cushman & Wakefield, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, The National Infrastructure Commission, Greater London Authority, Stride Treglown, East West Railway Company, HS1, Imperial College London and Zaha Hadid Architects.
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Cultural Cities at the V&A
Future Cities Forum is holding its Cultural Cities 2022 event on 27th September at the V&A Museum, South Kensington, SW7 courtesy of the Director of Design, Estate, .and Public Programme, Dr Pip Simpson.
Dr Simpson leads the Design Studio, the Estate including all Capital Projects, and the Public Programme including exhibitions.
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The themes of Future Cities Forum's cultural discussion event will be the regeneration of cities through culture post pandemic, master planning for new public realm to encourage outdoor events in towns and cities as part of the UK's tourism drive, cultural development on the high street, library development as cultural regeneration, and community engagement to encourage diversity in employment and further involvement in the arts from young people.
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(Image: The John Madejski Garden at the V&A in May 2022)
Manchester: innovation, culture and place
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Future Cities Forum is holding its June 2022 Manchester levelling up event at the Museum of Science and Industry. Leaders from government, investment, science, culture and development will be discussing the levelling up agenda through the lens of the highly successful city of Manchester. We will be asking the following questions:
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How can Manchester continue to sustain a creative and tech industry that remains ahead of and competitive with other UK and global cities?
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What elements will build Manchester’s brand for international science and tech innovation?
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Will Manchester be the first city to reach its climate goals in 2050 and which technologies will enable it to do this?
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Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
A multi-million-pound programme for the Museum is underway at the globally significant industrial heritage site to carry out crucial restoration work and reveal new spaces for visitors to enjoy. At the Grade I listed 1830 Station and Warehouse, which is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world, the first £1.9 million phase of work funded by the DCMS, will give the building a new roof, gutters and rainwater pipes.
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Future plans include a dedicated STEM learning space, together will improved outdoor area linking new connections and entrances between the Science and Industry Museum, The Factory and the developing St John's and Castleford neighbourhoods.
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(Picture of the Science + Industry Museum Manchester copyright: The Board and Trustees of The Science Museum)
Science Cities: Cambridge and the Arc
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Future Cities Forum will be in Cambridge again this March 2022 (at Newnham College - pictured - new wing by Walters & Cohen) to discuss the record investment in it as a science city, the success of the City Council in developing new homes for this over-heating city and the need for enabling infrastructure/transport to serve the level of continued activity that this city is seeing.
The Guardian newspaper has been writing about Cambridge drawing record investment last year placing it as the UK’s leading tech hub. It states that research reveals the number of UK unicorns or start ups work more than $1bn (£750m) grew to 116 in 2021.
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‘The UK technology sector drew a record £29.4 billion in investment this year, according to research, with Cambridge declared the country’s leading regional tech city…more than double last year’s total of £11.5 billion…This increase in $1 billion companies brings the total numbers of unicorns in the UK to 116 according to figures published by the government’s Digital Economy Council, an advisory committee. This compares with 31 in France and 56 in Germany, according to the DEC.
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‘References to the government’s levelling-up policy, which seeks to reduce the wealth and opportunity gap between London and the rest of the UK, featured heavily in the Dec research. It declared Cambridge the leading regional tech city in the UK, ahead of Manchester and Oxford, reflecting factors including its high levels of venture capital funding and number of unicorns. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are also in the top ten.
Future Cities Forum will be asking the following questions:
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Is there sufficient investment in the region's infrastructure and housing to support the booming tech industry?
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How can Cambridge maintain its public realm to enhance the physical attractiveness of the city to new talent?
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Is the right balance of private and council housing being planned for a range of workers across the Arc?
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How can Cambridge maintain its number one position as UK leading tech city over the long term?
New Districts: planning, development and design
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Future Cities Forum’s series on ‘New districts: planning, development and design’ which started in August 2021, draws partly on the November Budget announcement that there will be £24 billion to support housing including £1.8 billion for the development of brownfield sites by councils. According to LocalGov.co.uk the Brownfield Land release Fund has already given £58 million to 53 councils.
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This focus has additional interest at a time when the pandemic has accelerated decisions by owners, investors and local authorities to re-think and re-purpose struggling shopping centres.
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In the series we examine best practice in place-making and construction approaches across contrasting sites in different cities, with thought for sustainably sourced materials and energy-conscious construction methods. The provision for affordable housing and better workspaces close to transport hubs will also be discussed and how this will reduce the development pressure off greenfield land across the UK.
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Our second event in the series on 1st December will discuss some challenging but historic sites in London, Oxford and Milton Keynes (such as the Agora redevelopment in Wolverton - picture above from developer Town) , and also the re-purposing of 1960s shopping centres.
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Science Cities and the Arc
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On 13 October at Newnham College Cambridge we will holding a physical forum to discuss the planning and design for the best places for R&D collaboration.
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Future Cities Forum is delighted that the CEO of Oxford University Development, Anna Strongman, and also Dr David Hardman, Managing Director of Bruntwood Scitech (Birmingham) will join this event at Cambridge University alongside local authority directors, infrastructure operators,, university senior bursars, and developers.
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OUD is a joint venture between Oxford University and Legal & General, set up to build Innovation Districts and subsidised accommodation for graduate students and the university workforce.
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Anna was previously Managing Partner of Argent LLP. She spent 12 years on a there working on a range of asset, development and business planning projects. Highlights included leading the Asset Management of King’s Cross, developing Coal Drops Yard and setting up a BTR portfolio with JV partners Related.
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David spent 10 years in Cambridge leading the early commercial development of the Babraham Research Campus and then moved to Birmingham in 2008 and over the last 13 years has developed and implemented a strategy to build on the legacy of Aston Science Park. The result is the Innovation Birmingham Campus; an urban focal point promoting digital innovation and adoption across all sectors. In 2018 the Campus became part of Bruntwood SciTech to create a focal point for a thriving innovation district in Birmingham.
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Following 'Science Cities' forums which have discussed the planning and integration of R&D hubs both within cities and in new residential districts such as Stockholm (Karolinska Institutet), Heidelberg in Germany, Oxford North and the West Midlands (Warwick University) our October 2021 forum will discuss best practice collaboration between public and private sectors.
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It will have a focus on how the Arc linking Oxford through Milton Keynes and Bedford to Cambridge will become a powerhouse of innovation, connected to Birmingham's emerging tech and life sciences hubs and to London's world class centres at King's Cross St Pancras, Imperial West in Hammersmith, and the developing South Bank campuses of Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Trust.
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New districts: planning, development & regeneration
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On 18 August 2021 Future Cities Forum will discuss the planning, development and design of new settlements and regeneration districts. This will include best practice examples for transforming urban brownfield sites in London and Birmingham.
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Contributors taking part include developers Hadley Property Group and Cole Waterhouse, planners from Birmingham City Council and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, as well as LDA Design - which is part of the core design team tasked with transforming the Thames-side Blackwall Yard into a 'new piece of city'.
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(Image: Proposed development of Upper Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham)
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Image from Rotterdam Partners
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Planning for Net Zero: energy and sustainability
Future Cities Forum is delighted that the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Camden and Lewisham Councils along with investor and asset manager Amber Infrastructure will be speaking at our 20th May 'Planning for Net Zero:' energy and Sustainability 2021' forum.
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Karl Fitzgerald, Development Director at the I&PA will be describing how infrastructure planning around energy, housing and transport needs to be joined-up if Net Zero ambitions are to be approached - especially where there are new settlements.
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'The key', Karl says,' is to find willing stake-holders, who are prepared to drive up the quality of thinking, planning and implementation. The themes of Net Zero, bio-diversity net gain, and natural capital are all relatively new in planning and infrastructure terms. There is no pattern book (around infrastructure and sustainability) but we need to establish one. It is only by getting under the skin (of these issues), getting stuck in to projects, and learning by example that we can move forward. The range of stake-holders involved in planning the housing and supporting infrastructure of energy, utilities and transport for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc is massive.
Science Cities - new developments
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Our April Science Cities forum will welcome speakers from Warwick University, BioMed Realty, Exeter, Begbroke (University of Oxford) and Oxford science parks, Westminster City Council and architects Pilbrow + Partners.
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The UK government has been championing science and innovation for economic growth, but how our over-heating science cities of London, Oxford and Cambridge in particular are developing for 'balanced city living', has been a key topic of discussion for Future Cities Forum.
Director of Real Estate, at Warwick University, James Breckon, will be speaking about the recent completion of the £30 million IBRB biomedical research building which includes the Wolfson Tissue Mechanobiology and Human Disease Laboratory. This has been developed with a £750,000 grant and comprises a 400-seat lecture theatre and five-storeys of laboratories, as well as social and collaboration spaces. The research work to take place in the building will increase understanding of a wide range of diseases from cancer to brittle bones and heart conditions, increasing the ability to fight human diseases.
James described how the building has been delivered during exceptional times and is testament to the tenacity and commitment shown by all those involved in designing and building it from the construction industry:
Infrastructure & development: railway station investment
Our February 2021 'Infrastructure and development forum will be led by Stephen Dance, Head of the Commercial Adviser Team at the Infrastructure & Projects Authority.
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Future Cities Forum is debating the growth and direction of investment in infrastructure and related developments this week with the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, looking at the future economic benefits, especially around the Oxford to Cambridge ARC, the HS2 stations proposed for the West Midlands and at Crewe, and the Northumberland re-opened railway lines.
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The UK government's recent package to reopen two important rail routes closed more than five decades ago, includes the delivery of the next phase of East West Rail, which will create 1,500 skilled jobs, and reinstate direct rail services between Bicester and Bletchley for the first time since 1968. It also includes £34 million to progress plans to reopen the Northumberland line between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Ashington, which closed to passengers in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts.
Themes will include the levelling-up investment and planning strategy for UK transport infrastructure, digital innovations as well as the importance of transport hub led district regeneration.
Cultural Cities - London districts, communities and the pandemic with V&A East
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Future Cities Forum will be holding a new cultural forum in January 2021 to look at the development of cultural real estate, creative districts and the social, community and economic value that cultural institutions play in our cities’ fortunes.
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Our lead contributor will be Gus Casely-Hayford, OBE, the Director of V&A East and he will lead discussions debating the future role of museums in the regeneration of cities post Covid-19.
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A renowned museum director, historian, writer and broadcaster, Gus has moved from his director role at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington DC, to lead the creative strategy and programming across V&A East's two new public venues - a five storey museum on Stratford Waterfront and a dynamic collections and research centre at Here East - both now under construction in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Both sites will open in 2023 as part of East Bank, a new powerhouse of culture, education, innovation and growth.​
Future Cities Forum held its 'Science Cities ll' discussion event on 7th October to debate the best ways of supporting the planning, development and design of the UK's knowledge clusters (Image above: CGI of Oxford North development - Fletcher Priest Architects for Thomas White Oxford / St. John' College Oxford University).
The forum had contributions from - among others - Stephen Dance, Director of the Commercial Adviser Team at the Infrastructure & Projects Authority, Professor Lynette Ryals, Chief Executive of MK:U - the new Milton Keynes University - and Dr John Williams, Managing Director of Birmingham Health Partners, as well as William Donger, Director of Thomas White Oxford who is overseeing the Oxford North development for St John's College Oxford University.
City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA
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Introduction
We will be back at City Hall, London on 26th June this year to run our regeneration, planning, transport and energy conference. This will be an important year for the UK in terms of developing vital infrastructure for economic advancement and social cohesion, providing joined up housing with appropriate infrastructure that avoids leaving communities isolated, and harnessing the benefits of green energy.
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The National Infrastructure Commission has recently announced (7th May 2019) that excellence in design will be the ‘beating heart’ of all new UK infrastructure. This announcement has come from Professor Sadie Morgan, Stirling Prize Winner and NIC Commissioner who says the new influential Design Group, which will lobby to ensure that design is considered at the outset of every major project, and at every stage of delivery to make the most of our infrastructure without increasing costs.
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The NIC stated that its ‘first ‘National Infrastructure Assessment, published last year, set out the benefits of effective design, highlighting how embedding it into the culture of planning and delivery leads to an outcome that both works well and looks good, enhancing the quality of life for the communities who experience it every day.’
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Sadie spoke at our November forum in one of the original factory buildings of Woolwich Arsenal, set for major redevelopment into housing and a new cultural hub, about the importance of joined-up infrastructure and regeneration. This June, Head of Policy, Katie Black, will further this dialogue, and bring into the debate, the latest thinking on energy and climate change, illuminating how this is set to impact our cities’ environment.
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This filmed forum will gather investors, developers, professional advisers, architects, city and transport planners along with government and city councils into one research event with the outcomes written up in a white paper. The panel discussions will be facilitated and professionally recorded.
Forum timings
0830 Networking / coffee
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0900 Infrastructure and innovation 2019
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Opening remarks: Stephen Dance, Delivery Director, Infrastructure Projects Authority
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0920 Panel discussion: Infrastructure and transport – completing the UK’s major projects and transforming mobility.
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1000 Panel discussion: how can cities best prepare for new energy infrastructure to meet climate change goals?
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1045 Research round-tables and networking
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1115 Panel discussion: cultural infrastructure – how will City Hall’s map change the economic and psychological well-being of the capital?
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1200 Panel discussion: future housing infrastructure – should we focus on inner city development or invest in garden communities and new towns?
Future Cities Forum is producing two large events this autumn. The first is on 10th October in West London at White City and will look at the UK government’s reaction to and support of the housing crisis, a strategy for joined-up infrastructure, transport and place-making. The provision of new retail concepts will also feature, place-making around sports stadiums and major rail stations, as will a discussion about the impact of modern methods of construction.
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Rachel Fisher, Deputy Director of Regeneration and Infrastructure at The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, will be making the opening presentation at our forum ‘City Regeneration and Place-making’. She has written a guest blog for our forum on how to support the modern high street as well as how to improve productivity across the Camkox corridor. This link between housing and first class transport infrastructure was discussed at our previous City Hall, London forum last May with the Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission, Phil Graham.
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The role of railway lines and stations will feature at the forum because of the importance for joined up housing and infrastructure, along with how our retail can develop at these important junctions and termini. Retail is becoming essential to station development and for the Japanese this has spurred the idea of creating ‘my third place’ between home and ‘somewhere public’. Atkins, part of SNC-Lavalin Group will be speaking about master planning for new high-speed rail stations, so they become a properly integrated asset for city communities and a catalyst for regeneration.
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Sports stadiums are not only central to the life of many communities, but they can also act as as a tourist draw. We will be looking at innovation in stadium design and how adjacent districts can benefit from intelligent regeneration to create new housing, education hubs and activity throughout the year.
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Key Speaker –
We are delighted that our our key speaker for this forum will be:
Phil Graham, Chief Executive, National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) UK.
Forum introduction:
The collapse of Carillion has sent shock waves through the UK for the potential nationwide impact it will have long term on construction projects. It has raised a debate on how we manage such fundamental construction and maintenance services and who is put in charge of them.
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Our systems for modern cities are highly interconnected, so for this our 8th Future Cities Forum - at City Hall, London - we thought we should look at how our modern day cities function successfully and sustainably.
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Will new infrastructure provide aesthetically pleasing physical additions to our environment and what of the social benefit to our society of these developments? The construction company Mace has called for ‘social value’ measures and targets to be formally embedded in all major construction and infrastructure programmes in the UK.
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National Infrastructure Commission
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Responding to the National Infrastructure Commission’s report ‘Data for the Public Good’ on 14th December 2017, Professor Lord Robert Mair, President, Institution of Civil Engineers, commented:
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‘Good infrastructure underpins thriving communities and economic growth. It enables peoples’ day to day lives – creating connectivity, access to key utilities and underpinning our social infrastructure.’
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While Sir Alan Wilson, Chief Executive of The Alan Turing Institute, explained:
‘ ..there is a new utility, so crucial to the efficient functioning of modern life that we could not do without it: data. Like any major system such as transport, housing or telecoms, data requires its own infrastructure, to collect it, store it and derive knowledge and value from it.’
How much will the resignation of Lord Adonis, Chairman of the government’s Infrastructure Commission affect this year’s march of new infrastructure and in which direction with the new Chair, Sir John Armitt take it?
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The Commission is preparing for the publication of the first National Infrastructure Assessment later this year. Speaking about his appointment, Sir John Armitt said:
‘Making the right choices about planning and investing in infrastructure is critical to the UK’s prosperity and quality of life. I want the Commission to remain focused on tackling the long-term issues of congestion, capacity and carbon – and to continue to hold the government to account where decisive action is needed – so we can secure the improvements that companies, communities and families need.’
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Investment
The Telegraph last year reported that although the UK ‘remains as one of the top countries for investors… it is falling in the ranking as Brexit and political stability weigh heavily.’
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It quoted the law firm CMS as saying that the UK could look to top placed Netherlands as an example of ‘’transparent and efficient procurement process and a healthy multi-billion euro pipeline in road and water Public-Private- Partnerships’’
While in the USA, The Brookings Institution – a non-profit public policy organisation based in Washington – in its research report ‘If you build it: A guide to the economics of infrastructure investment’ argues that ‘because much of the nation’s infrastructure generates broadly shared benefits that are not limited to those who can pay, decisions about this infrastructure are an important public policy concern and not just a matter for private firms and investors’
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In the UK, £42 billion has been spent on progressing HS2 from London to the North , and £540 million extra funding was announced in the 2017 Budget to boost Northern Ireland’s infrastructure.
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Recently, an all-women team ‘VeloCity’ won the ideas competition set out by the National Infrastructure Commission to revitalise six villages and a network of cycling in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes –Oxford Corridor.
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The team including Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design, Featherstone Young, Khaa, Marko and Placemakers, Mikhail Riches and Expedition Engineering looked at the development of the region over the course of 30 years.
Research questions
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Questions at the 8th Future Cities Forum will cut across the future of infrastructure in the UK, place-making, modular construction in housing, investment in academic research and transport:
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· Do we need a better dialogue and decision-making over how construction projects are commissioned?
· How do we address the funding gap in infrastructure projects?
· What can the UK learn and borrow in best practice from successful European city infrastructure projects?
· How can cities prepare to achieve social, economic and cultural maximum benefit from new rail projects?
· Why is city gateway design and investment essential to regeneration?
· How can data infrastructure be integrated into future city planning?
· How can we enable smaller infrastructure projects?
· Is the UK moving fast enough on modular construction and housing?
· Can we ensure that infrastructure investment helps solve the UK housing crisis?
· Is airport investment the Achilles heel of UK infrastructure?
· How can the UK road network become fully “smart”, and how will these innovations reduce congestion, pollution and respect place-making and quality of life in cities and suburbs. What can we learn from “smart” port projects in Europe?
· How should city planners prepare for the electric age in transport?
· Has risk become too high for office construction?
· What has happened to the Northern Powerhouse?
· How should companies protect themselves from cyber-attack and will these measures protect our essential services?
City Hall, London
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This forum gathers academics, investors, developers, consulting engineers, architects, and city planners along with government and city councils into one research event with the outcomes written up in a white paper.
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The hall will be arranged into cabaret tables with guests of 10 on each. There will be a top table of panel experts and a break-out session for research gathering and networking.
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Please contact Future Cities Forum for further details.
The making of the modern city: infrastructure, energy and place
Future Cities Forum is holding its November event at DLA Piper LLP in the City of London,
This forum – opened by the Infrastructure & Project Authority’s Head of Commercial Adviser Team, Stephen Dance, will look at the current issues around investment in infrastructure, energy and science R&D in the UK, with a change of Prime Minister and concerns over the economy. The forum will also look at preserving place while tackling climate change and building renewables.
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Questions will be asked at the forum:
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How will the new Prime Minister ensure that investment in infrastructure is built to support a strong economy and for levelling up?
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Why is 'place' important and how is the UK tackling biodiversity around rail infrastructure?
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What is the direction for investment in nuclear and hydrogen?
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Will investment in the redevelopment of hospital estates continue, especially for the creation of R&D districts for life sciences and medtech?
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Image: Walbrook Square in the City of London
Science Cities - new life sciences districts
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Future Cities Forum is beginning its new ‘Science Cities’ season this September in the City of London (on 5th September at Cannon Green) to consider best practice in the design of life sciences districts and explore developments across London's science innovation hubs and how these compare with those in the regions, especially the science powerhouses of Cambridge and Oxford. This will build on our forums in Cambridge in 2019, 2021 and 2022, which had input from AstraZeneca, Oxford University Hospitals, Cambridge University Health Partners, BioMed Realty, Arup, Bruntwood SciTech and the Wellcome Genome Campus, - among others - and forums in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds with Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester University, Leeds University Teaching Hospitals and Birmingham Health Partners.
Contrasting areas that will be looked at will include the Barts Life Sciences programme and new district at Whitechapel, the Stevenage biosciences cluster, and Royal Street, Lambeth for King’s College London / Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.
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(Image courtesy of Barts Life Sciences)
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Levelling Up and UK cities: Leeds city region
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Future Cities Forum is holding its first ‘levelling up and future work-place’ discussions of 2022 this May in Leeds. We are delighted to be hosted by international law firm DLA Piper, which is building a new office in the centre of Leeds next to Channel Four (Image of Majestic and Leeds City Square above from Rushbond).
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We are now looking at the importance of investment in regional cities, notably Leeds, which has a historic central plaza where new development for business is taking place. In addition to financial services and a thriving tech start-up community, the city has been attracting a re-location of staff from leading legal and media businesses for a few years now and the UK government is keen for this to continue.
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With input from the Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr James Lewis, Bruntwood's Head of Strategy Jessica Bowles and the British Library's Head of Culture and Learning, Jamie Andrews, we will be discussing how investment in infrastructure, economy, place and cultural assets can help to attract businesses and tourists to the region, while supporting communities..
Infrastructure and development 2022
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Future Cities Forum's transport, development and energy forum on 28 February will look at the need to improve city infrastructure - best practice in airport design for sustainability, and strategies to meet net zero targets on transport, housing development and implement district heating networks.
The forum will follow on from findings at our recent Infrastructure event hosted by abrdn PLC in the City of London and led by the IPA's Deputy Chief Executive, Matthew Vickerstaff. Discussion took place on the topic of the '15-minute city', the public/private funding of EV infrastructure and sustainable transport in the return to work.
In our February 2022 forum we will be asking the following questions:
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How will councils, businesses and commuters react to plans for healthier travel from the government ie better cycling provision, and is there the investment to create the new measures with good levels of safety?
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Will these new measures tackle climate change sufficiently according to current net zero goals and can all cities tackle this drive towards healthier lifestyles on an equal footing or will some need more financial support? How can UK cities learn from European rivals like Paris (pictured - RSH-P)
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How do we fund our public transport systems if over the next year it seems there is not a significant return to the office and the commute?
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How do we ensure that development and regeneration planning in cities is joined-up properly with the new infrastructure projects (NB that adjacent districts benefit, and there is investment in multi-modal hubs to serve suburbs and connect to regional towns?)
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Is the UK government putting sufficient funds into the levelling up agenda so that areas like the West Midlands can move forward with greener transportation?
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How can district heating networks in our cities help to create net zero benefits in the way its links greener heating for large city buildings with residential?
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Can we say that cities are attending to greener transport plans if that transport isn’t really joined up with new fringe of city housing developments?
The UK government has now announced that Olympic champion Chris Boardman is to lead a new body, Active Travel England, which will seek to improve infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians as well as funding to improve air quality. In addition, a report published by Element Energy, commissioned by the Mayor of London, sets out the scale of the action required to move London towards a greener future and net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
The Digital City
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How is the increasing digitisation of cities helping solve climate change issues?
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On 11th November Future Cities Forum is discussing the recent UK government investment announced in the Autumn Budget 2021 to digitise the planning system in England and how this can support action against climate change, how one museum is digitising its collection to help scientists research new drugs to combat disease, whether predictive analytics could guide the investment and roll out for EV infrastructure and how digital planning in one of the most sustainable of cities, Heidelberg in Germany is working to achieve net Zero ambitions.
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Sustainable infrastructure and green cities
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We are very pleased that the Head of Transport Strategy and Planning at Transport for London, Christina Calderato, will join our September debate on 'Sustainable Infrastructure and Green Cities'.
For the last 10 years, she has worked across a diverse range of policy areas at TfL and led the team that developed the current Mayor’s Transport Strategy. In her current role, Christina manages teams leading on freight, road danger reduction, air quality and Healthy Streets.
Future Cities Forum will be discussing how planning and design can encourage healthy lifestyles and travel as well as planning green spaces in cities around joined up housing and transport.
More investment from the UK government is being put behind active travel post pandemic to encourage healthy lifestyles.
The Department of Transport states that the active travel boom seen throughout the pandemic will continue to thrive thanks to a £338 million package to boost cycling and walking across the country. Infrastructure upgrades, changes to The Highway Code and new requirements to ensure that active travel schemes' effects are properly assessed are among the new measures published in recently
The government says this comes after last year saw cycling rise more than in the previous 20 years put together, with the number of miles cycled on British roads rocketing by 45.7% to 5 billion.
Independent opinion polling and new research also published by the DfT shows that active travel schemes are supported on average by a ratio of two-to-one.
As the UK prepares to host COP26 later this year, these initiatives will play a key role in the government's drive to build back greener from the pandemic and achieve net zero emissions by 2050
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Science Cities: new research and connected places
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The BBC has just announced that the prime minister has set out plans to cement the UK's place as a 'science superpower'. It states how he will chair a new National Science and Technology Council to provide strategic direction on how research is harnessed for the public good.
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At our forum on 24 June guests will debate how planning should be used to ensure that our 'overheating science cities' are preserved as attractive and well-functioning places to live and work in, how science and innovation is helping to promote connected and seamless travel and how our science buildings will enable the scientists of the future to come up with important 'light bulb' moments.
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Future High Streets & City Centres
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Westminster City Council's Programme Director for the Oxford Street District Elad Eisenstein will be speaking at our 13th May 'Future High Streets and City Centres' discussions along with the Chief Executive of Worcester City Council, David Blake and Head of Regeneration at Leeds City Council, Adam Brannen. They will be joined by Partner at DLA Piper, Andrew Clarke who has master-minded the creation of a major new Leeds office for the UK's largest law firm next to the railway station and Channel 4's HQ.
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The forum discussion will look at the recovery of retail and offices as well as the planning of residential and public realm post Covid-19.
Elad joined Westminster in October 2020. He is responsible for working with local groups and partners to develop ideas and deliver on the council’s investment in this key district within the West End.
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He is trained as an architect and urban designer and has over two decades of experience specialising in leading, designing and delivering complex and large-scale urban projects. His work balances global challenges such as climate change or economic instability with the aspirations of local communities.
Elad is a member of the Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Advisory Panel and further serves as invited critic at leading international universities.
Image of Elad Eisenstein from Westminster City Council
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Cultural Cities: bringing back visitors
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Our 'second in our 'Cultural Cities' series in March 2021 will discuss measures to help museums and performance venues recover footfall post-pandemic
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Contributors will include the Director of National Museums Liverpool, Laura Pye (pictured - courtesy Gareth Jones), Zak Mensah, Co-CEO of Birmingham Museums and Dr Xavier Bray, Director of the Wallace Collection in London. The discussion will also include senior planners, developers and architects.
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National Museums Liverpool is currently running an extensive project to re-design the connections between its sites, and to provide high quality public ream so visitors can spend more time around the building environments.
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(Portrait of Laura Pye by Gareth Jones)
Science Cities - key worker housing
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The forum – part of the ‘European Science Cities’ series – will examine how cities can best plan and create affordable homes linked to jobs within hospital and R&D campuses, learning from international best practice while respecting local culture and architecture.
The debate will look at the ambitions of creating ‘porous’ campuses which integrate with the wider city and provide meeting and social spaces – that benefit R&D collaboration and well-being
It will discuss how to transition from car-dependent environments towards Net Zero cities, and which create biodiversity from brownfield sites.
The discussion will be Zoom-based, will be recorded for inclusion in a related Future Cities Forum report.
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(Image: proposed new Moorfields Eye Hospital and research facilities at St Pancras London - Penoyre + Prasad)
European Technology Cities
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Future Cities Forum is holding its 'Cambridge and European Technology Cities' event on 3rd December with leading speakers from UK and European innovation hubs. (Image: CGI of Google's London HQ - Heatherwick Studio)
Topics to be discussed will include the need for private-public collaboration and the impact of R&D sector growth on real estate and housing affordability. We will review technology investment (especially across healthcare) and development in the Cambridge region, a year on from our November 2019 ‘Science Cities’ forum at Cambridge University.
Cities to be included in the debate and follow-on report include Cambridge in the UK, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Stockholm / Uppsala in Sweden and Manchester. Contributors will include investors, city councils, university technology transfer offices, teaching hospitals and professional advisers.
This forum will compare the approaches and fortunes of selected European technology clusters and their host cities. It will look at how cities make themselves attractive to businesses and to human talent working at the cutting edge of technology innovation. How these cities work as test beds for technology trials across health, mobility, infrastructure and everyday living will be examined.
This debate follows two forums – Science Cities I and II – that looked at how the UK can sustain and grow leadership in science and technology with a focus on creating the best places and campuses for R&D. It explored the proposed development of the Knowledge Arc between Oxford and Cambridge and approaches to building the right infrastructure and housing for expanding communities in this knowledge-rich region, which contains world famous universities, research institutions and science-led businesses.
Venue: Herbert Smith Freehills
Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2EG
Introduction
We begin a new year of Future Cities Forum infrastructure, transport and housing development discussions in 2020, having left the EU and with a government committed to infrastructure investment. How will our economy develop post Brexit? New connections will be forged around the world for trade and the UK economy will be looking to current and future infrastructure to connect our cities, develop new communities and attract foreign investment.
The UK government has begun a new drive on infrastructure. In the Queen’s speech, it pledged a revamped national infrastructure strategy designed to help support growth across the UK, as well as an aviation bill and proposals for rail reform. A long-term vision has been laid out to improve the nation’s digital, transport and energy infrastructure.
Our first infrastructure forum of 2020 will be held at leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills' London offices near Liverpool Street Station on 11th February. There will be three panel discussions, two workshops, coffee on arrival and lunch to complete the morning's networking. Those participants contributing to our discussions will be publicised through our on-line communications programme, research will be gathered and published from our round table workshops and a report will be compiled to summarise key findings for government, investors and city leadership.
Timings
9 am Coffee and networking
9.30 am Key speaker address : Dyan Crowther, CEO HS1
9.45 am Panel 1 – How do we build the UK economy through future infrastructure investment?
10.15 am Panel 2 – How do we use infrastructure investment as a catalyst for town and city centre regeneration and where should we put the design and development focus for long term sustainability?
10.45 am Workshop 1: Planning case study - Peterborough city regeneration
How do we achieve the best balance between residential, workspace and retail development in our historic city centres?
11.15 am Panel 3 – How does national planning need to evolve to incorporate future innovations in transport mobility, technology and the move to low carbon energy?
11.45 am Workshop 2: Planning case study - North Essex Garden Communities
How can we re-design towns for sustainable transport and mobility, low carbon energy and make our infrastructure 'smarter'?
12.15 pm Feedback and conclusions
12.30 pm Lunch
1.15 pm Close
Questions to be posed at the forum:
What direction should the UK government’s drive on infrastructure be taking in 2020?
Is there evidence that the current UK road infrastructure programme is working and genuinely making for better connections between UK cities?
Will the economy of the north of England stall under any re-direction of rail investment and will attention be focussed on rail infrastructure that connects us back to Europe?
How can a balance be struck between creating airport expansion to encourage foreign trade and protecting UK citizens’ rights against noise and air pollution?
How does the UK government’s policies on expanded infrastructure tie in with a drive to combat climate change?
What changes are needed to national policy to support the delivery of significant new settlements (10,000 + homes)?
How are local authorities coping with devolved responsibilities in tackling climate change, especially on energy and transport?
Will the National Infrastructure Commission manage to change policy for energy regulators to insist on long-term energy and digital infrastructure investment?
Join us for a morning of exciting debate and important networking.
Apothecaries’ Hall, Blackfriars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ
Introduction
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Back in April this year, the world-renowned medical journal, The Lancet and one of China’s most prestigious universities, Tsinghua, jointly published a report on building healthy cities in China, ‘Healthy Cities: Unlocking the Power of Cities for a Healthy China’.
‘By 2030, China’s cities will house close to a billion people and the mass mobilization has also created unprecedented health challenges, such as pollution and social inequality’, the report states.
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Ignored until recently, the Healthy China 2030 plan has now highlighted and recognized health as the centrepiece of sustainable development.
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Our January forum will look at city planning and place-making for well-being and resilience, the development and design of science research hubs, the urban integration of sport and exercise for a healthy population, the evolution of well-designed city public transport and the new ‘NHS towns’ in the UK, as well as how the current housing crisis is affecting health.
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Our previous healthy cities forum had leaders speaking from the Design Council, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Trust, Plymouth University, Peabody, Transport for London, EY, the Royal College of Physicians, PwC and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Panel 1 Healthy and sustainable cities
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This panel sets out the current inequalities in health in our cities, the future needs of our urban population and how our built environment enhances or hinders our health.
Panel 2 Transport, infrastructure, pollution and climate
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Discussion will centre around climate research, joined-up infrastructure, pollution and electric vehicle introduction, last-mile deliveries.
Panel 3 Planning and place-making
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Contributors will debate how we plan for healthier cities, place-making for multi-generational living and mental wellbeing, walkable cities and how transport and our road system affects our future world.
Panel 4 Technology and health
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What will the science and technology innovations that will change our future health provision and how will our cities look and feel different with new types of healthcare centres, hospitals, wellness clinics and university research centres?
Our second event involves Brocket Gallery. Based in South London, which has invited us to run filmed discussions on the theme of new cultural quarters at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair to be held in November at the former Royal Arsenal in the London Borough of Greenwich. Famous names such as Tracy Emin and Grayson Perry as well as the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers will be exhibiting in this the third year of the print fair.
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The fair is a member of the Creative Industries Federation and a founding partner of the Woolwich Creative District (London). Greenwich Council is creating areas for concerts and open-air art/drama displays in and around the historic buildings where from the 18th century military cadets were trained. Some of the arsenal stores and factories where weapons were manufactured during the two world wars remain and Berkeley has been building new homes on the site.
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Since launching our forum, we have been looking at the growth of creative districts in London, the UK and in Europe, debating the social and economic impacts. Brocket Gallery following our event last January at RIBA, during which the Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Art spoke on the topic of the sustainability of creative districts, has been awarded funding by the famous art institution and admits that this has been a game-changer.
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In November speakers will debate the need for the careful planning of creative districts, the elements that go to support local communities and allow for developments to flourish. Art exports post Brexit will also be discussed in reference to the UK government’s announcement that Britain should strive to be a ‘21st Century exporting superpower with a rise in exports from 30% to 35% as a proportion of UK GDP.
Science Cities in Oxford
Future Cities Forum is holding its October Science Cities event at St Anne's College, Oxford University.
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The theme will be 'developing world-class R&D districts with housing and joined-up infrastructure' on 11th October at 9.30 am to 12 noon. Jason Dorsett, CFO from OUH will be taking part to talk about accelerating plans for R&D development and master-planning housing around the Churchill Hospital site in Headington - among other projects and themes across the 'Science vale' and across the OxCam Arc.
He will be joined by Tom Bridgman, Executive Director of Development at Oxford City Council, CEO of Harwell Campus, Stuart Grant, MEPC's Commercial Director, Philip Campbell and Peter Ward, Director of Real Estate Development at King's College London / Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust., among others.
Birmingham, the West Midlands and levelling up
Future Cities Forum is holding its third 2022 levelling up event on 13th July at The Exchange Birmingham, courtesy of the University of Birmingham. Leaders from government, local authorities, investment and development, planning, engineering, and design – as well as R&D, universities, and the cultural sector, will be discussing the levelling up agenda through the lens of the highly successful city of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.
We will be discussing the following themes:
• Infrastructure-led regeneration (and the HS2 opportunity)
• Innovation in health, technology, and life sciences
• The office recovery and Birmingham as a corporate HQ destination
• Regeneration of districts and new housing
• Sport and cultural infrastructure ahead of the Commonwealth Games
• Net zero ambitions for the city and region
We will be asking the following questions:
• How can Birmingham continue to sustain a creative and tech industry that remains ahead of and competitive with other UK and global cities?
• Which elements will build Birmingham’s brand for international science and tech innovation?
• Will Birmingham be the first city to reach its climate goals in 2050 and which technologies will enable it to do this?
• How can sports-led regeneration deliver benefits for the region’s communities?
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(Picture of the Exchange and Centenary Square copyright: Make Architects)
New Districts: planning, development and design
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Future Cities Forum is running another in its series of 'New Districts' discussions, which look at the investment and development of new areas of economic and visitor interest in cities.
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Gloucester City Council, Historic England, Chapman Taylor, LB Hammersmith and Fulham and Coventry City Council are all expected to take part.
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We will ask questions around office development, tourism attraction, preserving the historic fabric of new districts and the re-design of shopping centres.
Leader of Gloucester City Council, Cllr Richard Cook will be joining us this April to discuss new developments in the city which provide for leisure as well as technology work opportunities for those living in the region.
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Construction company Kier is ready to start enabling works on the second phase of The Forum in Gloucester City Centre, that will include the development of Grade A workspace, a 4-star hotel, rooftop restaurant and state-of-the-art digital conference facilities, as well as a wellness centre and members club.
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Phase one is already under construction and will see 43 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, cafes, bars and restaurants and 5,000 sq ft of retail space which will be occupied by Tesco. This phase is due to complete by autumn in 2022.
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The Forum (pictured above, courtesy Reef Group), which is being brought forward by Gloucester City Council and its partners Reef Group is due to be completed in summer 2024.
It is set to attract a mix of tech businesses from start-ups to big occupiers, tapping into the booming digital and cyber-technology industry, as well as providing workspace suitable for 'hybrid' working. The development is part of the massive multi-million pound regeneration scheme underway in the city centre that includes the revamp of Kings Square into a world class events space.
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The Making of the Modern City
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Over the last twenty months – through the extraordinary stresses and confinements of the global pandemic - we have seen an acceleration of the pressures that have been changing how we live in cities. Advances in communications technology, combined with lockdowns, has meant that organisations that are not involved in manufacturing can work remotely – successfully - without the need to enter a conventional office building.
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This has had a profound impact on the ecosystem of businesses with physical premises that have traditionally supported office life in cities – hairdressers, sandwich shops, restaurants and bars, dry-cleaners, and other retail as well as transport services. Some towns and cities have proved more resilient than others.
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Owners and asset managers have had to re-think the role of the office building towards a much more flexible multi-use role, designed to enhance collaboration, meeting and adaptable spaces, while accepting that some must be converted wholly or partly to residential or other uses.
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Online shopping has boomed, cementing evolving trends that have been damaging many high streets since 2000. The John Lewis Partnership’s decision to convert the upper floors of the Oxford Street flagship store to residential is a sign of the changes wrought partly by Covid-19.
However, the drive towards Net Zero has encouraged local authorities and BIDs to invest in healthy streets programmes, taking out the car where possible. The onus put on cultural life, entertainment experiences, and higher education by some cities, has been a catalyst for the conversion of failing department stores into hotels and flexible university space – as well as a review of how public space works.
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The UK government continues to drive more efficient transport and energy infrastructure for 2022 with the electrification of cities. The phased removal of diesel and petrol driven transport has presented new challenges for city authorities around energy supply and management, freight deliveries, with new design and construction costs for EV charging, conversion of roads for cycle traffic and new pedestrian public ream.
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In our 14th January 2022 forum at Bow Bells House, we will discuss themes that include the future of offices, sustainable transport, housing and mixed-use regeneration, and the emerging character of retail post pandemic.
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Science Cities and the Arc
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Future Cities Forum held its 'Science Cities and the Arc' event at Newnham College Cambridge on Wednesday 13 October.
The vision for the Arc and role of the OxCam Arc Expert Advisory Panel was discussed by Emma Cariaga, Chair, OxCam Arc Expert Advisory Panel / Joint Head of Canada Water & Head of Residential, British Land - followed by three panel discussions.
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How do we create sustainable settlements for the Arc, linked to first class, joined-up infrastructure?
Emma Cariaga, OxCam Arc Expert Advisory Panel and British Land
Anna Strongman, Chief Executive of Oxford University Development
Julia Foster, Managing Partner, David Lock Associates
Fred Pilbrow, Founding Partner, Pilbrow & Partners
Planning workshop – led by Tom Perry of LDA Design (Head of Cambridge Studio and formerly The Design Council’s Head of Architecture & the Built Environment)
How do we design the best places for R&D collaboration - for universities, health trusts and the private sector?
Professor Lynette Ryals, Chief Executive, MK:U / Pro Vice Chancellor, Cranfield University
Laurel Powers-Freeling, Chair - Cambridge University Health Partners, Interim Chair - Cambridge Biomedical Campus Ltd
Dr Martin Dougherty, COO, Wellcome Genome Campus and Wellcome Sanger Institute
Matt Smith - Head of Leasing, BioMed Realty
Ed Hayden, Director, Scott Brownrigg Architects
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How do we deliver high quality affordable accommodation and workspace in our university cities and across the Arc, servicing the knowledge economy?
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Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council
Dr Jason Matthews, Development Adviser to Oxford North / Thomas White Oxford for St John’s College Oxford (and Director, Matthews and Sadler Estates)
Jo Cowen, CEO, Jo Cowen Architects
Chris Williams, Senior Director (Occupier Transactions), CBRE
Cultural Cities with the DCMS
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On 10 September 2021 Future Cities Forum will discuss the role of museums and libraries as vital civic anchors for the cultural life of cities, as well the strategies for attracting visitors and tourists post-pandemic.
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Lord Mendoza, Commissioner for Cultural Recovery at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) will lead the discussion, which will have input from leading museum directors, libraries, local authorities, planners and architects.
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(Portrait of Neil Mendoza by John Cairns)
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Cultural Cities - the Recovery
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Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO of V&A Museum will lead our 'Cultural Cities - The Recovery' panel discussion on 22 June, alongside directors from the leading art museums and cultural centres in Bristol, Lisbon and Blackpool. Contributors will include Beatrice Leanza, Director of MAAT (Lisbon), Gary Topp, Director of Arnolfini Bristol, Naila Yousuf - Partner at Wright & Wright Architects (and Project Lead for the recent upgrading of Museum of the Home in East London will contribute and the Leader of Blackpool Council, Cllr Lynn Williams will also join to talk about the collaboration with the V&A on the Blackpool Museum Project, which is set to reflect the entertainment and circus history of this famous seaside resort.
Image: The Circle and Nature - at Zurich Airport - copyright www.mir.no
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Infrastructure 2021 - innovation, sustainability and transport hubs
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Our April forum panel will debate current thinking for planning, development and innovation around multi-modal transport hubs, against a background of changing commuter behaviour and operating models post-pandemic.
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The discussion will include Zurich Airport's Chief Commercial Officer, Stefan Gross, alongside Transport for London's Director of City Planning, Alex Williams. Also joining will be the Leader of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Ian Courts who is the HS2 and Environment Portfolio holder for West Midlands Combined Authority, and Newcastle City Council's Head of Transport Investment, Graham Grant. Grimshaw partner, Jolyon Brewis, Costain Group Head of Business Development (Transportation), Andrea Green and Ellie Evans, Senior Partner at economics consultancy Volterra Partners complete the panel.
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Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto won the competition set by Flughafen Zurich AG to design the Circle (pictured) which is a destination district next to the airport, made up of a convention centre, shops, restaurants and the new University Hospital Airport as well as a woodland park.
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Future High Streets and city centre development - footfall recovery
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Our 'future high streets forum will discuss measures to help city and town centres recover footfall post-pandemic.
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Contributors will include the Chief Executive of Sunderland City Council, Patrick Melia and Cllr Steve Pitt from Portsmouth City Council who has been instrumental in the rescue of the New Theatre Royal. Both councils are beneficiaries of the government's High Streets Fund. Louise Brennan, who oversees the Heritage Acton Zone fund and strategy for Historic England will also join alongside senior planners, developers and architects.
(Image: National Glassworks Museum, Sunderland Riverside)
The forum – part of the ‘European Science Cities’ series – will examine how cities can best plan and create affordable homes linked to jobs within hospital and R&D campuses, learning from international best practice while respecting local culture and architecture.
The debate will look at the ambitions of creating ‘porous’ campuses which integrate with the wider city and provide meeting and social spaces – that benefit R&D collaboration and well-being
It will discuss how to transition from car-dependent environments towards Net Zero cities, and which create biodiversity from brownfield sites.
The discussion will be Zoom-based, will be recorded for inclusion in a related Future Cities Forum report.
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(Image: proposed new Moorfields Eye Hospital and research facilities at St Pancras London - Penoyre + Prasad)
Future Cities Forum will be running a series of discussions on the topic of sustainability over 2020/2021 to include areas such as housing, energy, climate change and public realm design.
The debates will ask whether the government’s new ideas on planning will lead to housing provision which meet targets on carbon reduction, how the design of city and district heat networks will help tackle climate change, the role of hydrogen in improving green energy supplies, and whether Covid-19 has accelerated the implementation of better public realm, creating healthier and more sustainable city centres and retail provision?
Back in the summer the UK government announced a reform of the planning system, which could see land being divided up into three categories – ‘growth’, ‘renewal’ and ‘protected’. On land earmarked for growth, new homes, schools and hospitals will be allowed to be built automatically, with councils unable to veto. Other measures included that all new homes should be carbon neutral by 2050 and all new streets should be tree-lined.
Critics argued that this would lead to rushed poor quality housing and the new rules would diminish the influence of local authorities as well as communities being side-lined in decision making.
Alan Jones, President of RIBA told BBC News:
‘While there is no doubt the planning system needs reform, these shameful proposals do almost nothing to guarantee the delivery of affordable, well-designed and sustainable homes.’
Planners, investors, developers, engineers, architects, transport and energy companies and local authorities will all take part in these important discussions – the first of which is online 18th November at 2 pm.
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Key contributors in our debate will include
Patrick Allcorn, Head of Local Energy, Department for Business, Energy, & Industrial Strategy
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Patrick has led the local energy team in BEIS since October 2015, previously working in the Heat Strategy team where he developed a range of community initiatives, developing the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive. He will be talking about the following topics below.
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University of Cambridge: Newnham College (Dorothy Garrod Building), Sidgwick Avenue, CB3 9DF
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Introduction
Our science and health forum will be held at Newnham College Cambridge on 20th November 2019 where we will be discussing the best approaches to creating knowledge hubs and clusters within cities that are both economically and socially successful - and very importantly are well designed, especially in urban settings. We will also be looking at tackling health issues in cities and will showcase innovation in medical care. We will consider the following questions:
1. With the interest in the growth of science hubs, how do cities accommodate incoming talent with transport and housing needs?
2. How can we ensure world class collaboration in the development of our science, healthcare and technology hubs?
3. How does the growth of knowledge hubs shape a city’s architecture and planning?
4. What are the discussions that councils need to have with developers and urban infrastructure experts to protect cities and plan future needs?
5. How do we plan for disease control in city populations and cyber-attacks to our healthcare systems?
6. How will Brexit affect the science brain drain and the influx of medicines to cities?
7. How can arts and sciences combine to build the strength of a city’s identity and sustainable culture?
These are some of the questions that we will be asking in our forum panel discussions and through our workshop round table exercise.
RIBA North, Liverpool, L3 1BP
Future Cities Forum will be running an event in February at RIBA North to look at infrastructure investment, transport innovation, jobs generation through the knowledge economy, as well as and art, culture and sports-led regeneration in major Northern cities. The prospects for affordable housing supply, linked to jobs and infrastructure, will be discussed in the light of government house building targets. The speakers and audience will be made up of a balance of city council directors, developers, cultural leaders and sports club chief executives from London, the Midlands and Northern England. Written and video content will be posted on Future Cities Forum web site.
Panel discussions will be arranged around:
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Infrastructure and smart transport
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Health sciences and the knowledge economy
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Sports-led regeneration
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Arts and culture for communities and tourism
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Housing and jobs in the North
Westworks, White City Place, W12 7TU
10 am to 12.30 pm
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This event will be our 9th Future Cities Forum and will gather together councils, architects, planners, developers and investors in a morning of debate with panel discussions and individual presentations.
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It will be held at White City Place, London, W12 – the home to a growing group of media and creative businesses including the BBC, ITV, Yoox, Net A Porter as well as being a new campus for Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. It has some of the newest flexible work spaces in the UK designed by Allies and Morrison. Stanhope PLC has been developing White City Place since 2015 – along with partners Mitsui Fudosan and AIMCo – adding to its long-term commitment and investment through its Television Centre project into the transformation of this West London hub. Berkeley Group – though its St James subsidiary – is developing a 10-acre brownfield site next to Television Centre into a new residential neighbourhood with 1,465 homes. It will have a new public park and attractive public realm linking through historic railway arches to the south to Westfield London.
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At the White City Place forum we will be looking at the future of new model office workspace and creative hubs mixed with restaurants – and homes and leisure provision. The blue-print for successful place-making from city regeneration sites will underpin the discussions.
We will be asking some of the following questions:
How should we design homes and neighbourhoods given future ways of living and working and the dramatic changes in modes of transport?
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How can data analytics be deployed to transform planning, environmental health and transport withincities?
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Is London still able to create successful new areas for knowledge hubs? How important is new residential provision for these projects?
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Is there an ideal model for community engagement, and private / public collaboration on new neighbourhood creation?
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Does Brexit threaten the London office market and the growth of flexible working?
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Are UK regional cities going to provide most of the investment opportunities for the long-term?
How do we integrate planning around industrial land use with housing and transport development?