Conferences and events

Panel | Delivering Affordable Homes

The UK government has stated its target of building £1.5 m homes during this Parliament. But this target can’t be reached without an emphasis on social and affordable housing, which presents a major challenge for local authorities given their current financial constraints. If the government is to meet its targets, private sector funding will be needed to bridge the gap.

The Local Government Association and British Property Federation are seeking views on how the current level of institutional investment in affordable housing might be expanded to increase the supply of new housing. Their findings will be published at the end of 2024 and the panel will discuss the results of the research and its implications for the housing sector.

In a market where home ownership is unachievable for many, BTR plays a crucial role. The UK has less BTR housing stock than other European countries and the panel discusses what needs to be done to ensure supply continues to meet demand.

Panel | Planning Change, Driving Growth

The Chancellor has committed to consulting on reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework to take a different, growth-focused approach to planning in order to support sustained economic growth. 

11 changes are proposed. These include:

·       making the standard method for assessing housing needs mandatory, requiring local authorities to plan for the resulting housing need.

·       broadening the existing definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved and that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas.

·       identifying grey belt land within the Green Belt, to be brought forward into the planning system through both plan and decision-making to meet development needs

The panel looks at the proposed planning changes, debates the implications for the industry and discusses whether they will help to stimulate the economic growth the country needs in London.

Panel | Nighttime Economy and 24-hour Cities

Most spending on high streets takes place during the day. This session considers the ingredients needed to create a vibrant, safe, appealing environment to help stimulate the nighttime economy. 

Does London have the transport infrastructure and other services required to support a round-the-clock city? And what impact would further pedestrianisation have in the capital?

A successful nighttime economy requires partnership working between businesses, local authorities, police, residents’ associations and transport providers. We will discuss how successfully London achieves harmony between these groups and hear from international city leaders about the challenges and rewards of running a city which operates 24 hours a day.

Panel | Global City of Sport

The City of London Corporation aims for the City to be a ‘Global City of Sport’ by 2030. Sadiq Khan has expressed a desire for London to host the 2040 Olympics and is seeking political support. Merton Council seek to be the first London Borough of Sport.

In this panel, we will discuss the ambition, challenges and opportunities presented by these important initiatives and aspirations for London’s built environment.

The panel will also discuss the role of sport as a placemaker – creating healthier, more connected communities and fostering a sense of civic pride.

Panel | Aiming High: Debating Tall Buildings

The Draft City Plan 2040 targets 1.2million square metres of additional floorspace by 2040 as demand for Grade A office space continues. This has raised concerns about views of world-renowned St Paul’s and the Tower of London being compromised by a tall building cluster.

There are other challenges presented by tall buildings, including the impact on the existing community, pressure on infrastructure and the impact on aviation.

However, with housebuilding a priority, is the obvious answer to build upwards?

We examine the possibility that London may have “the most crowded skyline in Europe” and debate the pros and cons, while also hearing views from other cities that have built tall to meet the increased demand for housing.

Panel | The Value of Good Design

This session discusses good design. Who determines what is good design? How is it assessed and measured?

As Britain embarks on the biggest housebuilding programme since the post war era, the panel discusses how best to avoid a potential “quantity vs quality” approach. We discuss whether and how good design represents a return on investment.

To ensure a well designed built environment is not the preserve of the wealthy, should prizewinning designs such as the Elizabeth Line be a benchmark to be applied to all publicly funded architecture?