2022 Programme
The past few years have taught us some valuable lessons about how we can do things differently in our towns and cities: homeworking, active travel such as walking and cycling, reduced congestion and emissions, and better air quality (at least for a time) were all direct consequences of the first 2020 lockdown, and many people were able to enjoy parks and green spaces. But for others, such luxuries were few and far between as COVID exacerbated the real inequalities in income, health, and wellbeing we see in so many of our towns and cities.
So, rather than writing cities off, there are now even stronger and more powerful arguments for thinking that instead, we should rethink how our cities function, with multi-purpose uses combining a range of facilities such as retail, hospitality, residential, education and so on, and with more agile and flexible office space in the centre and suburbs to cater for changing demands. Attracting people back to our towns and cities, focusing on ‘shoppertainment’ and ‘cultural draw’ so that the inherent economic ‘ecosystem’ can be renewed and regenerated, will require fresh and innovative thinking on, for example, greening transport systems to improve air quality and tackle climate change, and avoid returning to pre-pandemic ‘business-as-usual’ models of growth.
At LREF this year we think beyond to imagine what cities and urban areas will be like in the long-term, how they will operate, what infrastructure and governance systems will underpin and co-ordinate them, and how they are best shaped and influenced by their stakeholders.
Conference Day - Wedenesday 28
| Barbican Hall | Cinema 1 | Frobisher Auditorium 1 | Frobisher Auditorium 2 | |
| 9:15 | State of the market In association with Deloitte What are the big-picture trends, key policy changes and opportunities for growth across different sectors? How can we utilise the energy around the post-pandemic recovery to bolster and promote long-term thinking in light of a rapidly changing economic environment? How has recent cost of living increase, stagflation and government policy impacted the built environment sector? Panel Alex Notay (Chair), PfP Capital Ian Stewart, Deloitte Alexander Jan, CDA, London Property Aliiance Robert Evans, Related Argent Becca Heron, Manchester City Council |
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| 10:15 | Break | |||
| 10:45 | The future of cities - resilience and regeneration In association with JLL What are the key actions we can take to ensure healthy, resilient urban environments? How do we prove social value creates great places with long-term financial returns? How do we attract inclusive and sustainable investment into London? Panel Katie Kopec (Chair), JLL Sharon Giffen, Earls Court Development Company Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor Emma Cariaga, British Land Cllr Adam Hug, Westminster City Council |
The new workplace In association with Savills In recent years we have strategised for flexible and adaptable workspaces in response to the ever-changing patterns of our working lives. Latest studies show us that workers will be looking for more than just flexibility from their future work environments. How can we think beyond our current lifestyles to ensure our new workplaces cater for future needs? Panel Deborah Walker, BPF (Chair) Nick Searl, Related Argent Puja Jain, TfL Caroline Pontifex, Savills |
Retrofit - one-size-fits-all? In association with Trowers & Hamlins With the commitment to achieving Net Zero targets and wider ESG criteria, there is increasing focus on retrofitting commercial property. But there are significant challenges, both in gathering data, procuring works and delivering financed models. How can the industry collaborate to minimise the risk of stranded assets, deliver retrofit on scale and attract green investment? Panel Robert Gordon Clark, LCA (Chair) Rachel Sherratt, The Crown Estate Katie Whipp, Deepki Chris Paul, Trowers & Hamlins Fred Pilbrow, Pilbrow & Partners |
Greater Manchester: Enabling agents of change in our cities This session will explore how a multi-faceted approach to community-based place-making across Greater Manchester is enabling the city region to reach net-zero targets. Greater Manchester is strengthening the connection between people and sustainable developments by thinking beyond buildings. Investment in low-carbon transport and new green spaces are just some aspects working alongside development ambitions to engage citizens and businesses in net-zero futures, creating truly sustainable communities. Panel Steve Connor, Creative Concern (Chair) Becca Heron, Manchester City Council John Searle, Salford City Council Vernon Everitt, Greater Manchester Stephen O'Malley, Civic Engineers May Molteno, Trilogy |
| 11:30 | Break | |||
| 12:00 | The Impact of the Knowledge Economy: What role does life sciences have to play for London? In association with Savills London offers expertise in multiple areas of innovation, enabling it to position itself as a leading location internationally. However, it cannot prosper in isolation from the rest of the cities in the UK. As a fast-maturing sector, driven by a significant share of the capital raised by life science companies in the UK, the knowledge industries have a key role to play in delivering a future innovation economy. Yet the market has experienced a shortage of suitable space. So, who is solving this supply crunch and where? Panel Pat Brown, Central (Chair) Tom Mellows, Savills Claire Dawe, Stanhope Eleanor Purser, Lambeth Colin Sinclair, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool |
The challenges of future housing In association with Deloitte Housing London’s citizens has been a key priority for the mayor since his election in 2016. In spite of a constant focus on delivery, we are still falling behind. What are the biggest challenges facing the public and private sector in delivering the homes we actually need? What will the future look like for London’s housing market? How will the economic outlook over the coming years impact on our ability to deliver? Panel Geeta Nanda, G15 (Chair) Bella Peacock, Greystar Graeme Craig, TfL Simon Burnett, Deloitte Cllr Matt Noble, Westminster City Council |
The transformation of industrial and logistics A rapid growth in e-commerce has resulted in high demand for logistic solutions and Industrial facilities. How can the sector keep up with growing demands? What systems have been implemented and what can we expect from the future? How will the planning of our road networks and land usage impact this sector? Panel Tim Cutts, LB of Southwark (Chair) Bridget Outtrim, Savills Robin Woodbridge, Prologis Adrienne Howells, GLP |
Brent Cross Town
In association with Related Argent and Barnet Council Brent Cross Town will feature 6,700 homes and 3 million sq ft of office space set around 50 acres of parks and playing fields. With living near a park highly desirable, and 11 million of the working population within a 90-minute commute, demand for space at Brent Cross Town is high but what are the essentials needed to build a new town? Panel Sadie Morgan OBE, dRMM and Quality of Life Foundation (Chair) Matt Flood, Brent Cross Town Fiona Scott, Gort Scott Cath Shaw, Barnet Council Tom Goodall, Argent and Related Argent |
| 12:45 | Lunch |
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| 14:00 | Growing a sustainable London In association with Arup The session will explore the importance of the growth and opportunity areas along the Thames. How do these areas support the growth of London? How are their programmes developing in respect to sustainability and net zero? What are the challenges and successes of the public and private sectors in response to these opportunities? Panel Jo Negrini (Chair) Guy Grainger, JLL John Lewis, Peabody Paul King, Lendlease |
Developing Transport In association with TfL The opening of the Elizabeth Line this year marks a significant piece of mega-infrastructure that will have a major impact on the lives of Londoners. Yet, the changes in our work and lifestyle patterns continue to raise important questions – What are the long-term benefits of investment in transport infrastructure? What will be the demand from passengers and what are the implications for active travel? What level of investment do we need to make major infrastructure projects in the future? Panel Leanne Tritton, ING Media (Chair) Alex Williams, TfL David Lunts, OPDC Colin Wilson, Southwark Helen Logan, Allies and Morrison |
EG Live: The case for regeneration v restoration What role does policy play, how can investors and developers ensure they are doing the right thing, for profit and purpose and what influence can occupiers have over how our buildings are utilised? How will this change the shape of the city and what London will look like in twenty years time? We’ll discuss all these questions and more. PANEL Samantha McClary, EG (Chair) Derek Griffin, Whitbread Chris Cummings, Savills Katherine Woods, DP9 Will Seymour, Shoosmith Ali Abbas, Art-Invest |
West Midlands The West Midlands has the UK’s largest emerging tech cluster outside of London, outpacing all other core cities. The sector employs three times more than the region’s world-famous Advanced Manufacturing sector. Birmingham is growing a significant Life Sciences/Med Tech sector, Wolverhampton is emerging as the UK’s centre for Sustainable Construction and Coventry has Europe’s largest aerospace cluster and is a leader in Next-Gen Battery tech. This session will explore where these strengths are and how demand and the drive for innovation-led real estate development is opening up opportunities for investment and collaboration. Panel Tim Moonen, The Business of Cities (Chair) Nick Walkley, Avison Young Rob Valentine, Bruntwood Zoe Davidson, Deloitte Chris Sood-Nicholls, Lloyds Banking Mike Wright, West Midlands Innovation Board |
| 14:45 | Break | |||
| 15:15 | Natural and social capital In association with Trowers & Hamlins Natural capital and social value have become essential in our quest to meet a sustainable future. According to the World Bank, managing assets for the future can no longer discard a healthy ecosystem that ensures sustainable prosperity. How do we assess natural and social capital and ensure it is feasible to deliver across a wide range of projects? How can we translate natural capital into tangible capital as part of an asset? What incentives can central and local government offer to help promote natural and social capital? Panel Sara Bailey, Trowers & Hamlins (Chair) Abby Crisostomo, GLA Debbie Akehurst, CDA and Hatton Garden BIDs Nivene Powell, EcoWorld Jenni Montgomery, Stantec |
Planning for longevity In association with JLL With the latest data suggesting that cities will see significant shifts in how people live and work in future; hybrid work, demands for outdoor/public spaces, rapid growth in industrial & logistics space, and alternative transport modes. An aging population has become increasingly challenging for healthcare and housing. These shifts will change the city’s fabric. How can cities prepare for this new landscape? Panel Simon Hodson, JLL (Chair) Lynne Corner, VOICE Debbie Jackson, Westminster Jamie Webb, Benoy Gavin Stein, Elysian Residencies Dr. Aileen Jones, Liverpool City Region |
Delivering inclusive design In association with Therme Group What does it mean to make design inclusive and why does it matter? Now that ESG has become fundamental to decision making, we will investigate what inclusive design looks like? As an industry how do we refocus on social value and how can we quantify what good social value looks like? What is the economic benefit of creating inclusive buildings and spaces? Could inclusive design be the answer to creating a truly resilient city? Is it possible to design spaces for all? Panel Anne-Marie Garner, Therme Group (Chair) Ellie Cosgrave, Publica Dipa Joshi, Fletcher Priest Amanprit Arnold, GLA Domenico Polimeno, Pilbrow & Partners |
The City as a Destination The City Corporation has launched a flagship policy that reimagines its reputation as a place to be, revitalises our streets, and reinvigorates our businesses – it is called ‘Destination City’ with an ambition to create an exceptional culturally enriching seven-day a week leisure offer anchored to the City’s identity. This session will explore how the City will evolve in terms of its buildings and place, and how it can respond to the changing needs of businesses and expectation of its workers, putting sustainability, inclusivity and wellbeing at its heart. Panel Susan Freeman, Mischon de Reya (Chair) Shravan Joshi MBE, City of London Ruth Duston, Primera Alice Keown, British Land Mareike Langkitsch, Fletcher Priest Architect |
| 16:00 | Break | |||
| 16:30- 17:30 |
NextGen - what's next? In association with Gardiner & Theobald We bring our NextGen roundtable to the Hall stage to discuss how the trailblazers in our community would tackle a range of scenario-based issues. What does the economy of the future look like? What is the impact of crypto currency and digital assets? How will digital assets impact the economy, productivity, consumer’s needs and the fabric of our cities? Will urban food growing take up city’s spaces? What does the future hold for the City’s transport and housing, how will we want to live? Panel David Ogunmuyiwa, ArchitectureDoingPlace Jaffer Muljiani, BDP Yara Machnouk, Elementa Selasi Setufe, BeFirst Josephine Neill, IBI Group Jade Purdy, AKTII Simon Thornton, G&T Jake Tubb, DP9 Emily Wingrove, Waterman Mona Hassan, Gleeds Opportune Simon, TfL Isabelle Hease, BPF Advisory Board |
Tech and the City - how will future technologies impact our cities New and emerging technologies could help cities improve public services (including mobility and well-being), better interact with citizens, increase productivity, and address environmental and sustainability challenges. As dependence on certain technologies and resources grows, cities need to plan for more system redundancy and resilience. How will we better integrate technology into our cities to ensure resilience? Please note this session will run for 45 minutes. Panel Camilla Siggaard Andersen, Hassell (Chair) Oliver Bayliss, Buckley Gray Yeoman Eime Tobari, Avison Young Omid Shiraji, Westminster City Council Milos Halecka, MiddleCap |
Reinventing the World City In association with London, Paris, New York City The advantages of the world city model used to be well understood, but after the Financial Crisis, attention turned to the unintended consequences of hosting global activities, and debates about the sustainability, affordability, and desirability of world cities grew. COVID 19 magnified these concerns, and has created a new impetus to reinvent the world city, but not to lose its advantages. Panel Greg Clark OBE (Chair) Cecilia Kushner, NYCEDC Alexandra Dublanche, Choose Paris Region Laura Citron, London & Partners Ros Morgan, HOLBA |
The future of the high street What should we do with our High Streets? In this ‘The Future of the High Street’ session, we will focus on retail, place and culture and ask questions about what we can do on our high streets to successfully pivot from a retail focussed model that increasingly falls short of our evolved ways of living, working and socialising. We will discuss opportunities and challenges in Inner and Outer London town centres and shine a light on innovative ideas that could ignite our high streets now and in the future streets and town centres? Panel Rumi Bose, GLA (Chair) Ruchi Chakravarty, Westminster City Council Andrew McVicker, Pragma Sophie Beagles, Ealing Dee Corsi, NWEC James Scroggs, New Working Class |
| NextGen evening drinks reception - In association with Gardiner & Theobald | ||||
Tours Day - Thursday 29
Project Tours of key development areas in London, brought to you by our Developer and Borough Partners. Each tour includes breakfast (AM) or lunch (PM) and networking opportunities. You will be asked for your preference once registered.
| Tour locations | |
| PM | Canada Water With British Land This tour will take in the full extent of British Land’s 53-acre Canada Water Masterplan site, with some spectacular ‘wow’ moments along the way. Find out about the new town centre being delivered for Canada Water, including the first mixed-use buildings in Phase 1 and beyond, and discover this extraordinary corner of Zone 2, surrounded by nature and just two stops from London Bridge. |
| AM/PM | Holborn & Clerkenwell With the Central District Alliance Join the Central District Alliance (CDA) Business Improvement District (BID) team on a vintage open top bus tour around Holborn and Clerkenwell. An opportunity to find out about our public realm improvements and long-term vision for the area. We will journey across the footprint on a vintage open top Routemaster, showcasing CDA’s public realm vision throughout Holborn and Clerkenwell. We will hear from titans of industry leading the future of property, tech, and culture including Google, Almacantar and The British Museum providing their take on the future of Central London and the district. |
| PM | City Tour A - Broadgate & 60 London Wall With British Land, Sir Robert McAlpine and EPR Architects Join British Land and Sir Robert McAlpine for a tour around Broadgate where they will present the Broadgate vision, talk through the redevelopment of 1 Broadgate and 2 Finsbury Avenue and the lowering of the Fulcrum Structure. Broadgate is a 32-acre central London neighbourhood; a diverse community where innovation meets finance and a public arena for new food, retail and culture. This will follow with a tour of 60 London Wall by EPR Architects as they showcase their latest workplace project; a previously tired and outdated office building which has been extensively refurbished, reconfigured, reinvented and repositioned to create a high-quality workplace designed for a diverse set of occupiers in the City of London. |
| AM/PM | City Tour B - Museum of London Smithfield site and Fleet Street area Join the City of London for an exciting tour around the new Museum of London site at West Smithfield followed by a tour of key new developments around the Fleet Street area. Hear how the new museum in West Smithfield will tell the extraordinary story of London and Londoners in an area which is itself a deeply fascinating and historic. The tour will then go onto 65 Holborn Viaduct, a student accommodation development delivering urgently needed student housing in the heart of Central London and 120 Fleet Street, a highly sustainable state of the art development that will form a new retail and cultural destination for the City of London. Finishing at the Salisbury Square Development, previously known as the Fleet Street Estate project. The Salisbury Square Development will deliver a new, purpose-built 18-courtroom legal facility called the City of London Law Courts and an industry leading City of London police headquarters. |
| AM ONLY | West End - East Mayfair & Hanover Square With the New West End Company and Publica Join this tour of East Mayfair, Hanover Square and Oxford Street with New West End Company, the business partnership that represents over 600 businesses in London’s West End. This area has been through a period of considerable change, with the upcoming opening of the Elizabeth Line at Bond Street, the opening of the new Royal Academy building and entrance on Burlington Gardens, and the regeneration of the galleries and associated uses on Cork Street. This tour will start at Burlington Gardens then take you through to the newly transformed public realm at Hanover Square, with recently opened landscape gardens and an eclectic mix of new brands, hotels and restaurants. We will then head down Oxford Street to highlight the changes on and around the Nation’s High Street. |
| PM | King's Cross With Argent Join the Argent team who are responsible for development and managing King’s Cross to find out what has been happening at London’s creative neighbourhood and what the next chapter has in store for this now iconic destination. Over the past two decades, King’s Cross has been transformed from a derelict, underused industrial site and former railway lands to become an exemplar for urban regeneration. The 67-acre estate is entering the final phases of its regeneration with all the remaining buildings within the masterplan now under construction. When development completes, the will be some 8 million sq ft of mixed-use space and 42,000 people will live, work and study at King’s Cross. |
| PM | Brent Cross With Related Argent Join the team from Related Argent who are delivering Brent Cross Town and learn more about the new town’s 6,700 exceptional new homes, its modern flexible workplaces for over 25,000 people and the 50 acres of green parks and playing fields which will form the backbone of new neighbourhood. Brent Cross Town is the new £7 bn, 180-acre park town in north London being brought forward in partnership by Related Argent and Barnet Council. A pioneering mixed-use, net zero carbon town, it is underpinned by core values of social connectivity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. |
| AM/PM | Ealing - North Acton & Greenford With Ealing Council, Greystar, OPDC, and City & Docklands Join Ealing Council, Greystar, OPDC, City and Docklands and other partners for the Red Thread tour of North Acton and Greenford. North Acton is a thriving environment of creatives and small businesses located in the north-east edge of the borough. It is the location of manufacturing, and commercial industries and the southern gateway to the Oak Oak Common and the Park Royal Opportunity Area (OPDC). Greenford is going through an exciting transformation and is the focus for a new innovation hub. The tour will take in some key new developments around these areas including Greystar’s canalside Greenford Quay, the UK’s biggest BTR scheme. Greenford Quay has been developed in an environmentally responsible manner. Greystar has utilised modular construction wherever possible, reducing construction duration, reducing embodied carbon and improving thermal and acoustic quality. The tour will also include the new development led by Ealing Council of North Acton Station Square, City and Docklands 54-storey One West Point development and some of the creatives and businesses in these two areas. |
| AM/PM | Old Kent Road With Southwark Join Southwark Council along the Old Kent Road tour. Old Kent Road is an ambitious 20 year plan for the delivery of 20,000 homes, 10,000 new jobs and a revitalised town centre that is supported by the proposed Bakerloo line extension. It will deliver new parks linking the Greener Belt, schools and the benefits of social regeneration for all. The plan is divided into a framework of area-wide policies and five master-planned sub areas with bespoke guidance for land use, building typologies and servicing. The plan requires the ‘new London mix; an innovative blend of industrious uses alongside new homes that create truly mixed use neighbourhoods and deliver a minimum of 35% affordable housing. |
| AM/PM | South Bank and Waterloo With HB Reavis & Lambeth Explore innovation and a transforming office market across Waterloo and South Bank in this tour led by London Borough of Lambeth. Meeting at The Office Group’s Scott House, you’ll hear from HB Reavis and Lambeth about the large-scale redevelopment projects – including One Waterloo, the new retail and workspace at the doorstep to Waterloo station, and the emerging masterplan for Waterloo and South Bank. A tour of the area will follow, taking in a visit to leading health and life science innovation district SC1, before heading to The Old Vic theatre and across to Southwark for a tour of Southworks and Bankside Yards. |
| PM ONLY | Aberfeldy Village With EcoWorld Join Aberfeldy Village’s project and design team to explore innovative community-led design and development, and participate in ZCD Architects’ ‘Youth, Opportunity, Power Toolkit’- a ground-breaking framework that empowers young people in the making and managing of their neighbourhood and places them as the design driver. Aberfeldy Village is a 20-year regeneration of the former Aberfeldy estate, with over 900 homes, a new public park, shops and community facilities already delivered and plans for another 1,600 new homes, workspaces, green spaces and community facilities. A truly once in a generation regeneration, this tour will take you through the transformation so far in the past decade, what’s to come and allow participants to experience first-hand the innovative design and community engagement practices to create a place truly designed with and for its community. |
The programme is continuously being updated and is subject to change.