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
| Barbican Hall | Cinema 1 | Frobisher Auditorium 1 | Frobisher Auditorium 2 | |
| 9:30 | 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 Cllr Bev Craig, Manchester Council Alexander Jan, CDA |
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| 10:15 | Break | |||
| 10:45 | The future of cities - resilience and regeneration In association with JLL What can we do to ensure that we are meeting our net zero targets? How do we instill social value at the heart of new developments? What are the key actions cities can take to ensure healthy, resilient urban environments whilst preserving existing buildings? How do we meet the London housing challenge? How do we attract inclusive and sustainable investment into London? Panel Katie Kopec (Chair), JLL Ben Giddens, Earl's Court Emma Cariaga, British Land |
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 Nick Searl, Related Argent Puja Jain, TfL |
Retrofit - one-size-fits-all? In association with Trowers & Hamlins With the ratcheting up of MEES, 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? |
Greener Greater Manchester 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. |
| 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 to the rest of the UK and the overseas markets. As a fast-maturing sector, driven by a significant share of the capital raised by life science companies in the UK, London has a key role to play. Yet the market has experienced a shortage of suitable space. So, who is solving this supply crunch and where? |
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 Bella Peacock, Greystar Graeme Craig, TfL |
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 Bridget Outtrim, Savills |
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? |
| 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 Guy Grainger, JLL Kate Willard, Thames Estuary Ellen Halstead, Peabody Bek Seeley, Lendlease |
Developing Transport In association with TfL Synopsis to follow. Panel Alex Williams, TfL David Lunts, OPDC |
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. |
West Midlands Synopsis to follow. |
| 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 Chrisostomo, GLA |
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 |
Delivering inclusive design 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? |
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. |
| 16:00 | Break | |||
| 16:30 |
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 Jaffer Muljiani, BDP Yara Machnouk, Elementa Selasi Setufe, BeFirst |
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) Laura Citron, London & Partners Ros Morgan, HOLBA Cecilia Kushner, NYCEDC |
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? Panel Oliver Bayliss, Buckley Gray Yeoman |
The future of the high streetSynopsis to follow. |
| NextGen evening drinks reception - In association with Gardiner & Theobald | ||||
Tours Day
Project Tours of key development areas in London, brought to you by our Developer and Borough Partners. Areas covered are likely to include; The City, West End, Brent Cross, Ealing, South Bank and other major areas of change.
The programme is continuously being updated and is subject to change.