London Real Estate Forum: on-demand
The London Real Estate Forum, the annual though-leadership conference took place at the Barbican Centre, 29–30 September 2021. We brought together key decision-makers from the industry, government, investment and business communities to drive sustainable investment and development in cities.
Please see the recordings from day one and day two for the Barbican Cinema 1 Stage.
Barbican Cinema 1 Stage: Day 1
Living - homes for changing needs
In association with JLL
How were our homes of the future being built to meet changing human needs? As we faced a rising and aging population, how did the industry assure that the diversity of requirements were met to create sustainable and affordable housing aimed at students, senior living and co-living habitation..
Panel
- Simon Hodson, JLL (Chair)
Catherine Raynsford, The Hyde Group
Deborah Owen-Ellis Clark, Places for People
Tim Seddon, Retirement Villages Group
Social value and why it is so important
In association with Trowers & Hamlins
This panel explored the ways in which city investment, planning and development drove positive social change for city residents, and what long-term strategies were needed to measure the impact and value we brought to communities.
Panel
- Sara Bailey, Trowers & Hamlins (Chair)
Marcus Bate, Mount Anvil
Siobhan Jared, Transport for London
Davinia Venton, Countryside
Connor McDonagh, Ealing Council
Retrofit - re-purposing and futureproofing
In association with Waterman Group
Retrofit, transformation and reuse of existing buildings was crucial to support our journey to meeting net-zero carbon targets. Alongside environmental benefits, what were the commercial and social returns of retrofit? How have we designed buildings for longevity and future re-use? What kind of investment programmes did we need to make this happen?
Panel
- Terri Wills, Waterman (Chair)
Rachael Owens, Buckley Gray Yeoman
Emma Harvey, Green Finance Institute
Richard Whitehead, Waterman Group
Jacob Loftus, General Projects
Building community - are we really serious?
The language of community was everywhere. But whose job was it to create and sustain the social fabric of a neighbourhood? Did developers have the appetite or ability? What were our expectations of councils? And what about the public and young people in particular: when did they finally get a voice? With the White Paper on Levelling Up out, this debate tested whether real estate can really move beyond bricks and mortar.
Panel
- Matt Bell, Grosvenor (Chair)
Tom Bloxham MBE, Urban Splash
Nazeya Hussain, Kingston Council
Azzees Minott, 2-3 Degrees
Repurposing real estate
In association with Knight Frank
This session explored how we have repurposed buildings to make them fit for purpose - delivered mixed-use schemes that suit post-pandemic behaviours. What was the impact of new planning policies on unlocking opportunities for adaption and change-of-use? How has capital flows fed into this? What approaches have been taken to ensure our future city neighbourhoods remain dynamic, socially inclusive, and environmentally resilient?
Panel
- Nick Parr, Knight Frank (Chair)
Binki Taylor, The Brixton Project
Deborah Watt, Landsec
John McElgunn, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Jay Squier, Native Land
Barbican Cinema 1 stage: Day 2
Harnessing data and technology
How did we harness big data to better understand and manage our urban environments? How has technology helped us to deliver more efficient and environmentally sustainable buildings? What role did artificial intelligence and digital twins play in shaping our future cities? We discussed how new digital infrastructure, technological innovation and smart buildings helped ensure future resilience and improve quality of life.
Panel
- Bola Abisogun, DiverseCity Surveyors (Chair)
Theo Blackwell, Greater London Authority
Tomáš Jurdák, MiddleCap
Brett Spindler, Schneider Electric
Gavin Chandler, Sir Robert McAlpine
Future streets and public spaces
This session explored our evolving relationship with our streets and public spaces. How have new transport innovations and a new drive to enable walkable, net zero cities impacted our approach to placemaking? What role did public spaces play in creating healthy, equitable and desirable neighbourhoods? What investments did we need to achieve this?
Panel
- Yalena Coleman, Connected Places Catapult (Chair)
Dr Chris Pateman-Jones, Connected Kerb
Ruth Duston OBE, Cheapside Business Alliance
Zoe Sellars, Waltham Forest
Peter Heath, Atkins Ltd
Future logistics - a pioneering sector
In association with Savills and Prologis
The logistics industry has responded and adapted rapidly during the pandemic, bringing about both challenges and opportunities. It mixed industrial and residential spaces to create industrial hubs around cities; this panel discussed how solution-based innovation, new tech and automation paved the way for a strong sector recovery.
Panel
- Benjamin O'Connor, NLA (Chair)
Bridget Outtrim, Savills
Robin Woodbridge, Prologis UK
Sarah Birt, Greater London Authority
From knowledge to innovation - the life sciences economy
In association with JLL
We examined the UK’s role in the knowledge economy on the global stage. How did we shape our cities to promote and enable innovation? What were the major and emerging knowledge clusters across the UK and how were these clusters driving innovation? And how did real estate contribute to the companies and occupiers fuelling the innovation economy?
Panel
- Chris Walters, JLL (Chair)
Toby Reid, We Are Pioneer Group
Kath Mackay, Bruntwood SciTech
Steve Bates OBE, BioIndustry Association
Sarah Haywood, MedCity
Modular housing
What were the opportunities and benefits that modular housing brought to provide sustainable regeneration and development in cities? This panel examined the ways in which modern methods of construction can be used as innovative solutions to long-lasting and effective housing.
Panel
- Katie Saunders, Trowers & Hamlins (Chair)
Samantha Wait, Swan Housing Group
Katherine Hegab, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Gareth Bradford, West Midlands Combined Authority
Power of partnerships
What makes partnerships in the built environment durable and effective? This panel examined the opportunities and barriers presented by the pandemic for public private collaborations.
Panel
- Sarah Cary, Meridian Water (Chair)
Lisa Ravenscroft, Mount Anvil
Tonia Secker, Trowers & Hamlins
Heng Leong Cheong, Ecoworld
Patricia Brown, Central