On July 7th we hosted PUBLIC REALM & URBAN SPACES Smart Class 2022 at Greencoat Place Conference Centre, London. This latest Smart Class focused on harnessing technology, design, data science and innovative strategy to create the next generation of smarter spaces and places in our cities and regions.
Our film maker has captured the keynotes and innovator presentations for additional stakeholders to enjoy post-event!
If you satisfy our regular delegate qualification criteria but were unable to join us on the day for the live in person event, just complete the short application form below and we’ll give you free access to the presentation videos, recordings and slides.
Our inspirational keynotes included: Clarisse Tavin, Group Manager – Major Programmes and Projects, from the Policy and Projects Division at the City of London; Francesca Colloca, Head of Innovation – SHIFT for the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC); and Neil Sainsbury, Head of Placemaking at Milton Keynes Council. Clarisse, Francesca and Neil provided invaluable real-world insights into their placemaking, public realm and urban space strategies, ongoing programmes and challenges, innovative approaches, collaborative initiatives, adoptions of transformative technology and design, digital visions and data driven outcomes.
The Smart Class also featured innovator presentations by leading designers, technology experts and thought leaders, including: Daria Kaczorowska (Associate Landscape Architect) and Leo Hammond (Associate Director for Urban Design) from Project Centre (part of Marston Holdings), supported by Lewisham Council’s Seamus Adams (Head of Commercial Operations and Development); Matthew Kelley (Client Engagement Director) from Brightly; and Richard Chaplin (UK & Ireland Sales Manager) from Telensa. Each innovator speaker represented priority innovation and design topics and associated areas of application across the public realm, and subsequently hosted (with support from expert colleagues) confidential, deeper dive, roundtable discussions with all delegates in attendance. The live (in-person only) session also included Q&As and further networking opportunities over breakfast, drinks and cooked lunch.
Key topics addressed included:
- Projects in the City of London – How to create enhanced and people focussed environments through intelligent lighting and temporary greening and seating measures;
- City lighting strategy and using remotely operated lighting to complement the look of historic buildings, improve energy usage and environmental impact, tackle light pollution, improve well being and protect wildlife – without compromising safety and security;
- ‘Culture Mile’ lighting and illuminance case study (Beech Street, Tunnel array);
- HULAB objectives and sustainable principles for connecting urban lighting policy and implementation with citizen health;
- Parklets and the greening and seating measures delivered during the pandemic to support social distancing and businesses in making the city more welcoming – How these safer and flexible outdoor spaces can contribute to supporting businesses in their return to work, the city’s post-pandemic recovery and help create a destination city;
- Covid-19 ‘City Streets’ interventions – Philpot Lane, Middlesex Street, Cheapside, Creechurch Lane, Ludgate Broadway, West Smithfield; Permanent installations in the ‘City Cluster’ – Working with BIDs (Business Improvement Districts); Co-design with local community – Moor Lane Community Garden;
- Lewisham town centre regeneration – A holistic approach to public realm through commissions at three different scales for Lewisham Market, Lewisham High Street and an overarching urban design strategy;
- Engaging with diverse local communities and businesses, collaborating with local stakeholders and landowners, and quick wins (small interventions, market stall trials, improvements in waste management, cleaning and maintenance, temporary planters etc);
- Art and culture, creating an urban design vision and masterplan, public realm visioning (incl. biodiversity gain and green grid, air quality improvements and carbon net zero) and funding;
- SHIFT: London’s living testbed and building the world’s 1st ‘Inclusive Innovation District’ at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park;
- An inclusive innovation model, UK innovation districts and delivering a regional approach to inclusive economy;
- ‘Movement in Cities’ current innovation trials at QEOP – AI-powered spatial analytics for traffic management and urban planning/using AI to monitor mobility modes across the Park (Flyma), last mile delivery: E-Walker (UPS/Frieghtlab), construction last mile logistics (Murphy’s/TfL), local deliveries last mile business suppliers (Signorelli), local last mile consumer deliveries (CDT/Poplar Harca), bike locks with Mosa, mass movement e-transit, robotic deliveries;
- ‘Health in Cities’ current innovation trials – Testing hearing wellness in venues: Mumbli, air quality trials with Aeternum, active travel optimisation for all feasibility study and micro mobility hub, Bikeworks e-scooter accessibility improvements;
- ‘Climate Emergency in Cities’ current innovation trials – Water temperature monitoring sensors/impact of urban heat index on rivers (UCL), urban roof farming and bio-solar research (UCL), green infrastructure, decarbonising district heat network;
- Circular high streets, borough integration (incl. citizen scientists, digitisation of planning, retrofit housing, local innovation corridors, creative enterprise zone, citizen assembly, community wealth building etc) and SHIFT 2025 objectives (5 year strategy complete, international recognition as a leading urban innovation testbed, digital twin developed, research programme established, innovation trials pipeline developed etc);
- Bright and connected public spaces – Enabling smarter assets to deliver sustainable communities: How, through the use of IoT, councils are able to create connected systems which deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve;
- Smart assets in action – Using sensors to monitor gullies to prevent disruptive and costly blockages, knowing if certain litter bins are overflowing to ensure clean communities, receiving an alert to send a repair crew to fix tension cables to ensure safe streets, predictive/data driven inspection and maintenance of highways/pavements/lighting/fibre networks, connecting service users to assets operating in their community;
- Growth, drivers for change and the importance of public realm for city centres: A case study of central Milton Keynes – Practice and opportunities;
- Repurposing existing public realm in MK such as the Station Square key gateway space and significant new office and residential development;
- Linking destinations through improved public realm: Midsummer Boulevard East – temporary transformation and workshopping a series of ‘rooms’; Theatre District mobility hub; Midsummer Boulevard at the centre of a 15 minute neighbourhood; Pedalling culture – promoting active travel to access and connect cultural infrastructure across the city; Walking trails as a new way of exploring urban spaces;
- Smart street furniture – helping meet a carbon reduction agenda;
- A rigorous and uniform approach to the design of the public realm in CMK – CMK’s handbook for the public realm and new HQ with publicly accessible space;
- Saxon Gateway – A new way of providing shared communal space;
- The business case for smart street lighting – The qualitative and quantitative benefits of adding smart controls to streetlights and outdoor lighting;
- What is a ‘smart’ streetlight? How does CMS address local authority money, safety/security and sustainability concerns? Which local authorities in the UK spend most on street lighting (Birmingham, Leeds, Surrey, West Sussex, Cambridgeshire, London, Coventry, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Essex, Knowsley) and which local authorities are already realising the benefits of adopting smart street lighting (Hertfordshire County Council, Doncaster and Suffolk County Council use cases)?
Those qualifying to receive the presentation videos and rich media content from this event include commissioning, procurement, trialling and partnering leads, senior influencers, strategic decision makers, planners, place makers, architects, green space managers, urban designers, highways & street scene, transport & mobility and high streets & regeneration professionals from councils and local authorities (city, borough, metropolitan, district, county and combined); people and place partnerships; developers, landowners and creators of privately owned public spaces; prime contractors and city centre management companies; DfT, DEFRA, MHCLG, EA and supporting governmental bodies; transport authorities, highways agencies and public transport operators; civic organisations and community groups; and other key players from the public realm ecosystem with responsibility for managing, maintaining and operating our streets, squares, forecourts, parks, pathways, retail centres, car parks, airports, ports, travel hubs, hospitals, housing estates, campuses, communal gardens and the assets contained within these public or semi-public spaces.
Register your details via the “Download form” below to receive a unique link providing free of charge access!
