FUTURE CITIES FORUM

City of Gloucester aerial view, showing transport hub in foreground with The Forum, King's Square and cathedral beyond (Reef Group) How can new sustainable districts in cities be created while embracing heritage and how can that heritage help create a sense of place? Gloucester City Council and developer Reef Group have been planning a new 24-hour district in the historic city called 'The Forum' but the area is rich in Roman and Medieval finds which have needed excavating an

Hammersmith Town Hall's historic murals - by Alfred Daniels - which will be retained as part of the restoration and development plan by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (Image credit: LBHF RBKC Locations Hub) Future Cities Forum is discussing the creation of new districts this week in its ongoing series. We are continuing to look at the creation of the new Civic Campus around the re-development of Hammersmith Town Hall and we are delighted that Leader of the London

CGI of proposed housing on Kirkstall Road site in Leeds (Latimer / Clarion Housing Group) In our levelling up forum in Leeds next month, we will be discussing the future for infrastructure and joined up transport for housing. Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr James Lewis will be speaking on our opening panel about the levelling up of this important city and region, and he will be joined at the forum by the British Library, Bruntwood, Aviva Investors, West Yorkshire Combined

Image above: 12 Piccadilly Arcade, London (courtesy Westminster City Council) Westminster City Council is collaborating with Heart of London Business Alliance, GPE, and Appear Here, to create a pop-up boutique for 12 emerging independent businesses, giving them the opportunity to be part of the West End's retail offer. 12 Piccadilly Arcade, between iconic Piccadilly and Jermyn Street - one of the most fashionable and historic streets in London - will showcase a melting pot of

The Forum, Gloucester (Courtesy Reef Group) Future Cities Forum will be looking at Gloucester's emerging digital and cyber security quarter in our April 'new districts' discussion with Reef Group's Development Director, Esther Croft and city council leader Cllr Richard Cook.. Called The Forum, it will provide new homes, co-working and office space, leisure facilities, retail and F&B - creating a global reaching eco system where individuals and the collective can thrive. Situa

Manchester Piccadilly Gardens (Image credit: Tour of Britain / Manchester Metropolitan University) Future Cities Forum will be discussing the creation of new districts, place and public realm amenities, at its June forum in Manchester, hosted by the Science and Industry Museum. A multi-million pound restoration programme for the Museum is underway at the globally significant industrial heritage site to carry out crucial restoration work and reveal new spaces for visitors to e

BDP Architect Director, Peter Jenkins, will join our levelling up event this May in Leeds, to discuss transport ideas that could contribute to solving the infrastructure issues that face the city region. Peter chairs the transport sector for BDP and is widely experienced in rail related transportation work. He has led projects over a wide range of sectors, including rail and bus stations, residential developments, mixed use and public schemes including Middleton Arena and The

Image above of Leeds City Square: courtesy Rushbond We are delighted that Liz Hunter, Director of Policy and Development at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, will be speaking at Future Cities Forum in Leeds next month. Liz is responsible for the development of economic, transport, and environmental policies and programmes for West Yorkshire. Previous to this appointment Liz was Head of Transport Policy for 4 years, and before that worked at Leeds City Council. She was He

T K Maxx (above) is one of the main retailers located on the Crown Point Shopping Centre, Leeds - owned jointly by The Crown Estate and Aviva Investors The future of retail will be a topic to be featured at our levelling up debates in Leeds this May. Questions are still being asked post pandemic on whether the numbers of visitors are returning to city centres at the same level for shopping or entertainment, compared to those before the outbreak of Covid-19. Shopping centres o

We are delighted that the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation at Leeds University, Professor Nick Plant, will join the discussions at our May Future Cities Forum in Leeds - 'Levelling Up and UK cities'. Professor Plant leads on the development of the University’s research and innovation strategy, creating a research culture and environment which delivers high quality research and impact for the region and beyond. His brief includes promoting partnerships in a number