Collectively Speaking

Season 2: Episode 7 - Politics and Planning with Jonny Popper

What's the secret to revamping one of the world's most iconic cities? Jonny Popper, CEO of LCA, joins us to uncover the political and planning transformations that have shaped London's urban landscape over the past quarter-century. We explore how establishing a mayor and assembly in 2000 catalysed a new era for London's built environment. With Jonny's expert insights, we dissect how political dynamics and the alignment of borough plans with the mayor's vision have evolved, alongside the professionalisation of planning processes. Yet, the journey is far from over, as ongoing challenges in land assembly and viability assessments continue to impact the pace of regeneration projects. Curious about what it takes to navigate London's complex development sector? This episode promises a deep understanding of the viability challenges developers face amid an intricate web of policies and requirements. We highlight the need for political bravery and flexibility in planning decisions to enhance housing delivery while reflecting on the shifting landscape from Ken Livingstone to Sadiq Khan. The conversation underscores the tension between policy aspirations and the financial realities on the ground, emphasising the need for a balanced approach to meet ambitious housing targets. Looking beyond London, we delve into the global investment stage with the Opportunity London initiative, a pivotal effort to attract international capital. We discuss London's role as a gateway for UK investment and the challenges international investors face. Our conversation highlights the strategic development potentials in East London, the importance of community consultation, and long-term planning in creating sustainable urban environments. As we cast an eye toward the future, we share our optimistic outlook on economic recovery and company expansion, spotlighting the latest developments within our team and the promising opportunities that lie ahead. Find out more about the LDN Collective at  https://ldn-collective.com/

Season 2: Episode 6 - Net Zero Neighbourhoods with Hannah Jewkes

Collectively Speaking - Net Zero Neighbourhoods In this episode of Collectively Speaking, Max Farrell, Chief Executive of the LDN Collective, discusses net zero neighbourhoods with Hannah Jewkes, a Sustainability Associate at AESG. They explore innovative strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment and share insights from groundbreaking projects. Hannah shares her journey into sustainability, transitioning from civil engineering to focusing on ESG and sustainable construction after a pivotal realization about her studies' environmental impact. Together, Max and Hannah address the energy supply crisis in West London, caused by the growing demand for data centres, which stalled housing developments. This challenge spurred the LDN Collective to identify solutions in low-energy construction and decentralized energy systems. Key takeaways from their discussion include ten principles derived from global case studies, emphasizing improved building fabrics, renewable energy technologies, and the use of data for efficiency. They highlight the “GreenHaus” project in Manchester, an affordable, high-density PassiveHaus development, and the Barnsley Community Energy Coalition, which implemented solar panels to aid vulnerable households. Hannah also details innovative collaborations, such as South Dublin County Council’s initiative to repurpose waste heat from data centres and Cornwall’s Kensa Heat Pumps project, which connected multiple homes to a single ground-source heat pump, reducing heating costs. The conversation shifts to a current project in Huntingdonshire, where Max and Hannah are helping design a sustainable community of 5,000 homes. Strategies include optimizing building orientation, integrating EV charging and solar energy, and fostering community engagement to educate residents on sustainable living. Looking to the future, Max and Hannah discuss upcoming regulations like Future Homes Plus and innovations such as capturing waste heat from the London Underground. They also highlight Octopus Energy’s plans to offer affordable modular housing with integrated solar panels and no energy bills for ten years. Access the full report on net zero neighbourhoods here https://westlondon.com/net-zero-neighbourhoods-report-launched-to-further-the-uptake-for-a-low-carbon-future/ Find out more about the LDN Collective at  https://ldn-collective.com/

Season 2: Episode 5 - Tech and AI in Community Engagement (Festive Special!)

For the 5th episode in the second series of LDN Collective [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/] podcasts, tackling the big issues in the built environment, we decided to LEAP outside our comfort zone! 🚀   🤖 Recorded live at our recent event exploring the impact of technology and AI on community engagement, we started with an open mic session where all 50 attendees had the opportunity to share their stories.   📚 This was followed by presentations from pioneers like ECF [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/], Commonplace [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/], Digital Urban [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/], Hello Lamp Post [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/], Concept Culture [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/] and Grosvenor [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/]. We finished with a lively panel discussion and there was a LOT of food for thought. Hopefully see you at our next event in the New Year, likely to focus on community engagement and regional planning. Our January podcast will be on Net Zero Neighbourhoods with Hannah Jewkes [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/] 🎉  Find out more about the LDN Collective at  https://ldn-collective.com/

Season 2: Episode 4 - Health on the High Street with Rumi Bose

In the latest episode of our Collectively Speaking podcast series, we hear from urban regeneration expert Rumi Bose about health and wellbeing in our high streets and town centres.  An award-winning place-shaping expert, Rumi’s high street and regeneration projects have won New London Architecture, Civic Trust and RIBA awards. She is Chair of the NLA’s High Street Expert Panel, board member of Future of London, and a member of the Property X-Change Sounding Board.  This podcast is a treasure trove of wisdom and experience! Find out more about the LDN Collective at  https://ldn-collective.com/

Season 2: Episode 3 - Healthy City Design with Jeremy Myerson

In this timely episode of the Collectively Speaking podcasts, CEO Max Farrell sits down with author and academic Jeremy Myerson, to discuss healthy city planning and design.  Hear about some amazing initiatives, from Stockton-on-Tees to Seoul, where city leaders have improved the health of their citizens through imaginative and interdisciplinary urban design. Find out more at the Healthy City Design Congress, a global forum for the exchange of knowledge on the research, policy, investment and practice of designing healthy and sustainable cities and communities.  The Congress takes place in Liverpool on 15th & 16th October. This year’s theme is ‘Building a fairer future: Advancing health equity through impact investment’ and they will be giving out awards in eight categories. Find out more about the LDN Collective at  https://ldn-collective.com/