PlannerPod Episode 8 | A new chief, pearls of planning wisdom and the trouble with AI

PlannerPod Episode 8 | A new chief, pearls of planning wisdom and the trouble with AI

In which The Planner team meets Rachel Fisher, the new chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, to chat about why she applied for the role, her thoughts about the future direction of the RTPI, the importance of town planning to social cohesion and the RTPI's role in building bridges between the profession and the public. Along the way, the team also delves into the latest issue of The Planner, taking a closer look at our interview with Nick Tyler of the PEARL facility [https://www.theplanner.co.uk/2026/03/25/pearls-urban-wisdom-interview-nick-tyler] that monitors how people behave in real-world environments, and the growing role of large language models and artificial intelligence in planning [https://www.theplanner.co.uk/2026/03/25/unreliable-narrators-ai-ready-planning]. Is it a good thing? Or, as our article suggests, an innovation to be approached with caution? Hosts: * Simon Wicks * Laura Edgar * Ben Gosling Guest: Rachel Fisher

PlannerPod Episode 7 | Women's safety and the NPPF

In which, to mark International Women's Day, the Planner team chats with Anna Sabine, MP for Frome and East Somerset, about the failure to mention women's safety in the draft National Planning Policy Framework for England. During the course of our conversation, Anna and Laura (The Planner's news editor) discuss why women's safety in public spaces is such a pressing issue; Anna laments the absence of joined-up thinking between government departments which have failed to relate the government's violence again women and girls strategy with the planning for the built environment; and the team discuss eswhat planning policies devised with women and girls in mind might look like. Anna then talks about her experiences as a new MP and Laura draws attention to the Planner's newly published Women of Influence list.

PlannerPod Episode 6 | Farewell to the chief

After nearly eight years as the RTPI's chief executive, Dr Victoria Hills is moving on at the end of December. For episode 6 of PlannerPod, we caught up with the outgoing chief to look back on her time at the helm, her successes, her disappointments and her hopes for the institute and for planning. It's a relaxed and candid interview that digs beneath the surface of what drives Victoria and how she's grown into the role, including the revelation of the 'Hillsey gene' and ideas for a t-shirt for planners. We also catch up with outgoing RTPI Young Planner of the Year, Frances Keenan, who chats about what the young planner of the year actually does, how she's balanced it with work and her advice for her successor. Presenters: Simon Wicks, Laura Edgar Guests: Dr Victoria hills, Frances Keenan Key moments: 00:00 | Intro | Simon Wicks 01:27 Planner picks: Planning for prisons | Cover art | Children's play 04:10 Interview: Dr Victoria Hills | Reasons for leaving | Highlights and successes | Any regrets? | Motivation | Growing into the role | future of planning | Next steps for the RTPI | Victoria's new role 39:03 Interview: Frances Keenan | Being Young planner of the Year | Highlights | Balancing the role with work | Advice for her successor 48:50 Wrap-up and Women of Influence reminder 49:50 Close

PlannerPod episode 5 | Social media, urbanism and how to become a planning influencer

In which, The Planner team chats with planners – and social media content creators – Mahsa Ige and Nouvella Kusi about how the planning profession can use social media to talk about planning, urbanism and development with a wider audience. To coincide with the launch of the RTPI's It Takes Planners & You campaign, we delved into the use of social media platforms to expand the planning profession's reach and to improve its communication with the people who are most affected by planning projects and decisions – the general public. Over the course of this discussion Mahsa and Nouvella share their thoughts on: * How to get started * Their approach to creating engaging content * How they're building an audience * Dealing with negativity * The impact maintaining a social media channel on them and their working lives You can find Mahsa and Nouvella on Instagram at * @theurbanplan_her (Nouvella) * @urbanistonamission (Mahsa)

PlannerPod episode 4 | Housing for a healthy economy: A planner's dream of growth?

What's the relationship between housing and economic growth? What's required to translate development into healthy economic activity?  In this National Planning Conference preview, The Planner's Simon Wicks and Nicola Gooch speak to Danny Collins, head of economics for Iceni Projects, and Shanika Mahendran, the cabinet member for planing and placemaking in Milton Keynes about the relationship between housing and economic growth. What makes good growth and the prospect of a new swathe of new towns. Following this, Nicola Gooch delves into some of the planning issues relating to water - the need for it to support new development and the regulation of pollution. Key moments: 00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j3iAGE5hlk] |Intro | Simon Wicks 01:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j3iAGE5hlk&t=60s] Planner picks: Anglesey engagement | Cover art | National Planning Conference 04:17 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j3iAGE5hlk&t=257s] Interview: Danny Collins and Shanika Mahendran | Housing and growth | Planning for growth in Milton Keynes |  Securing 'good' growth | Utopian visions | The political backdrop | Infrastructure and growth | New towns and 'renewal' towns 34:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j3iAGE5hlk&t=2078s] Spotlight | The water issue