Our projects cover critical issues for the built environment sector with practical guidance for urban practitioners. You can read the reports and event write-ups of recent projects below or visit our publications catalogue. An A-Z of all completed Knowledge projects is here.
Homes for the future
Chasing numbers alone will not meet London’s housing demand unless we focus on the types of homes and neighbourhoods needed to match changing lifestyles. Our research finds five priorities for long-term solutions to the housing crisis, including sociability and sustainability.
How can councils become social housing entrepreneurs?
Developing an entrepreneurial mindset is the key to unlocking stalled housing development, according to our report. We conclude that councils should use their “municipal muscle” to leverage funding, expertise and innovation.
Making the case for co-production
Co-production can create services that deeply resonate with those who use them. Now in its third year, our programme explores what the means for placemakers. We are exploring how co-production can help cities address complex challenges and develop practical tools for communities and professionals.
Inclusive Economies
Can an inclusive approach deliver this desired growth while supporting opportunities for all? Our events series asks how local governments and their partners can build inclusive economies. We explore how place-makers can ensure inward investment brings everyone with it, and the levers to boost local communities.
Future of Cities
How can we prepare for an unknown future when making decisions now about cities? Our research programme looks for inspiration beyond London and looks for ways to future-proof projects. We will gather ideas and case studies that suggest ways to adapt and innovate in collaboration with other cities.
Climate Resilience and Equity
UK cities are not ready for extreme temperatures that hit the most vulnerable hardest. Our research programme looked at the challenge of achieving equitable climate resilience. In the final report, Resilient Cities, we offer case studies and fresh ideas for action.
Social Value: How to be a good ancestor
What does “be a good ancestor” mean for creating long-term social value in the built environment? Our year-long research programme set out the principles for creating a social value legacy in urban development.
Making the Most of… What We’ve Got
From changing patterns of urban living after Covid to the climate emergency and funding cuts, the built environment sector needs to deliver under huge pressure. Our Making the Most of… event series asked how placemakers can respond.
Putting Co-production into Practice
Last year we made the case for involving communities in urban development projects. Now we are working with the Open University to develop the tools to put co-production into practice. Putting Co-production into Practice will also develop the evidence base needed to drive this emerging approach to community engagement.
Rethinking Community Engagement
We explored how the built environment sector could engage with local communities in a more meaningful way by focusing on co-production. Key to this programme was involving community representatives.
Affordable Housing: Overcoming crisis through collaboration
Collaboration in finance, community involvement and retrofit are all ways out of the housing crisis. The final report makes the case for cross-sector collaboration with examples of innovative practice.
Leading through Crisis
The pandemic and the conflict in Europe has thrown a spotlight on leadership. The ability to make the right decisions and instil confidence in both the public and partners is under intense scrutiny. Our series of in-person roundtables brought together leaders to share their advice for navigating through tumultuous times.
CityBites
CityBites is a peer-driven podcast with staff, associates and members of the alumni network invite guests from different sectors and roles to share stories, insights and ideas. It draws on our role as a trusted platform; a track record in intelligent, objective analysis; and a broad, mixed-level network.
Designing in Diversity
We must do more to create inclusive spaces to address the inequalities gap is a rising global phenomenon. The urban environment plays a critical role by influencing access to housing, transport, shops, jobs, outdoor space and education. Our programme looked at the design of physical spaces and organisational cultures that support diversity and inclusion.
People, Place and Community
Covid-19 threw a spotlight on the power of social and neighbourhood networks. It has changed how we experience private and public space and meant spending a lot more time locally. We investigated the role that both people and place play in creating community and ways to maintain a sense of belonging in new builds and existing neighbourhoods.
Achieving Net Zero
The transition to a zero carbon London will impact all aspects of urban life: from the design and planning of the homes and neighbourhoods and the infrastructure we build. Built environment professionals have a key role to play in leading this transition and this project explored what this means on the ground.
Better Use of Public Assets
Many public sector organisations tend to focus on the short term when developing property asset strategies. Increasing financial pressure forces them to prioritise a quick sale over the long-term social and economic value. Read our report on creating social value by transforming under-used public buildings.
Healthy Neighbourhoods
Future of London’s Healthy Neighbourhoods: working together programme set out to help the built environment sector play its role in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and broader health crisis. We focused on ways to create productive collaborations between the health and built environment sectors in order to make healthy neighbourhoods the norm across London.
Building Recovery
This major Covid-related project shared successful approaches to tackling the equity gap from across the capital, as well as other UK and overseas cities. Themes included: upskilling for green and growth industries, affordable homes, public space, transport, and culture and the arts in London and beyond.
Paying For Public Projects
Public budgets are shrinking, the EU tap is about to close, and funding sources are changing fast. We need more effective ways to pay for and deliver public projects. We reviewed existing and new funding sources and assessed their merits based on real-world experience, expertise and evaluation.
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Building Resilient Workspaces
This half-day conference examined the state of the market, what value workspaces can play beyond desks for hire, implications of the GLA’s pilot accreditation scheme and, most importantly, how to deliver resilient workspaces that work for London’s future.
Water Works: Making the Most of London’s Waterways
London’s biggest Opportunity Areas are located along the city’s rivers, canals and docks, bringing significant waterside development in coming years. Running throughout 2019, this project showcased innovative schemes involving waterways and the strategies, policies and partnerships delivering them.
Foundations for Community-Led Housing
Community-led housing can deliver genuinely affordable homes, strengthen local networks, promote well-being, deliver social value and cater to the aspirations of a growing number of older Londoners. With a growing number of local authorities keen to encourage community-led housing, this series of workshops and events helped them understand and effectively respond to the needs of community groups seeking to deliver homes.
Social Value in Procurement
There’s appetite among local authorities and housing associations for understanding and requiring social value, but time-poor procurement teams are often overwhelmed with options, and rarely have time to share lessons learned. Through a series of events, this project gave practitioners a platform to share experiences, equipping London’s public sector to establish effective procurement practices that deliver demonstrable, social benefit for Londoners.
Knowledge Hub
FoL worked with GLA Skills & Employment, Rocket Science and the ERSA on the consultation for a new Skills & Employment Knowledge Hub for Londoners. A resource for policymakers, employers, training providers and learners, user input helped refine the direction for the Hub.
Overcoming London’s Barriers
Future of London’s major 2018 project addressed two typhttps://www.futureoflondon.org.uk/knowledge/overcoming-barriers/es of barriers: physical severance such as road-, rail- and waterways, and artificial boundaries such as borough borders and the ‘red lines’ that delineate estates or opportunity areas. We explored how impacts are assessed, showcase effective solutions, and create practical recommendations.
Workspace for all
To coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week 2018, Future of London and LB Hackney spotlighted diversity and inclusion in the workplace at Hackney House on 14 November. We invited public and private landowners and workspace providers to an afternoon of seminars and networking exploring current and emerging challenges in workspace provision.
Ageing Cities
As the fastest-growing demographic in the capital, older people will have a huge impact on London’s future. Future of London identified best practice, innovation and practical recommendations for creating healthy environments for ageing.
Smarter Cities
Future of London’s Smarter Cities project helped London’s regeneration and built environment professionals navigate the hype of ‘smart city’ technology to take practical steps towards setting up and managing projects which respond to their short-, medium- and long-term priorities.
Crossrail as Catalyst
Commissioned by GVA as part of their work on land value increases around Crossrail stations, Future of London interviewed local authorities, housing associations, and business improvement districts to understand the qualitative impact as Crossrail nears completion.
Engaging London’s Private Rented Sector
London’s private rented sector has potential to adapt to the city’s fast pace of change, but comes with complex challenges and rising costs. Future of London’s three-year project uncovered best practice for fostering a more equitable PRS.
Making the Case for Place
Future of London’s major 2017 programme set out to understand how different stakeholders value the impacts of placemaking and how to foster greater common among their views. Over the year, we brought together over 500 cross-sector individuals through field trips, workshops, roundtables, and a conference and developed a set of guiding principles for built environment professionals doing placemaking schemes.
Making Housing Delivery Models Work for London
This FoL/GVA project takes stock of the housing delivery models councils and the GLA family are using; estimates how many homes and how much affordable housing those are producing; and explores how to share skills and knowledge better, to make the most of these emerging models.
Workspace that Works
Demand for flexible, affordable workspace – including offices, studios, manufacturing, and incubator/accelerator spaces – is increasing. This year-long project gathered insight and best practice for public and private sector organisations seeking to establish workspace in London.
Making the Most of Build to Rent
With London’s housing market in an era of chronic undersupply, both public and private sectors are welcoming build to rent: housing designed and managed specifically for private renters. This project provided an overview of the evolving policy landscape and burgeoning development activity in London.
Priorities for Transport in a Growing London
London’s population growth adds pressure to the transportation network, much of which is nearing capacity. This series of seminars and workshops in autumn 2016 highlighted policy and delivery issues relating to large-, mid-, and small-scale transport schemes ahead of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy being published.
Managing London’s Exposure to Climate Change
Climate change-related events can cause significant damage to a infrastructure, not to mention astronomical repair bills. In London, surface water flooding, overheating, and drought are looming threats, but awareness and ownership of these issues is lacking. Managing London’s Exposure highlights how stakeholders can work together to mitigate and adapt to climate change, avoiding hefty costs and disruption.
The Evolution of London’s Business Improvement Districts
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have become key players in the liveability of this complex city, funding local employment schemes, improving the public realm, and influencing planning and regeneration. This growing influence means BIDs must be accountable and navigate changing relationships – political, contractual and operational. Our BIDs report charts that path with a focus on high street and town centre BIDs. Read more here.