How the council is driving the regeneration of Slough
The town has been written off in the past. Now Slough is one of the most interesting regeneration stories in the South East, with the borough council as the partner…
Spotlights
Our Spotlights draw attention to new or innovative initiatives from Future of London members on issues such as diversity, health, planning, community engagement, and more. Spotlights offer insight into different ways of working as well as lessons for other organisations.
If you’re a Future of London member with an interesting project to share, get in touch with Victoria Pearce. See our recent Spotlights below for inspiration.
A new report called Rights to Place by our members We Made That explores how the built environment can advance fairness and inclusion across urban communities. In a challenging economic… Hounslow Council has released a business case for inclusive economic development that shows how local authorities can influence the national ‘growth agenda’. We talked to the council about their ambitions… SHIFT is an ‘innovation ecosystem’ that equips projects to deliver community and environmental impact. We sat down with Francesca Colloca to find out how thinking differently can help tackle London’s… Can investing in outdoor swimming improve health and create better places? Mark Baigent explains why Redbridge Council believes leisure-led regeneration will improve wellbeing in its urban communities. This focuses on… Find out how Lambeth Council hired a group of Black-led design practices to reimagine a valued community centre in Brixton as part of its regeneration plans, and why dominoes were… There’s a lot of talk about rewilding our cities, but what does ‘letting nature go’ mean for a local authority? Ahead of our “Natural Renewal” event, this latest member Spotlight… At the workshop during our conference, we asked if social value is really transforming lives. That will only happen if we engage residents in creating social value, says workshop leader… Developer contributions usually pay for infrastructure or possibly public art. Find out how LB Hackney uses Section 106 to fund community arts projects that support people affected by development. The… In our latest Spotlight, Alex Jones, Strategic Research Analyst at L&Q, explains how L&Q is putting residents at the heart of decision-making. Andrew Travers, Director at Inner Circle Consulting, explains the vast potential of the UK’s cities to deliver the growth, jobs and greener futures we need – and show that better living is not so far away after all. The concept of the 15-minute city is gaining popularity within the built environment sector, particularly post-Covid as the pandemic saw many of us spending more time in our local area than ever before. Our latest Spotlight considers the value of the concept in a London context. Over the last decade, the interest in social value delivery in regeneration and development has rapidly increased. Rosa Sulley, Senior Consultant at PRD, explains why it’s time to rethink social value and focus on the long-term benefits of regeneration. On 15 June, in a Chatham House briefing with Future of London’s network of built environment practitioners, we discussed the recent London local election results, the implications for housing, regeneration, planning and infrastructure, and how best to work with newly elected members. Our latest Spotlight explains how running innovation challenges can help local authorities solve problems, and design new products and services, in a creative, nimble and outcomes-focused way. The government’s long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper is a commitment to tackle geographical inequities and spread opportunity more equally across the UK. But what does this mean for London? The Mayor’s recently launched Delivering Quality Homes Handbook summarises 50 ways in which developing councils and housing associations can improve their own teams and processes to get the quality they want. Every week, each adult buys on average 3 plastic water bottles in London, amounting to 1.6bn bottles a year. Leaders Plus grad & Arup associate Adriana Moreno Pelayo explores how to implement this proven initiative reduce waste and create green jobs. A new data service from the GLA seeks to transform the way we use data to make the most of our high streets and town centre. We take a look at how access to good and affordable data can help our communities, and how the GLA is paving the way for a data-led recovery. Matt Kelly is a GM Leaders Plus Round 2 candidate. His poem reflects on the last year, paying tribute to our wonderful NHS staff and shows that talents of our Leaders candidates go way beyond the built environment!
Delivering spatial justice in cities with five rights to place
Focus on growth but make it inclusive, says Hounslow Council
Innovation and inclusivity can go hand in hand
Why Redbridge is leading London’s lido revival
Reimagining a Brixton community centre with help from LB Lambeth
What could urban rewilding mean for local authorities?
Why engaging residents is essential to create social value
How Section 106 is funding community arts in Hackney
Putting residents at the heart of decision-making to rebuild trust
Unlocking the potential of the UK’s cities
Spotlight: Is London already a 15-minute city?
Spotlight: Is it time to rethink social value?
Spotlight: The impact of May’s Local Elections on London’s future
Spotlight: How innovation challenges can help solve local problems
Spotlight: London’s role in the Levelling Up agenda
Spotlight: Delivering Quality Homes Handbook
Spotlight: Let’s bottle it! Piloting a deposit return scheme
Spotlight: Can data save the high street?
Spotlight: Our Heroes – a poem
You can read older spotlights here.