London and the Wider South-East region accommodate one third of the population of England, and the growth projected for the next decades will mean the provision of millions of additional new homes, infrastructure and jobs. London’s growth is not happening in isolation, and the deep connections with the Wider South East region need to be considered when planning for growth.
To explore these issues, Design South East and New London Architecture delivered a joint conference, chaired by the Director of Design South East, Chris Lamb.
The conference programme asked: Do have the planning tools to plan for regional growth without a regional plan? What are the key infrastructures that will be able to unlock further growth? How does London collaborate effectively with its neighbours to share benefit across the region? What can we learn from different models of growth? How do we make sure quality is as important as quantity? How can we plan for major infrastructures, economic growth and meet housing needs across the Wider South East?
The speakers were:
- Sadie Morgan, Founding director, dRMM Architects; Deputy Chair, Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission
- Darren Richards, Strategic Planning Manager of the Growth Strategies, GLA
- Barbara Cooper, Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, Kent County Council
- Chris Lamb, Director, Design South East (Chair)
- Patrick Clarke, Director Design, Planning & Economics, AECOM
- Gill Steward, Chief Executive, LB Bexley
- Martin Ivatt, Senior Urban Design Consultant, Essex County Council
- Alexander Jan, Director, City Economics, Arup
- Jennifer Ross, Director, Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design
- David Tittle, Head of Design Advice, Design South East
- Max Camplin, Director, Head of London, becg
More information and speaker presentations can be found here.