The Future Urban Ventilation Network (FUVN) is a new UKRI funded research network, under the SPF Clean Air Programme, that brings together researchers and practitioners across the UK to develop a new “Breathing City” methodology to manage exposure to air pollution by considering the airflows between indoor and outdoor environments.

The aim of Breathing City is to define a new integrated health evidenced approach to urban building design and technology innovation for vulnerable groups, by understanding how airflows transport pollutants in indoor and urban environments. The network brings together research and practice expertise across multiple disciplines with common interests in urban airflow, building ventilation, air quality and health.

To find out more, join us for the project launch on Monday 18th January 2021, 10-4pm. Professor Cath Noakes, will provide an overview on the project. We will be joined by expert speakers and panellists to share a variety of perspectives on the topic and to be involved in a lively Q&A discussion.

10.00 - 12.00 Welcome and Context

Four invited speakers will set the scene for the network and the challenges of air quality and health in the built environment:

• Professor Sir Stephen T Holgate CBE, FMedSci. MRC Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, University of Southampton. UKRI Clean Air Champion and Special Advisor to the RCP on Air Quality.

• Dr Sani Dimitroulopoulou. Principal Environmental Public Health Scientist – Indoor Environments, Air Quality and Public Health. Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Dept, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. Public Health England

• Professor Alan Penn. Professor in Architecture and Urban Computing, University College London. Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and on the UK government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Professor Paul Monks FRMetS, FRSC. Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry and Earth Observation Science, University of Leicester. Chief Scientific Adviser for the government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

13.00 - 14.15 Network Themes

We will introduce the key themes within the network with interactive sessions for participants to feed in key challenges and questions to support the development of the network.

14.45 - 16.00 Panel discussion

Our expert panel drawn from research and practice will consider “Priorities for future buildings and urban spaces" and address some key questions: how can we capture the multiple challenges for buildings including wellbeing, disease, air quality, energy, climate, noise?; what are the lessons learned from COVID that will shape our buildings for the future?; what evidence do we need to support new approaches embedded into strategic/policy planning?

Panel: Hywel Davies (CIBSE), Irene Gallou (Fosters+Partners), Elizabeth Shove (University of Lancaster), Lena Ciric (UCL), Helen ApSimon (Imperial).