National Urban Design Conference 2025: Urban Design Quality for Everyone

IMPORTANT -IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY BOOKING - PLEASE EMAIL ADMINISTRATION@UDG.ORG.UK

In an era of tight budgets, housing crisis, and climate emergency, how can we create great places that are vibrant, inclusive, sustainable and resilient?

This year’s National Urban Design Conference addresses this urgent question – exploring how excellence in urban design can be achieved not just in major cities which attract the lion's share of high-profile schemes and investment, but in every town and community.

Local Authorities/Public Sector/Not for Profits - Heavily sponsored tickets are available for local authority staff and students, please contact director@udg.org.uk to apply.

The Willis Building, Ipswich, one of the earliest buildings designed by Foster Associates, and built between 1970 and 1975. A tour of the building is planned for Friday evening.

Thursday 2 October

Session 1 | Welcome + Powering Place Through Youth: Ipswich’s Social Action Story

Ipswich - "the oldest continuously inhabited English town" (arguably...)

Chaired by Todd Strehlow, freelance town planner, urban designer and member of the UDG Editorial Board, the opening session will provide a welcome to Ipswich, in particular spotlighting how the town is taking taking innovative steps to involve young people in placemaking.

Featuring two pioneering initiatives, Kath Cockshaw from the Thomas Wolsey 550 project and Rebekah Warnock from 4YP - joined by young people involved in the projects - will demonstrate how Ipswich, as the UK’s first Town of Youth Social Action, is leading the way with innovative, future-focused approaches that place youth voices at the center of urban design and open up new opportunities for the next generation.

Session 2 | Making It Happen: Collaborative Mechanisms for Place Delivery

Exploring innovative approaches to collaboration between private practice, local government, and communities, this session will examine how to create places that are inclusive, sustainable, vibrant, and resilient.

Chris King (East Suffolk Council)

Charlotte Norman (AREA Landscape Architects)

Richard Eastham (Feria Urbanism)

Chaired by Rob Thompson (rtu. Rob Thompson Urbanism)

Speakers will share practical insights into what makes collaboration effective—including tried-and-tested strategies, common pitfalls, and valuable lessons for others looking to do the same.

Max Farrell (LDN Collective) and Hugo Nowell (Urban Initiatives) will also have an update on Urban Flourishing, a new initiative bringing together communities, experts and researchers to tackle today's most pressing place-based, social and environmental challenges.

Session 3 | Design for All: Creating Inclusive Public Spaces

This session explores how inclusive and thoughtful design can make public spaces truly welcoming and accessible to all - regardless of age, gender, ability, or socio-economic background. A panel of experts will discuss how communities can be empowered to shape the places they live in, and how everyone has a role to play in the life and identity of a town.

Marta Reina (Savills)

Dr Holly Weir (Suffolk County Council)

Chaired by Hannah Smart (Edge Urban Design)

Session 4 | Developers and Urban Design: Bridging the Gap

Co-chaired by Louise Thomas (TDRC and Co-editor of Urban Design) and Lucy Fineberg (Associate Urban Designer at UMC Architects), this session will build upon insights gained from our recent developer roundtables to explore the often-complex relationship between urban designers and developers. Are developers misunderstood - and are we as urban designers too quick to criticise? The session will unpack what developers really want, how urban designers can positively influence outcomes, and how to better communicate the value of place, people, and profit - the triple bottom line.

Speakers:

Mike Bodkin, TOWN

Rob Chilton, Barratt Redrow

Ioana Gherghel, AR Urbanism

Closing Keynote | The Right Honourable The Lord Deben

John Selwyn Gummer, Baron Deben, was Secretary of State for the Environment from 1993 to 1997 - a period when there were many positive changes including Planning Policy guidance on Transport, Town Centres and Retail Developments, Noise; as well as the Environmental Protection Act, and Quality in Town and Country - one of the first government documents to promote better urban design. As Chair of the UK's Independent Committee on Climate Change until 2023.

In the closing address of the conference's first day, Lord Deben will draw on his decades of experience championing climate action and environmental protection at the highest levels of government to offer his observations and suggestions for today’s leaders and policymakers.

Evening

18:00 -19:15 | Christchurch Mansion Tour and Drinks Reception

Image: Christchurch Mansion and art gallery Ipswich

Christchurch Mansion is one of Suffolk's finest and most historic houses, telling a story of evolving styles and tastes over nearly five centuries, while its at its core lies a magnificent example of Tudor craftsmanship. It is home to an important collection of art, including paintings by John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough and modern works by artists including Barbara Hepworth and Bridget Riley.

19:30 - 23:00 | Urban Design Group Annual Dinner, Council Chamber of Ipswich Town Hall

Ipswich Town Hall

Friday 3 October

Session 5 | Designing for a Climate Resilient Future

We begin the second day of the conference with a panel focused on tackling the climate emergency, chaired by Jane Manning (Allies and Morrison and Co-editor of Urban Design). Joining her are:

Rasmus Astrup (SLA, Denmark), a global leader in sustainable landscape architecture and nature-based climate adaptation.

Tara Gbolade (Gbolade Design Studio), award-winning architect and expert in net-zero design and retrofit.

Zoe Watson (Bioregional), architect and activist at Bioregional, who works across policy and practice through initiatives such Architects Declare.

Together, they will explore how design can lead the way in creating low-carbon, climate-resilient places for the future

Session 6 | Solutions for New Towns and Urban Extensions

This session tackles the big questions around how and where we build for the future - ensuring new towns and urban extensions are well-placed, well-connected, and designed for thriving communities. Led by Katja Stille (Tibbalds), it highlights the Urban Design Group’s strategic campaign for better development, Jas Bhalla (Jas Bhalla Works) on a vision for new walkable neighbourhoods and Clare Matterson (Royal Horticultural Society) looking at the vital role of gardens in creating healthy, liveable places, Geoff Burrage, ITP Haskonig looks at the foundation provided by public transport and active travel.

Session 7 | Housing and Estate Regeneration

Goldsmith Street, Norwich - Passivhaus Social Housing, Mikhail Riches

Our penultimate session delves into the complex realities of estate regeneration - exploring what actually works on the ground in places facing real socio-economic challenges. Led by Leo Hammond (Haringey Council) and drawing in perspectives from both public and private sectors, speakers including Ken Rorrison (Hackney Council), will share hard-won insights on delivering high-quality, affordable, and liveable places - whether in dense urban centres or more rural settings.

Session 8 | The Future of the Town

Over the past 75 years most towns have de-industrialised, with factories and warehouses being replaced with retail outlets and inner ring roads, while the old high streets have declined. It is a trend that has worsened with the growth of internet retail, and the stunning rise in work-from-home. The changes place a big question mark over the future of towns.

This panel will explore bold ideas and practical solutions for breathing new life into these spaces, drawing on leading thinking and inspiring examples from across the UK and beyond, from traffic and movement to inclusion, health, and heritage. Speakers include:

Andreas Markides (Academy of Urbanism)

James Perry and Claire Harper (Harper Perry)

Clare Wilks (LDA)

....who will share strategies for creating town centres that are vibrant, resilient, and truly people-focused