Led by CIHT London, this hybrid event will be held in person in Arup's London office and virtually on Microsoft Teams. The event will explore how towns can be reimagined to satisfy the evolving needs of their communities.
This event will be a hybrid meeting, taking place in person in London as well as virtually. Food and drink provided, with opportunities for discussion and networking after the presentation.
Town Centers have historically played a key role as spaces where retail, entertainment, leisure and public services would coalesce. With sprawling communities, the ability to travel longer to access services (predominantly relying upon the private car), and now the rise of digital lifestyles, many town centers have struggled to maintain their historic roles. The Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency and increasing calls towards social equity goals are shaping our demands for public spaces. We have changed as a society, and so must our town centers.
This presentation will cover our initial thoughts on the future of Town Centers and how they could be reimagined to satisfy the needs of a 21st Century populace. Highly accessible mixed use and flexible places where communities gather, and local economies thrive, accessed safely by sustainable, accessible transport modes are likely to thrive in this new environment. Where regeneration is taking place, the use of new engagement tools (including digital) should allow local people to actively participate in shaping the evolution of spaces and therefore, allow everyone to feel welcome. As our communities are continuously evolving, this is also an evolving conversation rather than a prescriptive answer to the challenges our town centers face.
Anyone with an interest in Town Centers, transport planning and the integration between place and movement. This is aimed to be an open debate and conversation about the future of our civic spaces, therefore we are aiming to engage with people from a variety of backgrounds.
Rob is a Chartered Transport Planner and Associate Director at Arup in London with a proven track record of delivering both large and small scale transport projects in the public and private sectors. A versatile project manager and respected industry expert, Rob has a breadth of experience across transport planning, including in active travel infrastructure design, Masterplanning and development planning, pedestrian modelling and strategy and policy development. Rob’s current key focus is implementing local and global best practice to assist regional and local authorities to develop active travel strategies and policies that contribute positively to an environment where healthy, active modes of transport are prioritised.
Liani is a Planner specialized in inclusive urban mobility, active travel, transport decarbonisation and place-based development that is considerate to the local context whilst acknowledging wider strategic plans and political dynamics. She has experience working in projects in the UK and abroad as well as background studies in Population and Territory (Universidad Catolica del Peru) and Urban Planning, Design and Management (UCL).
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