Connected Places

In episode 16, " Accelerating the UK active travel market " we explored one of the most exciting areas of growth and opportunity within urban mobility, and why it matters so much to the Connected Places Catapult, and the future of healthy, connected and net zero places. Active travel is about creating options for us to move more. This can have a massive impact on our physical and mental health, th...

Cycles of technologies and innovations have been connecting and shaping the places where we live and work for centuries – from aqueduct and sewerage systems through to the advent of the motor vehicle, railways and the skyscraper. But the digital age has accelerated the pace of change more than any other, and it has not only brought with it a slew of new technologies, but also a profound and comple...

In this next part of our series on Hubs of Innovation, we return to the question of how innovation happens in a place. What is it about a district, a neighbourhood, or a corridor that makes it possible for innovation to flourish? And how can a deeper understanding of the innovation economy inform our thinking about how to create better connections within and between places across the UK? In this e...

If the UK is going to hit its net zero targets by 2050 we need to decarbonise across every sector of the economy – that includes shifting from fossil fuel consumption to electrification and other sustainable energy sources like hydrogen. We've made good progress on decarbonising the power sector in the UK, but more needs to be done to mainstream renewables such as wind and solar. Yet it's not just...

When we think about how places change, we often think in the short term over single business cycles, Mayoral terms or a city's immediate response to crises and formative events. But stepping back and taking the longer view can also be helpful, especially in light of the profound changes that that have shaped England's cities in recent decades. In this episode we explore the story of one of England...

The Queen's Speech this week – which sets out the UK Government's legislative programme for Parliament – promised to level up opportunities across all parts of the United Kingdom, supporting jobs, businesses and economic growth, as well as addressing the impact of the COVID pandemic on public services. Levelling up the UK economy is an ambitious vision which goes to the heart of many of the struct...

We've all had to find new and creative ways to stay connected over the last year. But one of the most important has been maintaining our digital connectivity. The pandemic has shone a spotlight on all aspects of our infrastructure. It's been a stark reminder that in the 21st Century digital connectivity, such as high-speed broadband, is just as much a critical utility for our economy as water, ele...

How does innovation happen in a place? What does it take to create and sustain an innovation hub? What is it about a district, a neighbourhood, a cluster or a corridor that makes it possible for innovation to flourish? In the 2021 Budget, the UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak MP announced a commitment "to stimulating private sector investment to create jobs, develop hubs of innovation, and revitalise loc...

Active travel is one of the most exciting areas of growth and opportunity within urban mobility - the kind of getting from A to B where your legs, arms and heart have to do their fair share of the work, rather than a massive energy consuming machine. When we think about what more active travel in places means, it's about creating more options for us to move more. This can have a massive impact on...

In this episode Prof. Greg Clark meets Paul Doney, Director of Innovation & Continuous Improvement at Highways England – the highway, traffic and street authority that manages 4,300 miles of motorways and major A-roads across England. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic the reduction in traffic volume on England's strategic road network was huge. But as the economy now starts to recover it'...

In this episode Prof. Greg Clark meets Amanda Clack, Executive Director at CBRE, one of the largest commercial real estate services companies in the world. The pandemic and its economic fallout have had a huge impact on the built environment sector. Yet if the UK is going to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it needs to urgently address the energy efficiency of its built environment; twen...

Spring is on its way and with it the hope that COVID-19 restrictions might soon be eased. Yet many weeks of uncertainty still lie ahead, resilience is wearing thin, and while we wait for better days many of us continue to work from home. Even those who can't work from home are certainly spending a lot more time at home. In this episode we ask how place leaders and city planners can help create hom...

It's easy to get caught-up in the urgent push for change, but we don't often take a step back and look at the net zero transition in the context of our history and the kind of future we imagine. Doing so can be worth our while because in many ways, we've actually been here before. In this episode we ask what we can we learn from past experience to help our transition to net-zero? How can we make s...

In this episode Prof. Greg Clark meets Daniel Deparis, Head of Urban Mobility Solutions at Mercedes-Benz. As our towns and cities become more connected, so too are the ways in which we get around them. In this episode we explore how urban mobility is changing. How will connected vehicles shape the connected places of the future. What will they need to connect to and what value can they add to the...

In this episode Prof. Greg Clark speaks to Prof. Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practise at the London Business School (LBS) and best-selling author. We'll be exploring what we need to do now if we are to live to 100. What do businesses, policy makers and place leaders need to be thinking about now as we prepare for the age of longevity? Where are the opportunities for innovation in how we...

In this episode Professor Greg Clark speaks to Lord Nigel Crisp, former Chief Executive of the NHS and an independent crossbench peer in the House of Lords. We'll be exploring the question of living a healthy life, not just in terms of avoiding sickness and disease, but creating health where we live, far away from the hospital ward. Where are the opportunities for innovation in how we imagine and...

In this episode Professor Greg Clark speaks to Andy Byford, London's Transport Commissioner about his ambitious plans for Transport for London (TfL). We'll be exploring where the opportunities lie for innovation in how we imagine, design and operate the transport systems of tomorrow? What's the role of a public transport authority in managing the post-COVID economic recovery? What now for urban mo...

What a year 2020 has been! On so many levels we've all had to pause, reflect, pivot, reimagine and rethink almost everything we do. Like many businesses we've also had to find new ways to connect digitally with our global network, and one of the new initiatives in our outreach work is our new podcast, Connected Places. So in this '2020: A Year in Review' episode we listen back on some of those con...

The pandemic has had a huge impact on our built environment, but so too has the economic fallout. Any economic recovery, whenever or however it may come, is going to rely on our ability to create physical environments where we feel safe, as well as new business models that take account of our new reality. So in this episode we'll be asking, "What now for the real estate sector?" And where might th...

If there's one place we've all been spending a lot more time in during lockdown, it's our homes. As we've been spending more time in our home, many of us have been thinking about them more too, and whether the places where we live are adding or subtracting to the quality of our lives. So this week we'll be asking, "What now for our homes and our wellbeing? And where might the opportunities lie for...

Some profound changes are happening in our city centres, and the pandemic is certainly playing a big part; activity and footfall in our shops, restaurants, and central business districts has plummeted in recent months. Yet some of these changes have been rumbling away for years – and they go to the heart of how we think about, imagine and experience the places where we live, work, travel, shop and...

As we gradually start getting back onto trains, buses, trams and tubes how will we get safely from A to B? What does the COVID-19 pandemic mean for the future of mobility within and between places? And where might the opportunities lie for new innovations that could make these unprecedented disruptions more manageable?" In this third episode of Connected Places, Professor Greg Clark speaks to TC C...

How does innovation happen in places? What does it mean for a place to be an innovation location? And how important is place when we think about the wider innovation economy, especially in the economic aftermath of a global pandemic? In this second episode of Connected Places, Professor Greg Clark speaks to Professor Peter Tyler from the University of Cambridge. We also meet Dr. Tim Moonan, Direct...

Where is the digitisation of the planning system taking us? What skills will the planner of the future need? And how is COVID-19 changing how we think about the places where we live, work and travel? In this first – extended – episode of Connected Places, Professor Greg Clark speaks to the most recent Chief Planner for England, Steve Quartermain CBE as well as the Chief Planner for Singapore, Hwan...

Welcome to Connected Places! In season 1 we'll be trying to understand what a post-COVID world means for our towns and cities, housing, real estate, planning, transport systems, and innovation economies. Join Professor Greg Clark as he speaks to leaders from around the world about the places of tomorrow.  Music on this episode is by Phill Ward Music ( www.phillward.com)