Make it Happen 2025! - Housing - Regeneration - Active-Design - SuDS and more..

Make it Happen is an East Midlands based partnership between the Urban Design Group, RTPI, RIBA and the Landscape Institute, created to celebrate successes and best practice.

The ‘Make it Happen’ Conference aims to throw a positive light onto the gloomy ambience in our industry. We will be bringing the public and private sectors, communities and academia together to listen to exceptional key speakers from across the built environment. It will be lots of opportunity to network with colleagues from across the UK and to get our heads together to debate viable, constructive avenues for positive change.

After the successful first event last year, we are returning this year to focus on housing, with a special emphasis on creating happy communities through effective planning, design and development. We will explore the benefits of mixed-use development in cities, aiming to make them more desirable places to live for families and community-driven residents. Additionally, we will discuss the possibilities of re-purposing and densification to craft more inclusive residential spaces. There will be plenty of time for audience questions and participation to ensure you make the most of these excellent contributors and your fellow built environment professionals.

Make it Happen East Midlands Conference Schedule

MORNING SESSION: Housing Policy Updates National and Regional

09:30 Breakfast Welcome - Registration & Refreshments 

09:55 Open Note - Chair Laura Alvarez

10:00 ‘Better Cities - Make it Happen’ Sir Peter Soulsby 

10:10 Homes England Update Dan Roberts, Homes England 

10:35 Place Advocacy within the East Midlands  Dr. Stefan Kruczkowski & Mark Fennell Charnwood Borough Council

11:00 Tackling Inequality in Housing Design Quality - Wendy Clarke Place Alliance /UCL

11.25  Panel Discussion and Q&A

11:55 Morning Comfort Break/Leg Stretch

12.10 RIBA East Midlands Design Charette - Three shortlisted teams made up of RIBA Future Architects from Schools of Architecture across the region will present their innovative urban housing concepts for Nottingham, focusing on sustainability, shared ownership, and night-time access management. The winning team will then be announced with prizes given.

12:45 Lunch & Networking including chance to liaise event sponsors & digital rolling showcase of student housing design competition entries 

AFTERNOON SESSION: Projects in Practice

13:30 Applying The 10 Principles of Active Design Owen Reading, David Lock Associates

13:45 Biodiversity Net Gain Initiatives Shona Hatton & Sara Boland of Influence Design landscape designers Addressing BNG remits and apply this to your projects & perspective from ecologist & John Bristow; Senior Nature Conservation Officer - Leicester City Council.

14:05 Designing Places with Water - How to Make SuDS Magic Happen Using a CAPE  David Singleton, Environmental Consultant

14:25 Regeneration with geology in mind  Darren Beriro  from the British Geological Survey. 

14:45 Making Cities Desirable to Live - John Morgan, Director, Leonard Design and John Forkin MBE, MD of Marketing Derby and Derby City Lab - Exploring the benefits of mixed-use development in cities, aiming to make them more desirable places to live for families and community-minded residents.

15:05  Interactive Panel Discussions.

15:40 Closing Remarks

There will be ample opportunity for networking. Refreshments and lunch are provided.

 

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Venue 

The event will take place Wednesday 7 May 2025, upstairs at Cleaver & Wake at  The Island Quarter – a £1.3 billion 36-acre regeneration site that is central to Nottingham’s sustainable growth. The venue is an award-winning piece of architecture, the ideal place to host an event like this. 

Accessibility

Cleaver + Wake is based in Nottingham City Centre at the The Island Quarter | Getting Here

• There are several car parks near to the venue.
• Nottingham Railway Station is a 5-minute walk away.
• The venue is directly accessible via taxi.

 If you have access needs, please contact shona.munro@rtpi.org.uk, to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. 

 

Please note there are also a limited number of FREE tickets allocated to students, Nottingham City Council and Leicester City Council employees. Please email shona.munro@rtpi.org.uk to register your interest. 

Catering 

Welcome refreshments and lunch will be provided. if you have any dietary requirements (vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meals as standard) such as Kosher or Halal please contact shona.munro@rtpi.org.uk.

 

Sponsors TBC to sponsor please email shona.munro@rtpi.org.uk