National Urban Design Conference 2025
Delivering Urban Design Quality for Everyone
Booking Now Open
Ipswich Waterfront | Photograph: Robert Huxford (Shared Use)
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.
Featuring powerful case studies from Ipswich and the local area, alongside examples from across the UK and beyond, we will examine innovative and practical approaches to tackle today’s challenges and create thriving towns and cities that foster well-being and opportunity for all.
Tickets
- Full conference £380 (with UDG member early bird of £235.60)
- Single day tickets £150 (with UDG member early bird of £93.00)
- Day ticket with reception and dinner £240 (with UDG member early bird £148.40)
Programme (further details and booking via Eventbrite)
Thursday 2 October (Jerwood DanceHouse)
Session 1 | Ipswich’s Urban Vision in Challenging Times
Session 2 | Making It Happen: Collaborative Mechanisms for Place Delivery
Session 3 | Design for All: Creating Inclusive Public Spaces
Session 4 | Developers and Urban Design: Bridging the Gap
Evening | Walking Tour + Christchurch Mansion Tour and Drinks Reception + Urban Design Group Annual Dinner, Council Chamber of Ipswich Town Hall
Friday 3 October (Jerwood DanceHouse)
Session 5 | Designing for a Climate Resilient Future
Session 6 | Solutions for New Towns and Urban Extensions
Session 7 | Housing and Estate Regeneration
Session 8 | The Future of the Town
Tickets – Early Bird Registration
The 2025 Conference tickets are available at the same price as last year’s conference in Plymouth (which were the same as the 2023 Conference in Sheffield).
Early Bird reductions are available until one minute after midnight on Monday 1 September 2025
Non-members – save 10 % on the standard ticket prices*. If you are not yet a member, check whether it would save you money to join the Urban Design Group. (Membership takes immediate effect on receipt of payment.) Early Bird tickets for non-members
Urban Design Group Members – save 38 % on the standard ticket prices* UDG Member Early Bird Tickets
UDG Registered Practices - save 38 % on the standard ticket prices* - you can bring any member of staff, and guests (booked by the Registered Practice) at these rates. UDG Registered Practice - Early Bird Tickets
*excludes the conference dinner and reception – which are offered at cost.
As ever, the National Urban Design Conference welcomes everyone who cares about the quality of life in out cities, towns and neighbourhoods – regardless of profession, discipline, or background. We look forward to seeing you there.
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.
Tickets
- UDG Members - Early bird rate 38 percent off until midnight 1st September
- UDG Registered Practices - Early bird rate 38 percent off - until midnight 1st September
- Standard early bird rate - 10 percent off - until midnight 1st September
- 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.
First programme announcement (further details, speakers, and timings to follow soon!)
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 + Ipswich’s Urban Vision in Challenging Times
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 and explore how the town is championing design quality even in the face of tight budgets and real-world constraints. Featuring speakers from Ipswich Borough Council, Ipswich Central and the Wolsey 550 initiative, the session shares valuable lessons for towns across the UK striving to deliver meaningful, place-led transformation.
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. Led by Rob Thompson (rtu. Rob Thompson Urbanism), speakers :
Chris King (East Suffolk Council),
Charlotte Norman (AREA Landscape Architects), and
Richard Eastham (Feria Urbanism)
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 brining 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 thoughtful design can ensure public spaces are welcoming and accessible to everyone—regardless of age, gender, ability, or socio-economic background. With insights from experts including:
Andrew Raven Savills,
Marina Milosev Beyond the Red Line, and
Dr Holly Weir Suffolk County Council, will show how everyone should and can be involved in the life of a town.
Chaired by Hannah Smart, Edge Urban Design.
Session 4 | Developers and Urban Design: Bridging the Gap
Led by Louise Thomas (TDRC and Co-editor of Urban Design), 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.
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 docouments 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; and
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 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) and David Mikhail (Mikhail Riches) 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 (Harper Perry),
Clare Wilks (LDA), and
Vicky Payne (Jas Bhalla Works)
....who will share strategies for creating town centres that are vibrant, resilient, and truly people-focused
