Make it Happen! 2026

Make it Happen brings together architects, developers, engineers, landscape architects, planners, urban designers and local authorities to explore how policy, design and delivery can work together to create successful human ecosystems - places that genuinely support how people live, work and connect.

This is the third Make it Happen! conference, celebrating people and organisations in the East Midlands who are succeeding in making a difference to the built environment and the lives people lead. 

The event combines expert speaker panels, real‑world case studies, an interactive charrette, and an end‑of‑day Jane Jacobs-inspired walk, offering both strategic insight and practical, place‑based learning.

• Panel sessions bring together planners, designers, developers and decision‑makers to discuss policy priorities, delivery challenges and opportunities for change.
• The charrette is a facilitated, interactive session where delegates work in table‑based groups to explore issues collaboratively - sharing perspectives rather than producing formal outputs.
• Case studies ground the discussion in lived examples of regeneration and development, highlighting what has worked in practice and what can be learned.
• The day concludes with a guided walk inspired by Jane Jacobs’ principles, inviting delegates to observe how places function at street level and reflect on how policy and design decisions are experienced in everyday life.

Throughout the day, discussion will focus on:

• Translating national and local planning policy into high‑quality, deliverable places
• Balancing housing delivery with social infrastructure, community hubs and local services
• Using design strategies, Section 106 and policy tools to support long‑term community wellbeing
• Understanding how density, diversity, activity and governance contribute to successful places

The structure of the day allows delegates to listen, discuss, test and observe, connecting policy ambition to design thinking and lived experience.

Whether you are shaping policy, designing places or delivering development on the ground, Make it Happen offers practical insight, shared learning and real‑world perspectives to take back into your work.

For your comfort, refreshments will be available all day on a help yourself basis with 50 minutes planned for lunch and an afternoon break. There's also ample time to network on arrival.

We are actively looking for event sponsors. Please email shona.munro@rtpi.org.uk to discuss opportunities.

Make it Happen East Midlands is brought to you by RTPI, Nottingham City Council, Urban Design Group, RIBA, Landscape Institute and Leicester City Council.

Booking - Tickets from £45  via the RTPI Website

09:00 - 9:50 Arrival, registration & breakfast refreshments
Informal networking with speakers and delegates.

9:50 - 10:00 Welcome & scene setting
Dr Laura Alvarez, Design & Placemaking Lead, Nottingham City Council.

10:00 -10:30 Keynote: Planning and design policy in practice
Megan Wilson, Vice Chair RTPI East Midlands.
An overview of national planning and design policy priorities and recent updates:
The National Planning Policy Framework, Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance, The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code; with a focus on how these policies translate into delivery on the ground.

10:30 - 10:50 RIBA Design Charrette Presentation & Awards - policy led design in practice. The RIBA East Midlands charrette is an annual architectural competition and intensive workshop bringing together architecture students from across the region to tackle real world design challenges and innovation in policy led placemaking, design quality, policy alignment and delivery considerations. Undergraduate students from across the region's five Schools of Architecture will showcase their winning responses to a one day design challenge, with the brief set by Lincoln BIG. Their task was to create a safe, welcoming space for to act as a refuge for people using the city at night and to provide a volunteer hub. Judges came from across the region to assess their work, and you will now have the chance to discover our local emerging architectural talent.

10:50 - 11:10 Masterplanning & Strategy
Paul Clarke Head of planning at Derby City Council 

11:10 - 11:30 Futureproofing Nottingham - Innovation in infrastructure delivery
Cllr Sam Lux, Executive Member for Climate and Energy, Nottingham City Council

11:30 - 12:00 Panel Discussion 1 - Delivering good places through design and policy-making
Chaired by Dr Laura Alvarez; panellists include experts across fields of expertise.
This session provides professional interpretation and critique ahead of facilitated table discussions.
The debate will enquire: how successfully policy intentions translate into design outcomes; where design quality adds value and where it constrains viability, deliverability and real world trade offs; take-aways for planners, designers and decision makers.

12:00 - 12:40 Table Discussion 1 - how can design and policy shape successful places
A facilitated focused discussion to build on morning topics looking at how design requirements and placemaking policies are interpreted across sectors; how can we challenge the limiting scope of policy and design markers; how to align local economy and blue and green infrastructure; how to secure governance, stewardship and long term outcomes.

12:40 - 13:30 Lunch & networking

13:30 - 14:40 Learning from practice 
The Fruit Market, Nottingham - An award winning inner city development of low energy custom-built townhouses with shared gardens and courtyards.

Learning from practice - New Lubbesthorpe, Leicestershire - A large scale settlement extension integrating homes, employment, shops, a school, parks and smart city technologies, and with a thriving new community.

Building Communities - Social value delivery in practice Benjamin Holden, Plunkett UK 

14:40 - 15:00 Panel Discussion 2 - Community building through good design and policies
Chaired by Megan Wilson, RTPI; panellists include experts across fields of expertise.
This session provides professional interpretation and critique ahead of facilitated table discussions.
The debate will enquire: how place design requirements and policies can support - or constrain - thriving communities; balancing ambition, viability and delivery of community hubs, local shops and social infrastructure; what needs to change to support positive long-term community outcomes.

15:00 - 15:30 Table Discussion 2 - reflections & next steps
A facilitated focused discussion to build on afternoon topics, reflecting on insights from case studies and panel discussions, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities and identifying practical actions that can be implemented in everyday practice across different sectors.

15:40 - 16:30 Guided walk - learning from the street (optional)
Comfortable footwear recommended.
An optional walk inspired by Jane Jacobs’ principles, encouraging observation of:
Street level activity and usage; density, diversity and human scale; how policy and design are experienced in everyday life.

Tickets  from £45  - Details