Shaping Cities

Cities of tomorrow – can the law keep up?

Our urban environment is evolving. Shaping Cities, our series of thought leadership discussions on smart cities, looks at the impact of technology on the built environment and the changes this is having on our interaction with the law.

Sustainable Solutions for the City of Tomorrow

A panel discussion, moderated by Property Week editor Liz Hamson, looking at how the real estate and construction sectors can help to turn the tide on climate change. Our panel discussed the concept of the '15-minute city', the growing use of sustainability-driven technology in the built environment, and how sustainable buildings will change the way cities are built and operated in the future, as well as the impact of changing regulation and legal requirements within this sphere.

The Future of Mobility

From driverless cars and on-demand public transport to drone deliveries and magnetic motors, technology is rapidly changing the way we move both people and goods. The landscape for transport and logistics will dramatically change over the next few years. In turn this will have a huge impact on London's infrastructure and our built environment. Kicking off with a keynote address from Heidi Alexander, Deputy London Mayor for Transport, this panel event in June 2019 looks at the future of intelligent mobility, the technology that fuels it, and the changes this is having on our interaction with the law.

The Changing Face of Retail

Digital technologies have transformed the shopping experience. Some of the world's biggest retailers have little physical space, and retail is now as much about understanding customer data as it is about creating a brand experience. Our roundtable discussion in December 2018, co-hosted with New West End Company, looks at the impact of disruptive technologies on the retail environment. Chaired by Retail Week's executive editor George MacDonald and with an introduction by McKinsey, the discussion stretches from market trends and innovations, to the reshaping of our high streets and shopping centres, through to the way in which we use and protect data.

Cities of Tomorrow

What does the future city look like and how will our behaviours need to adapt to stay ahead of technology? This panel discussion in April 2018 looks at the ways in which our evolving urban environment is changing our interaction with data and regulation. With a keynote address from Arup Foresight, speakers provided insight into key trends for urban demographics, insight-driven infrastructure and autonomous urban systems, and how landowners such as Transport for London are deploying smart technologies to commercialise their large urban portfolios.