Social Impact 2026: Speakers announced

T his year’s Festival of Place: Social Impact 2026 event is focussing on delivering above and beyond – from health to services, spatial justice to inclusive architecture – as it seeks to support learning on making a measurable and positive place-based impact through the built environment.

Speakers have been announced and learnings include how to measure and generate impact beyond the project you’re delivering – whether that’s affordable housing, retrofit or community spaces. 

 

The annual event is a live streamed digital conference over two lunchtime sessions, running from 2-3 February on Airmeet between 11am-3pm. Tickets are on sale while organisation members attend free.

 

2026 Speakers:

 

Monday 2 February 

 

Agenda

 

Monday 2 February

11:00: Retrofit: The wider impact beyond building performance

Evidence shows that many of the benefits of retrofit are social and health related, including improved comfort, reduced damp and mould, and better wellbeing, yet these outcomes are rarely captured or valued. This session presents key recommendations to broaden how success in retrofit is defined with Sara Edmonds, National Retrofit Hub

 

12:00-12:50: Beyond homes: Delivering social impact

Affordable housing delivers a significant positive social impact – but can it do more? How can housing development deliver a wider benefit – and how can this be measured and quantified? with Shaun Holdcroft, Legal & General Affordable Homes

 

13:00-13:50: Diverse students diverse spaces: How taste, function and spatial comfort impact diversity

What is the role of design in promoting broader engagement and better attainment? The report Diverse Students Diverse Spaces by Hawkins\Brown draws on insights from 1,000 first-year university students. The surprise outcome? We need to rethink open-plan spaces with Xuhong Zheng and Hazel York, Hawkins\Brown

 

14:00 - 14:50: Rights to place: Delivering spatial justice in UK cities

Where we live shapes how we live – determining our access to quality housing, clean air, parks, cultural opportunities, and influence over decisions that affect people’s daily life. How can spatial justice be strengthened? Based on research, this session provides practical starting points for policy officers, elected leaders, and built environment practitioners – with Cllr John Merry, Chair of Key Cities, Deputy Mayor, Salford City Council and Holly Lewis, We Made That

 

Tuesday 3 February

 

11:00-11:50: Health in place: Learning from Liverpool Green Lanes

How can we support people to live and age well in the city? The Liverpool Green Lanes project focusses on creating wellness by integrating health, wellbeing, culture, learning, sustainable retail and urban ecology with Paul Bell and Lois Sykes, Ryder architecture

 

12:00 - 12:50: Community spaces: The key to regeneration without gentrification?

Can community spaces mitigate the impacts of gentrification? The answer is maybe – with the right support to achieve their potential with research by Dr Alice Earley, University of Glasgow

 

13:00-13:50: Developing for London’s future

Graeme Craig, Chief Executive, Places for London will be speaking about how   TfL, one of London’s largest landowners, and its independent development arm Places for London are on a mission to meet the growing needs of the city

 

14:00-14:50: What young people want: Social and cultural infrastructure for teens and adolescents

Young people want activated, inclusive and safe spaces – but what does this mean in practice, and where? Dr Miriam Burke and Dr Katherine Stansfeld from the London Development Trust present research undertaken with young people aged 12-20 in England, Scotland and Wales