BRE Cities Convention

Digital technologies can help rural economies, towns and cities deliver services more cost effectively, improving the planning, design and delivery of transport, infrastructure and buildings to create healthier, sustainable, resilient and prosperous places.

Local authorities are critical for commissioning and delivering these solutions but despite significant success stories, there remains a widespread lack of knowledge, leadership and funding. Supported by real-world case studies and drawing upon the insights of experts, the conference will examine key concepts around a more data-driven built environment, public-private partnerships and cyber security.

Two back-to-back one-day conferences will explore two key areas: Cities Regeneration and Cities Infrastructure.

In addition to the conference programme BRE will be showing Smart technologies on the Innovation Park including the BIM interactive digital estate 

Day 1 – Cities Regeneration

This one day conference will explore masterplanning, social impact and transport-led regeneration, as well as the effective use of data and mapping. It will also seek to create the case for developing more sustainable and connected communities supported by effective infrastructure.

Day 2 – Cities Infrastructure

This one day conference will assess the key challenges facing urban infrastructure and explore how collaboration can better deliver projects. It will showcase digitising planning & construction, citizen engagement, connected infrastructure and managing the built environment.

When: 

Day 1 Cities Regeneration - Tuesday 27 November 

Day 2 Cities Infrastructure - Wednesday 28 November 

Where: BRE Bucknalls Lane, Watford WD25 9BA

           

Who should attend?

  • Local Authorities (including departments responsible for IT infrastructure, economic development, planning and regeneration and core services) 
  • Local Enterprise Partnerships
  • Engineering and infrastructure consultants
  • Developers
  • Masterplanners
  • Smart solutions providers
  • Development Corporations (incl. LAs, landowners, developers)
  • Public/Private Landowners
  • Main contractor
  • Planning Consultants
  • Urban Designers
  • Local Enterprise Partnerships
  • Civil engineer

 

 Why attend?

  • Understand the role of better data management to deliver better services and plan for better cities
  • Learn about public private partnerships for delivering smart projects
  • Discover how developers are embedding smart solutions at the start of projects
  • Learn about the collaboration and data sharing in  the world of construction
  • Find out about the latest government policy and infrastructure priorities
  • Learn about the key risks for city infrastructure
  • Discover the key benefits of collaborative working, including latest information about ISO 4001
  • Understand how clients are using technologies to improve collaboration
  • 6 hour per day CPD conference

 

 

 

Programme

Day 1 Cities Regeneration - Click here to download the programme

09:00

Registration & Networking
 

Welcome and Chair

John Twitchen

 

MASTERPLANNING

Major regeneration schemes are facing up to the digital challenge, embedding social and environmental outcomes and delivering better places to live, work and learn through masterplanning. This session deep dives into what’s behind the headlines and the tech, looking at the planning decisions that have to be made in order to make change happen.

09:30

Creating better places to live work and learn - the role of planning

Victoria Hills, Chief Executive, The Royal Town Planning Institute

10:00

Improve the value extracted by services using national infrastructure

Julie Alexander, Director of Urban Development and Smart Cities Lead, Siemens

 

10:30

Panel Q&A

11:00

Networking Break

 

MAPPING

Mapping and scanning to create objects and place them within a pre-existing environment such as a landscape or townscape are now must-haves for developers and planners, enabling projects to evolve through design stages and into pre-construction, reducing time and cost and improving outcomes. This session explores the leading edge of digitisation of assets, spaces and places, and how this information is being used to save vital resources.

11:30

Making smarter decisions through simulated reality

Peter Stirratt, Commercial Manager, Sensat

12:00

The road to intelligent highway management

Owain Hale-Heighway, Assistant Director, Gaist

12:30

Panel discussion:

13:00

Networking Lunch – Smart park tour

 

TRANSPORT

Major transport schemes are often at the centre of regeneration schemes, revitalising former brownfield sites or providing critical access to planned new garden town settlements. Transport is a key infrastructure requirement of regeneration projects in ensuring access to town and city centres for employees and employers alike. At the same time, Autonomous Vehicles have the potential to fundamentally change town and city centres as well as rural transport services, all explored in this session.

14:00

TBC

Amey, Speaker TBC

14:30

Impact of future transport scenarios on towns centres

Rachel Skinner, UK head of development, WSP

 

SOCIAL IMPACT

One of the major benefits of regeneration schemes - and most, if not all major developments - is the social impact delivered as a result of the investment. Benefits are not all monetary; impacts include health, environmental and wellbeing through reducing pollution, improving air quality, reduced congestion and travel time, access to employment, education or skills and in terms of community investment. These impacts and benefits should be more widely discussed with affected communities and are explored in this session.

15:00

Social impact and circular economy

Katherine Adams, Principle Scientist Research & Advisory BFG, BRE

15:30

Driving social value through major projects

Peter Cole, Associate Director, Temple Group

16:00

Panel Q&A for Transport and Social Impact

16:30

Networking Tea and coffee

16:45

End

 

Day 2 Cities Infrastructure - - Click here to download the programme

09:00

Registration & Networking
 

Welcome and Chair

John Twitchen

 

DIGITAL PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION

Digitising the planning process is now widely considered to be an essential step on the road to improving the planning process and provision of infrastructure. Capturing and utilising data is critical to efficient and effective services, and more sustainable and liveable towns and cities. The challenge in rural communities to ensure access to services is even more tangible. All this and more is explored in this session.

09:30

Digital Twins – The art of the possible

Keynote: Paul Oakley, BIM Director, BRE 

10:15

Connecting people and infrastructure

Robbie Owen, NIPA and Partner, Pinsent Masons

10:45

Reality of a Digital Built Britain

Olly Thomas, Associate Director, PCSG

11:00

Networking Break

11:30

Connecting rural communities

Chris Fuller, Economic Development Officer, Torridge District Council

12:00

Connecting people and decisions

Nick Duffin, Programme Director,Consultation Institute – include in planning and construction after Robbie

12:30

Panel Q&A

13:00

Networking Lunch – Smart homes Tours

 

CONNECTING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

It’s not all about sensors and IT standards (although these are really important!). It’s about knowing what data you’ve got, what data you need and what you’re going to do with it. Connecting people and places is growing - as is the challenge of extracting, analysing, storing and using the data. Giving buildings a personality is one way of building trust and providing a purpose to collecting data in order to improve outcomes such as energy efficiency and comfort, as is improving the efficiency and effectiveness of journey planning.

14:00

Connecting people and buildings

Susie Tomson, Sustainability Director, Entelligently

14:30

 

Martin Ganley, Director Centre for Smart Homes & Buildings, BRE

15:00

Managing the built environment

Dr Mark Brown, Development Director, Amey

15:30

 

Manchester Cities verve/ ARUP

16:00

Panel Discussion

16:30

Networking Tea and coffee

16:45

End

 

Venue

 

BRE Bucknalls Lane, Watford WD25 9BA