Urban Forecast

In this episode of Urban Forecast by Ackroyd Lowrie, we speak to Shravan Joshi, MBA, Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee at the City of London Corporation. Shravan discusses the transformative Vision 2040 framework, which redefines sustainability, heritage, and urban growth in the Square Mile. From addressing the embodied carbon of buildings to balancing modernisation with the City’s rich 2000-year history, Shravan offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to plan for the future. We explore the rise of retrofit-first strategies, the power of green finance, and the role of global collaboration in building a truly sustainable urban environment.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Vision 2040: A bold roadmap for the City of London, focusing on sustainability, heritage preservation, and economic growth.
Retrofit-First Policy: How prioritising retrofitting over redevelopment is reshaping the City’s approach to sustainability.
Green Finance & Transition Finance: Why investment is increasingly driven by environmental credentials and the rise of super-prime sustainable buildings.
Balancing Heritage with Modernisation: The unique challenge of preserving historic architecture while embracing cutting-edge development.
Post-Pandemic Reimagining: Adapting office spaces for hybrid working and integrating cultural and experiential elements to “earn the commute.”
Global Urban Learnings: Insights from cities like Paris and New York on sustainable urban regeneration and planning innovations.
Incentivising Sustainability: Why tax reforms like reduced VAT on retrofitting are crucial for driving sustainable development.
Digital Planning Revolution: How the City of London is spearheading a unified digital framework for planning across the UK.
BEST MOMENTS
“You cannot not have change. What we need is responsible change that respects both heritage and sustainability.” – Shravan Joshi
“Retrofit is no longer just policy—it’s market demand. Developers are now driving the shift towards sustainability.” – Shravan Joshi
“Vision 2040 is about growth, but growth done responsibly, celebrating our history while innovating for the future.” – Shravan Joshi
“Urban densification is not just about economics—it’s about reducing our carbon footprint and planning for long-term sustainability.” – Shravan Joshi
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Ackroyd Lowrie - http://www.ackroydlowrie.com
City of London Corporation - https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us
EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
Labour Reacts to the budget: Can we deliver £1.5 million homes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCvAcDx9e6g
Housing Crisis: Local Leaders, Bold Solutions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6EVosyQcyE
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.
CONNECT & CONTACT
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/
LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcast
Email: [email protected]

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Carolyn Steel, the visionary author behind Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World and Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives. With over 1 million views on her TED Talk, "How Food Shapes Our Cities," Carolyn delves into the intricate relationship between urban environments and the natural infrastructure needed to sustain them.
Join us as we explore how cities can integrate natural systems to create more resilient and sustainable urban spaces. We also discuss our exciting collaboration with the urban farm ‘Growing Communities’ in Dagenham, where we're developing a new visitors’ centre aimed at educating the public about the essential role of natural systems in food production. Discover how food can transform our cities for the better!
Tune in for a conversation that promises to redefine how we think about the spaces we live in and the food that sustains us.

In the third episode of our series on Co-Living, we sit down with Damien Sharkey, Managing Director of HUB, to explore how his background as an Architect allows him and the team at HUB to re-imagine the urban environment to provide high quality homes for renters and sharers across the Built-to-Rent and Co-Living Sectors. Damien reflects on his early years in his family's joinery business in Ireland, which ignited his passion for architecture. He shares insights into his transition into development, the essential skills he's carried over from his architectural background, and HUB's distinctive approach to creating quality homes across the UK
Together, we delve into the challenges and triumphs of landmark projects, including the UK's first institutionally funded build-to-rent scheme and the innovative repurposing of existing buildings in Central London to provide quality co-living homes and a new destination for the City of London.

In this captivating interview, we sit down with Matt Griffiths-Rimmer, the Director of Communications and Impact at Hadley Property Group, to explore his unique journey from being a musician in his twenties and thirties to his role working at Hadley Properties focusing on engaging with Communities and Businesses to re-imagine how Placemaking can be undertaken in Regeneration Projects.

Matt's transition from a "crazy artist" to a community advocate makes him the ideal person to negotiate the complex process of weaving creative communities into the fabric of a new development, and also makes him an ideal guest to talk about the future of cities.

In this episode we speak to Steve Smith; Founder and Director of Urban Narrative, which he set up following extensive experience working on large-scale master planning projects across the globe. Urban Narrative specialise in the very first part of a project, which Steve believes is the most important stage; setting the brief.
Steve is an expert in urban research and interactive design and his experience working on projects across Europe, Asia and Australia makes him the perfect guest to talk about how the cities of the future should be designed and what matters when working with clients on setting the direction of a project, and how successful projects should be measured.