Placemaking now sits at the heart of almost all policy development and delivery in Scotland. It is both an objective and a process. However the cumulative resources needed to deliver effective placemaking across all Scottish project scales and geographies are significant. Where, therefore, will the funding come from to match demand? How do we reconcile the differing needs of both the public and private sectors? What will it take to move placemaking in Scotland from planning to delivery?
Scotland is not short of projects with the potential to deliver successful placemaking. However the objectives of the public sector and the challenges facing the private sector often conflict, threatening to limit placemaking at scale. The public sector expects the highest environmental standards and quality of public realm, driven by the need to support sustainable and successful communities while driving for net zero. Developers increasingly argue that development is now becoming too expensive to do with all the add-ons required by policy and sought during development negotiation.
Can the Scottish Government and the Scottish public sector put more resource on the table to draw the private sector into investing? The public sector balance sheet is not strong. Is it possible for Scottish Government investment to be more tailored, joined-up and coherent across sectoral, service and project boundaries?
This conference looks at what it will really take to deliver on Scotland's placemaking potential. It considers the key factors to be addressed across national and local government and the role of other agents and players. It reflects on the challenge of ensuring placemaking projects are not thwarted by silo practices in how budgets, policy and decision making are controlled by various partners.
The conference examines these challenges in three sessions:
Topics to be discussed
Executive Director of Place
City of Edinburgh Council
Director of Sustainable Economics
Ramboll Group
Managing Director of Development, Europe
Nuveen
Chief Executive
Austin-Smith:Lord
Paul Lawrence
Executive Director of Place
City of Edinburgh Council
Paul’s responsibilities include planning, housing, transport, regulatory services and environment, as well as economic development and culture. Paul joined the Council in late 2015. Previous to this, Paul was Corporate Director for Place at Stockport Council – one of the ten local authorities in the Greater Manchester city region, with a similar range of responsibilities. Paul started his working life in the cultural sector, before being appointed as Head of Cultural and Economic Development at Newcastle City Council in 2000.
Stef O'Gorman
Director of Sustainable Economics
Ramboll Group
Stefanie is the Director of Sustainable Economics. She specialises in the integration of a wide range of costs and benefits within decision making and supporting clients with strategic decision making for a more sustainable, inclusive society. Stefanie’s consulting experience (supported by academic training in environmental management, natural sciences and economics) spans the planning, technical delivery, and management of policy and infrastructure projects. As an environmental economist she has a deep knowledge of climate science, natural resource use, ecosystem services and natural capital, circular economy and more widely the principles and practices of sustainability, in its widest sense. Most recently she has focused on the economics of cities and urban settlements with a view to delivering valuable and tangible social and environmental outcomes through improved design and delivery of infrastructure, the creation of investable propositions, alongside significant stakeholder, community and third sector engagement. Her work in this area concentrates on environmental and social outcomes and how to support client in making ‘better’ decision.
Martin Perry
Managing Director of Development, Europe
Nuveen
Martin is director of development for Nuveen Real Estate, specialising in large scale, retail led, mixed use development, and is responsible for management of developments in the UK and across mainland Europe. In particular, Martin is responsible for the Edinburgh St James regeneration project.
Martin joined the company in 2006 as a development manager, following a career in architecture, master planning and development after studying and tutoring in Oxford. Over his career he has been responsible for taking over 15 million sq. ft. of retail led floorspace through the planning system, as well as working on the delivery of three shopping malls and numerous individual buildings both in the U.K. and internationally. Martin has worked on the master planning and development management of two new town centres , numerous city extensions and regeneration projects as well as a number of retail refurbishment projects in the U.K. He has specialised throughout his career on retail led, mixed use with a particular focus on financially and socially sustainable environments.
Martin is also a member of the British Council of Shopping Centres and a qualified Architect and Urban Designer. He won the Individual Contribution Award at the 2017 Scottish Property Awards for his role in the development of Edinburgh St James.
Graham Ross
Chief Executive
Austin-Smith:Lord
Graham joined Austin-Smith:Lord in 1998 having studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Technische Universität Berlin, graduating with Masters in both Architecture and Urban Design.
Graham is an Executive Director of Austin-Smith:Lord. As an architect, urban designer and planner, he has been involved in a wide range of projects throughout the UK and Ireland.
Graham is a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, an Academician of the Academy of Urbanism, a Recognised Practitioner of the Urban Design Group and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Graham has contributed to several published pieces of research undertaken for the Scottish Government. His work has received numerous awards, including five Scottish Design Awards.
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