Lively discussion on the nature of modern placemaking.
Tabling industry-wide impact
A Place at the Table is our informal dinner series where change is always on the menu. A forum for industry leaders to gather, listen and be heard. Where good food—prepared by restaurants and caterers who share our values—provides the backdrop to vital conversation.
The goal—to chart a path towards industry-wide positive impact, whatever the challenges we face.
Serving up food for thought
The mood in Shoreditch’s sustainably-sourced Oliveira Kitchen was electric as developers and industry experts gathered for our A Place at the Table dinner in February 2026.
Together, we explored how food can support community wellbeing and create positive social impact.
Previous events
Social value: Beyond box-ticking
Bigmoose Coffee Co, Cardiff / 2024
The property and construction sectors have a collective responsibility to ensure our projects deliver effective and relevant social impact for local communities and future generations.Our guests discussed whether ‘social value’ is at risk of becoming the new ‘tick box’ that organisations use to market their good endeavours, how best to decide what the local need is and assess whether positive impact has been successfully delivered.
Restoring trust in decision-makers
Crafthouse / UKREiiF, Leeds / 2024
Almost every day we read that people’s trust in decision makers is at an all-time low. Is this true of the property sector and, if so, how do we fix it? Do we need to look at new ways of communicating? Are the new technologies that are starting to dominate conversations a help or a hindrance? And who can help increase trust amongst communities so that the places we deliver are welcomed? These were the topics of our lively debate at UKREiiF.
The relationship between net zero & placemaking
Footprint+, Brighton / 2023
We hosted a breakfast roundtable under the canvas at Footprint+ to discuss “The relationship between net zero and placemaking”. Hosted by our sustainability experts, the event was held in the round in front of a live, studious audience.
Designing for health and wellbeing
Minerva Wine Vineyard, Bath / 2023
As part of our Bath Wellbeing City initiative, we brought together local experts to discuss: how health and wellbeing can be embedded at a town, city or regional level; who needs to be engaged to make this a reality; and, how this intersects with the diverse needs of citizens and communities.
The rise of retrofit
The Conduit, London / BCO ESG Conference / 2023
A conversation framed around three themes: should we adopt a ‘retrofit always’ or ‘retrofit first’ approach; who is driving the increase in retrofit and ESG focussed projects; and should our social value focus start in the workplace or in the wider community.
Supporting a healthier built environment
Invest Bristol and Bath Stand, MIPIM, Cannes / 2023
With “health and wellbeing” joining “social value” and “sustainability” in the property sector lexicon of buzz words, we discussed whether putting health at the centre of placemaking can drive economic recovery and growth.Building on our recent Bath 2030 initiative that considers the reinvention of the city as one that is designed to promote health, we exploerd how these principles can be applied more broadly to support not just healthier people, but also a healthier economy.
The Great South West
Hotel Endsleigh, Tavistock / 2023
With local experts across the public and private sectors, we led conversations on how the blue economy can be harnessed to create a successful, sustainable Great South West region.We also explored the competitive/collaborative dynamic between Truro, Exeter and Plymouth and how the three cities can develop complementary identities and work together for the good of the Great South West more widely.
Leadership in placemaking
Dakota, Leeds / UKREiiF / 2023
Coinciding with UKREiiF 2023, our conversation considered the people element of placemaking. We asked who, in the absence of real leadership from central government, can and should take the lead in tackling the very real issues we face, exacerbated by the ongoing economic context, and create the places we need for a successful and fulfilling future.
The future of fifteen-minute cities
Invest Bristol and Bath Stand, MIPIM, Cannes / 2022
In partnership with Invest Bristol and Bath, we hosted a breakfast conversation around the question What does ‘quality of place’ mean in one of the UK’s most progressive regions? Discussion flowed around the fifteen-minute city model and we sought answers to the question: “how we can shape sustainable, inclusive and authentic urban centres?”
The three pillars of placemaking
Crafthouse, Leeds / UKREiiF / 2022
On the eve of the UKREiiF 2022, we gathered placemaking experts in Leeds to focus on three pillars of placemaking; community wealth building; connection; and quality conversation.
Developing models of stewardship
Oliviera Kitchen, London / LREF / 2022
Our dinner discussion ahead of the London Real Estate Forum was themed around long-term stewardship of places, addressing the questions: How can we design sustainable and resilient places? and How can we develop models of stewardship that will better prepare us for the challenges of the future?
Hosts
Thank you to the organisations who’ve joined us so far:
- 31ten Consulting
- ACAVA
- Akou
- Arcadis
- Arup
- Avison Young
- Bable Smart Cities
- Bath & North East Somerset Council
- Bibo
- Bouygues
- Bristol City Council
- Buro Happold
- Business West
- Cardiff Capital Region
- CEG
- Concept Culture
- DWGA
- Ekkist
- Fabrix
- Fourth Street
- Future of London
- Gleeds
- Homes for Cornwall
- Hydrock
- LandAid
- make:good
- New London Architecture
- North Somerset Council
- PJA
- Plymouth Sound National Marine Park
- PRD
- RLB
- Socius
- Stories
- Thornton Education Trust
- TOWN.
- Transition Bath
- Trowers & Hamlins
- United St Saviours Charity
- University of Plymouth
- Urban & Civic
- VU.CITY
- WECA
- Western Gateway
- WWA
