Home

 

Welcome to the Edge

Stimulating Interest in Built Environment Policy | Edge Debate

 

the Edge biannual report

the Edge has published a report on its activities over the last two years - from July 2021 to July 2023

Download here

Latest

Futurebuild 2024 Conference 5th - 7th March 2024 ExCel, London

Curated by the Edge

Take a Stand for Change: Collaborate for a Just Transition

The three day Futurebuild 2024 conference explored some of the big, interrelated issues that we all need to engage with; including housing, retrofit at scale, delivering buildings that really are net zero carbon, mending the planning system, valuing water as a resource, having the education that we need, restoring nature, how the industry should handle AI and how do young professionals envision their futures

Hear from the movers and shakers in the industry, in politics and in education in the embedded videos of the sessions

DAY ONE Pathways to Change - the first day focuses on the need for assured action on housing, retrofit, buildings fit for the future, safe products and overcoming the systemic barriers to climate change

DAY TWO Levers for Change - 2024 is an election year. What policies for net zero and nature recovery should industry put forward to move the dial from talking to doing?

DAY THREE Sharing Visions for Change - How can we stimulate and encourage the degree of change needed? Education, AI, local actions to lead the future and getting net zero right.

Edge Roundtable 153 on the Costs and Impacts of Delays to Critical Infrastructure

the Edge, in collaboration with the NIC and ICE is running a, by invitation only, Round Table discussion to address the question of the costs and risks associated with delaying the implementation and maintenance of critical infrastructure in the UK . The session will lay out, examine and test examples of the available evidence in order to make proposals for positive change in the sector.

READ MORE

Edge Roundtable 152 on Net Zero in Local Plans

A Roundtable of leading experts was brought together by the Edge to discuss to help DLUHC to answer difficult questions: are Local Plans a useful vehicle to deliver net-zero objectives; can they quantify net-zero outcomes; can they bring the private sector and communities along the road to net-zero? If so, how best can we use them to tackle the climate emergency?

READ MORE

Edge Debate 151 - Leadership for Sustainability in the Built Environment, 13th July 2023 - 14.00 - 18.30 Woburn House WC1H 9HQ

This in-person event aims to bring together heads and directors of sustainability from the leading organisations in the built and natural environment sector; including property owners and developers, designers and consultants, contractors and managers; to discuss developments in meeting sustainability goals in practice, share ideas and highlight innovative practice. 

READ MORE

 

Edge Debate 150 - Built environment policy: implementation lessons,

Postponed

The recent ‘Policy Proposals for the Built and Natural Environment’, published by the Edge provides a clear, holistic and ambitious set of ideas and strategies for “tackling the poorly performing built environment sector” to policy-makers - particularly in relation to the urgency surrounding global heating and biodiversity loss.

Read more

Edge response to The Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the Built Environment, RICS Professional Standard, 2nd Edition consultation 

Download response

Edge response to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Reforms to National Planning Policy, 2nd March 2023

Download Response

Futurebuild 2023 Conference 7th - 9th March 2023 ExCel, London

Curated by the Edge

The Futurebuild 2023 Conference is about ‘taking a stand’: looking forward, making a change and taking action.

DAY ONE focused on Looking Forward to develop the foresight necessary to break out of our current mindset, for as William Catton has explained – “we tend to seek adaptation to the circumstances we presently confront, not the circumstances posterity will face.”

DAY TWO explored the nature of Changing and especially ‘behaviour change’. We know that an urgent transition is required but how can we make the necessary changes? What does the transition involve? How can we bring others along with us?

DAY THREE moved on to Taking Action, hearing from those who have been doing just that and exploring plans that can take society and the construction industry forward

Edge Debate 136 - Housing Adaptability - 27th February 2023

More than (but essential to) climate issues? - Online

In 2022, the refereed journal Buildings & Cities (B&C) published a Special Issue, Housing Adaptability, guest edited by Sofie Pelsmakers and Elanor Warwick https://www.buildingsandcities.org/journal-content/special-issues/housing-adaptability2.html - all papers are freely available.  This joint Edge and B&C event will use the Special Issue as the basis for an in-depth examination of the need for housing adaptability and the barriers to its provision. Read more

the Edge has published a set of

Policy proposals for the built and natural environment - December 2022

In the document the Edge attempts to set out actions it believes are required to tackle the twin emergencies of vlimate change and biodiversity loss. Proposals range from reform the basis of the economy itself, so that it rewards good practice and actively discourages bad, to more industry-specific proposals including the planning, procurement and regulatory systems that impact almost all buildings in the UK; whether existing, under construction or proposed. We have aimed for policies that transform everyday places and ordinary lives. Read more

the Edge has responded to:

BEIS Net Zero Review - 27th October 2022

“Net zero provides a clear long-term policy environment that will generate beneficial economic activity and growth through a much needed decarbonisation programme that reduces both demand and cost. This will, in turn, produce much sought after exportable skills and trade opportunities for UK service providers. “ Read more

Edge Debate 135 - Heritage & Net Zero: A wicked problem? 17th October 2022

 In England alone there are over 400,000 listed buildings as well as many hundreds of thousands more in over 10,000 conservation areas and areas identified as being of particular national and local significance. Do the priorities of development and decarbonisation of such buildings need to be adjusted in the light of the climate emergency, the need for more homes and rising fuel costs and fuel poverty?  Read more

Edge Debate 134; Future Cities: What will City 2040 look like? October 6th

In 2021 the Edge published City 2040: an investigation into the future of UK cities carried out in collaboration with Taylor Wessing and UCEM. On October 6th, a much delayed launch was held for the report with a session chaired by Philip Georgiadis of the Financial Times. - Read more

Edge Education Roundtable #133 - 30th June 2022, 16.30 - 18.30

Are new entrants to built environment courses adequately informed and prepared for the climate and ecological challenges that they will be dealing with in both their training and careers? Read more

The Big Issues Webinar Series

Following on from the conference programme at Futurebuild 2022, the Edge has curated a series of sessions highlighting some of the big issues that we are all probably aware of, but tend to put to one side as too difficult to resolve. These sessions interrogate these issues in the light of proposing solutions.

the Edge has responded to the

House of Lords Inquiry into Land Use in England

April 2022

Read more

The Edge has responded to the

Second National Infrastructure Baseline Report

February 2022

Read more

Max Fordham in 2018

Max Fordham 1933-2022

The Edge is sad, if proud, to remember Max Fordham, an early and much cherished member, who died on the 4th January 2022.

Max was one of the great original engineers who re-thought the practice of building services engineering from first principles, regularly.  He set up in practice with his wife in their kitchen in 1966 and turned it a cooperative in 1973 with members being multidisciplinary. His knowledge, understanding and breadth of interests is legendary as is recounted in the many tributes on the practice website https://www.maxfordham.com/.  We were delighted when he joined the Edge in 2002 where he sparked many an Edge debate; he resigned in 2018 in a typically Max-like email:

“I am pleased to be described as an emeritus member of the edge. As I get older I do not become less opinionated, but I do get slower, and I am not able to keep my correspondence up to date. Originally the Edge was intended to introduce a disruptive view of the construction industry. Then it became more structured in order to enable more influence. I was disappointed by this change but accept its validity. I do not feel that I have the time or energy to keep a flow of disruptive ideas into the edge debate. Regretfully I think I should retire from the Edge.”

See the Guardian obituary at https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/14/max-fordham-obituary

Community Needs Index map

Edge Debate #118

Exploring levelling up Roundtable

10th december 2021

the Edge in collaboration with the Planning Team at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has held an Expert Roundtable to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in delivering the levelling up agenda across the UK - read more

 
Are we ready image.jpeg

Futurebuild EngagemeNT sessions:

Are we ready for COP26?

Session 1: Engaging better with politics and economics for rapid change

9th September 2021 12pm 

The first session in the COP26 webinar series, sponsored by ACO and curated by the Edge, takes place on Thursday 09 September at 12 pm (BST). Facilitated by Baroness Kate Parminter, this session asks 'How do we get joined-up working across government?' with Charles Secrett, Dr Kathrine Trebeck and Maria Smith. For more information on the sessions and the speakers and to register for free please visit the website.

Session 2: Engaging to protect and enhance the natural environment now

23rd September 2021 - 12.00pm

There is more than sufficient evidence about the impact of climate change and the decline in biodiversity. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. We are misusing our natural resources with the intensification of agriculture, pollution of our rivers, serious decline in all species and most critically our pollinators. The Committee on Climate Change Third Climate Risk Assessment published in June 2021 made it very clear that while mitigation is needed to reduce further emissions, we also need adaptation to handle the greenhouse gases already ‘baked in’ to the atmosphere. But adaptation and mitigation have not been successfully integrated to date across government policy. It is clear that we will need standards and regulations to achieve the degree of change needed. What else should we do? To register for free please visit the website

Session 3: Engaging with climate change – you are already the answer

07th October 2021, 12.00 pm

In a recent article, Tim Harford commented that the climate crisis would not be solved without adopting policies and norms that change the behaviour of businesses, local governments and individuals. In Humankind: A Hopeful History Rutger Bergman’s proposition is that human beings are mostly decent and research has shown that about 70% of people in the UK support action on climate change. But what actions? What changes? To what extent will be we change our values to achieve the necessary transformation needed? How should we present the urgency of our situation to inspire action with the agency needed? Time to rethink how we take on our individual and professional responsibilities engaging with climate change? To register for free please visit the website


It's time to rethink how we can all engage to deliver the transformational political-economic changes needed for a better future for all!

Futurebuild header cropped.jpeg

the Edge has been the guest Editor for August 2021’ s Futurebuild Industry insider Newsletter

see here


the Edge has issued its second Institutional Reporting Review covering the transparency of information made available in institutions’ 2019 and 2020 Annual Reports (and occasionally other material). The information has been assessed against the Institutional Best Practice Reporting Standard published in 2019. The result has been a mixed bag with many institutions improving on their previous reporting but with a handful falling back or not reporting at all. - read more or go to publications page

City2040 Banner.jpeg

8th July 2021

City 2040, the Edge’s research project developed in collaboration with Taylor Wessing and University College of Estate Management, sets out a vision of how UK cities can flourish amid changes that will benefit both the environment and the wellbeing of citizens - read more

carbon-zero-front-cover-w300h200.jpeg

17th June 2021

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) working in close collaboration with the Edge has launched Carbon Zero: the professional institutions’ Climate Change Action Plan, signed by 29 industry organisations and professional institutions - download here

The Action Plan is the latest output from the process the Edge started in June 2019 when it held its Climate Action Roundtable


16th March 2021

The first Edge Conversation, featuring Professor Dieter Helm in discussion with Dame Fiona Reynolds and Shaun Spiers, will take place on the 16th March - see here

28th January, 2021

the Edge has submitted its responce to the MHCLG consultion on Supporting housing delivery and public service infrastructure

Sign up to Edge Debate 112 - Zero carbon: Can UK built environment education deliver? 1st February 2021

In the autumn of 2020 the Edge ran a series of discussion events in its City 2040 series

  1. Equity and Exchange - 16.00-17.30 17th November

  2. Public and Private Land - 16.00-17.30 24th November

  3. Clustering and Proximity - 16.00-17.30 1st December

  4. The Impact of Clean Air - 16.00-17.30 8th December

On 16th February 2021 there will be further debate to bring these four themes together - see Edge Debate 113: The future of the city 2040

29th October, 2020

the Edge has submitted its Response to the ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper

16th October, 2020

Combining Productivity and a net-zero resilient recovery - the Edge has been developing a series of position papers that it has been exploring with government departments, industry bodies and campaigning groups for delivering a recovery in the construction industry capable of achieving a net-zero carbon future.

30th September, 2020

Edge Debate #100 - the Edge held a Future Planning Roundtable with senior members and advisors to the Ministry of Communities, Housing & Local Government (MHCLG) on the subject of the Planning White Paper to discuss issues of digitisation and planning codes.

Upcoming debates

recent Debates

(Scroll all the way down for our archive)

Follow us on Twitter

Recent Blog Posts

 

Browse our archive below