Speakers

Your vice-chair is Colin Bannon. Colin changed careers from Pharmaceutical Chemistry to Urban Regeneration over sixteen years ago and has gradually built-up qualifications and expertise in Historic Conservation, Urban Design, Planning, and Regeneration.  He currently works as Team Leader for Heritage & Projects at Brighton & Hove Council where one of his responsibilities is producing a Retrofit Planning Advisory Note for Historic Buildings.  As well as a passion for urban design and conservation, Colin has been an active member of equality and diversity boards throughout his career to help address under representation in the construction industry as well as highlight greater understanding of disabilities such as neurodiversity.  He would like to weave some of these elements into the network and the RTPI more generally.

Jas is a qualified Architect, Town Planner and Urban Designer with over 17 years of experience in regenerative masterplanning, strategic urbanism, and housing design at all scales. He is currently leading a wide range of projects, from strategic masterplans to intimate refurbishments. He has been recognised as one of the Architect Journal’s “40 under 40”, House & Gardens “Rising Stars” and is a Mayor’s Design Advocate.

As Arup’s Retrofit at Scale Taskforce Leader Helene aims to leverage Arup’s cross-disciplinary expertise in building reuse, net zero carbon strategy and urban regeneration. Heading up Arup’s UK Taskforce, Helene is addressing the challenge of retrofit to meet our net zero commitments, whilst also seeking to deliver aggregated benefits to local communities through a place-based approach. Helene has developed strong relationships across the sector, working with both central government and a number of Local and Combined Authorities as well as Housing Associations and Developers. Helene is co-leading Arup’s team within the Social Housing Decarb Fund and Home Upgrade Grant 2 Delivery Partner commission for Salix and DESNEZ.

Katy leads on the TCPA’s campaigns and promotion of garden city principles in policy, legislation, education and the arts. This involves working at all levels of government and with a wide range of public, private and third sector organisations and individuals, at all stages of planning, design and delivery. Katy has co-authored two books on Garden Cities & New Towns for RIBA Publishing and is currently leading TCPA’s work on long-term stewardship. A Chartered Town Planner with a background in Urban Design and Sustainability, Katy is also a Trustee for Planning Aid for London and the International Federation for Housing & Planning.

David Milner MEng is the Deputy Director at Create Streets and is currently leading on a wide range of strategic advice, street design, movement, masterplanning and local government engagement projects. DavidDeputy D has  researched and written about issues in urban design ‘The Bin Lorry Effect’ about how poor street design guidance leads to poorly designed places and ‘Computer Says Road’ that deconstructs how traffic models can damage the quality of new places. David sits on the Somerset Design Review panel, has advised the government’s science advisory council on transport and planning and is a member of the Academy of Urbanism and. Previously David worked for six years as an officer and pilot in the Royal Air Force. David has a Master of Engineering from Oxford University.

Vicky is a planner and urban designer with a background in illustration. She is passionate about high quality design, sustainable development and equitable places. She is experienced in engaging with the development process from policy creation to place design. She has worked on research projects, strategic spatial planning frameworks, town centre strategies and large scale masterplans for clients like DLUHC, Homes England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. She helped to develop the National Model Design Code with colleagues and national government and has co-authored a book about the future of UK high streets.