Claudia is an interdisciplinary researcher interested in city-region planning, climate change and transformative processes and has participated in over 20 national and international research collaborations. She particularly enjoys co-developing cross-disciplinary approaches (STEAM INC project) and tools such as PARTICIPOLOGY and CLIMANIA - a boardgame on climate literacy and retrofit which won the RTPI Sir Peter Hall Award for Excellence in Research and Engagement in 2023, and the Place Makers game which received the RTPI West Midlands Chair’s Award in 2018. Until mid-2025 Claudia was Professor of Environmental Governance and Planning at Birmingham City University (BCU) and Course Director for the MA Planning Built Environments. She has been a judge of the RTPI regional awards since 2020 and the national research awards since 2024.

Holly is a Heritage & Townscape Consultant at Node, based in Birmingham. She joined Node in 2024 to pursue a career specialising in the historic built environment, following 4.5 years as a Town Planner at Arup. She is skilled in writing statements of significance and is interested in how heritage assets can be integrated into modern development contexts. 

Holly is also experienced in stakeholder engagement, and was seconded as an Engagement Officer during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Holly completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Birmingham and is a Chartered member of the RTPI. She was Co-Chair of the RTPI Young Planners Committee for 2025. 

Charles Goode is an Assistant Professor in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Birmingham and is a Geographer and planner with research and teaching interests in strategic planning/regional governance, community involvement, housing supply/affordability and planning history. His ESRC-funded doctoral research focused on the Green Belt, England's housing crisis and the planning system and Dr Goode has continued to research and publish on the Green Belt in a range of practitioner and academic outlets including a Monograph by Routledge The Green Belt, Housing Crises and Planning Systems. In recent years, Dr Goode’s research has broadened to, firstly, examine the role of green infrastructure and urban greening in the repurposing of urban centres. This has involved an interdisciplinary BBSRC action research project with Sandwell Council. Secondly, the role of social infrastructure in new housing developments and moving beyond car dependency in housebuilding has also been a key area of research. This has involved industry partnership as well as funding through the RTPI

Chris is a Senior Planner at RPS in the Birmingham Planning Team. He joined RPS in 2022 and is primarily involved with major residential promotions, applications and appeals and strategic employment sites. He completed a part-time Msc in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Birmingham in 2022 and became a chartered member of the RTPI in early 2024. Chris joined the RTPI WM Young Planners committee in January 2025.

Asima is a Town Planner at Coventry City Council and is graduated with a  RTPI accredited Town Planning Degree from Birmingham City University.  She currently works in Development Management and determines a variety of different types of planning applications, she has also previously worked in the planning department at Dudley MBC.  After now completing her BSc, she will progress on to her MSc in Town Planning.  She is very driven and passionate about her career and the work she does.  Asima is a scholarship winner and a STEM Ambassador for the Millennium Point Trust in Birmingham which has given her the opportunity to inspire, encourage and connect with the younger generation and help them make career choices that make a positive contribution to their growth and the world we live in.

Dan is a chartered town planner with over 25 years' experience in local government, working in planning policy and development management, but primarily in building conservation and urban design.  During this time, he was also a part time senior lecture in the School of the Built Environment at Birmingham City University, and was a visiting teacher at the University of Birmingham for 25 years.  He now works for Homes England as a senior specialist in the Master Development & Design team.  He is involved, principally, in the agency's design quality assessment and master planning work.  

Steph completed her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Birmingham in 2013, since then she has continued to live and work in the West Midlands, making it her home with her husband, daughter and dog. Steph is a Director in Avison Young’s Birmingham Planning Team and chartered member of the RTPI with over 12 years experience. Steph advises public and private sector clients on a wide variety of instructions, including major schemes in the residential, mixed-use and commercial sectors. Steph was Chair of the RTPI’s West Midlands Regional Activities Committee in 2021 having previously been an active member of the West Midlands Young Planners Committee.