Digital tools for collaborative net zero placemaking
Guest blog: Natalie Record, Housing Lead at Connected Places Catapult on the critical role of systems thinking and digital tools to deliver net zero places.
At a time of declared climate emergency, the UK built environment industry is becoming ever aware of the need to transition towards the creation of net zero places (both existing and new) through a process widely known as ‘placemaking’.
For this transition to be successful, decision makers need to move beyond the market-led approach to placemaking that has been adopted since the 1980s, towards a longer-term systems thinking approach - one that recognises the complexity of the built environment and the cumulative long-term impact of placemaking decisions upon people, places and the economy.
This will help the industry to progress beyond the existing simplistic tick-box sustainability exercises which limit sustainability dimensions and social equity to secondary considerations within decision making.
Digital tools enable integrated systems thinking and data-led decision-making.
A systems thinking approach to decision making requires the use of real data to model impacts to ensure decisions maximise the prevention of environmental harm, whilst securing economic stability and social equity.
Whilst there is a wider need for built environment industry to equip practitioners and leaders with the skills to understand and analyse data to support this transition, there are a number of digital tools available today (including from the Property Technology (‘PropTech’) SME market) that leaders can harness to make data-led decisions relating to the built and natural environment without being trained as data scientists.
Digital tools can help leaders to meaningfully engage and collaborate with citizens in the pursuit of net zero neighbourhoods.
Public concern for climate change is rapidly increasing. Citizens are recognising that decisions made in relation to the built environment impact the natural environment and their futures. This is increasing the desire within communities to meaningfully engage in bottom-up and top-down built environment decision making.
There is great potential for the use of digital tools to help leaders, built environment practitioners and citizens transition towards the creation of net zero neighbourhoods across the UK.
The next step will be for willing local leaders to begin to test and pilot the integration of new digital tools in their built environment decision-making practices, integrating systems thinking and data insights to co-create long-term healthier and more resilient net zero neighbourhoods across the country for future generations.
There is also now a spotlight on national governments to provide the trusted data infrastructure that is needed for built and natural environment data sets if a data-led approach for net zero placemaking is to be sustained.
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Georgina Maratheftis
Associate Director, Local Public Services, techUK
Georgina Maratheftis
Associate Director, Local Public Services, techUK
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
Georgina works with suppliers that are active or looking to break into the market as well as with local public services to create the conditions for meaningful transformation. techUK regularly bring together local public services and supplier community to horizon scan and explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face and improve outcomes for our people and places.
Prior to techUK, Georgina worked for a public policy events company where she managed the policy briefing division and was responsible for generating new ideas for events that would add value to the public sector. Georgina worked across a number of portfolios from education, criminal justice, and health but had a particular interest in public sector transformation and technology. Georgina also led on developing relationships across central and local government.
If you’d like to learn more about techUK, or want to get involved, get in touch.
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa
Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK
Ileana Lupsa is the Programme Manager for Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, at techUK.
Ileana studied electronics, telecommunications and IT as an undergraduate, followed by an MSc in engineering and project management at Coventry University.
She refined her programme management expertise through her most recent roles working in the automotive industry.
Ileana is passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact globally through innovation.
Tracy supports several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Cyber Security, Defence, Health and Social Care, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
Alison Young is the Associate Director Local Public Services.
Alison has background in International Trade & Investment, with experience in the public, private and third sector, advising on international trade, new markets, inward investment and working closely with UK cities and regions around investment into innovation and partnerships and technology. Prior to joining techUK, she has her own consulting business and was Head of Global Investment with the Connected Places Catapult. This role had a focus on FDI around the built environment and mobility, working across NetZero mobility projects in the UK and globally. She worked closely with the Innovation Districts Group, to foster and network of knowledge sharing and helped set up the Freeport Innovation Network, to foster innovation in the context of freeports with a focus on investment.
She spent six years living and working in the Middle East, with the Department for Business and Trade. Based first in Oman, leading on a number of sectors, from Education to Infrastructure, then based in the UAE, setting up the Technology and Smart Cities sector, with a core focus on AI and Fintech.
She is passionate about economic growth for the UK, to create jobs and opportunities; the green agenda and the decarbonisation of transport. She has a degree in Russian Studies MA, from the University of Edinburgh and is currently learning Arabic.