"Totally on point": Festival of Place crowd share the best talks and experiences from the day

 

Other popular talks highlighted as favourites included Yes Ball Games, a session by Dinah Bornat on the need to make space for play in urban developments.

Martin Knight, Co-founder of Studio Knight Stokoe named the session as a personal highlight, especially Bornat’s challenge, ’Why are streets just about the moving adult?’

 

"Dinah Bornat’s great work on the importance of play cuts across it all," writes Kate Brown, Head of Strategic Communications at HUB. "Creating safe spaces near our homes for children (and adults) to be outside, spending time together, taking exercise, with cars (and pollution) discouraged and nature (and biodiversity) encouraged – building communities and improving health. Maybe if we just focused on that, everything else would start to fall into place?"

Maribel Mantecon, architect and Senior Associate at HTA Design also attended Yes Ball Games and says: "Too often, ’low impact neighbourhoods’ are framed around cycling alone. As one speaker put it, it can feel like men arguing with men. What if we centred the needs of children instead?"

 

The feminist places session was highlighted by Kirsten Henly, Chief Executive at Kingston First as a standout session, "an excellent panel with a considered balance of insights, experiences and discussion." 

 

 

Some attendees noted the palpable sense of collective purpose among delegates, chairs, and speakers alike with facilitators fostering questions and enriching discussions of urban health, spatial justice, feminist planning, inclusive design, climate resilience, and affordable homes.

"There’s something powerful about stepping into a room full of people who all care deeply about the places we live, work and gather," writes Leo Cheung, Senior Landscape Architect at Tyler Grange. "It was inspiring to hear from individuals and organisations who are not just talking about change but actively contributing to it."

 

James Blower, Senior Urban Designer at Macfarlane + Associates described the event as a "modern ’conference’ which always breathes new life into conversations about the most poignant issues facing the built environment."

 

Others noted the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. Reflecting on her experience at the Festival of Place, Roussel-Tyson says she felt "a strong sense of comfort in being able to show up authentically, even with a newborn in my arms."

 

Richard Blackwell, Architect, highlights that “the loose-fit, relaxed confines of the venue invited the sense of a jamboree, and whilst the content may not have been all celebratory, the multiple stages and breadth of topics on the agenda, had festival connotations.”

 

 

Several attendees also mentioned they enjoyed the walking tours put on by Festival of Place sponsor Quintain of the surrounding development. Other sponsors of the Festival of Place included Civic, who hosted a popular workshop taking a systems approach to urban design, and Vestre who sponsored a trip-chaining workshop hosted by Dr Julia King, Social Place. 

Discussions lasted long beyond the close of the final session with reflections and ideas at the centre of the evening conversation. Attendees said left the venue with renewed energy and commitment to transform places for the better and for everyone. 

 

"My key takeaway is that we all have a responsibility and need to do more to help create truly inclusive and equitable, intergenerational spaces, whether through our day-to-day practices or in our lives outside of work. Genuinely listening to, seeking to understand and appreciating the value of lived experiences is absolutely essential," says Knight.

 

For Harpriya Matharu, Urban Designer at Iceni Projects, the imperative to create feminist spaces was a key takeaway: "Everyone has a role to play in creating safer places for women and girls; it is a shared responsibility." 

 

Joe Arthur, Senior Development Manager at Wates Group also highlighted safety for women, saying, "We can all play a role in designing public spaces which make women feel safer. It is so depressing that in 2025, particularly women, are not feeling safe enough to enjoy parks and public areas to socialise or exercise and, as a result, are missing out on these opportunities."

 

Christine Murray, Director, Festival of Place thanked the speakers and the chairs, "It takes courage to stand on stage and tell us what you really think, and take questions from the audience. Your candour, expertise and generosity are inspiring. Workshop leaders and walking tours – thank you for so effortlessly bringing people together to make new connections and sparking conversations between future partners, clients, colleagues and friends. What a day showcasing the creativity and passion of professionals in the built environment.”

Find out more All 7 sessions from Town Hall/Beatbox stage are now available to watch back in our talks library. Tickets are on sale now for Festival of Place 2026 at the 2025 rate. Get yours now at this limited time offer. Join the conversation - Get in touch to connect with peers, share your festival takeaways and help shape the 2026 agenda.