Networking Event

Spontaneous Cities Keynote
Monday 25th March 2024

An urban renaissance is underway. A new era in urban design is being redefined by connection and collaboration, creativity and the spontaneity of an environment designed for mobility.

The sharing economy, closed-loop living, neuroaesthetics, purpose-driven business, zero profit margin, blue zones, decarbonization, biophilic design and circular communities are fundamentally changing where and how we work and live.

These trends are emerging as a response to the old models of urban design and the legacies of the last industrial revolution. Together, they can be thought of as the basis for the Spontaneous City, rooted in the idea that urban environments should be made with and for their residents. A city that creates scope for unexpected, organic developments, opportunities that present themselves, and a wide range of initiatives.

 For too long, anthropogenic systems have been dominant in how we plan cities, creating systems that are no longer sustainable for us or the planet. Now is the time to unlearn urbanism as we know it. We need to push the limits of the human imagination and redefine what to expect from cities. We need to build regeneration into the backbone of our design, by mimicking the magic and spontaneity of ecological systems themselves.

This keynote will weave together the broad themes underpinning the idea of the Spontaneous City, expand the boundaries of what audience’s think is possible, and show them that there are new and better ways of doing things in the 21st century.