Core CPD Framework:
- Placemaking and Design
- Development and Infrastructure Planning
- 1 CPD Hour
This RTPI Midlands webinar is brought to you by RTPI East Midlands and RTPI West Midlands in conjunction with Design:Midlands.
This webinar, the first in a three-part Design:Midlands series will explore the multi connected nature of the climate and ecological crisis, looking at design-led solutions working within a plan-led system. It will provide a practical steer, identifying key barriers and solutions.
All bad news? Feel like giving up? Don’t! How to play a part in making a real and lasting difference through planning and design to address the double jeopardy of biodiversity loss and climate chaos.
After summarising the scale of biodiversity loss and the role of unmitigated climate change in that loss, guest speaker Dr Mike Wells will emphasise the potential impacts of these losses on individuals and society due to the loss of services nature provides to us.
Mike will set out 9 key potential approaches (with examples mainly from the UK) that designers and planners could take to work together to help restore to the symbolic cat of biodiversity and climate resilience as many as possible of its 9 lives!
Focussing in on the Midlands, David Singleton will then describe how the planning system still seems too often to be delivering poor results for nature and that this not only does little good but also causes significant harm to people and society.
He will argue that it does not need to be this way - and will illustrate through actual examples what factors (e.g. human, financial, design-based) seem to be most important in achieving better outcomes.
He will also point towards emerging published guidance towards potentially better holistic approaches.
As success often comes down to the attitudes and endeavours of individuals, the speakers will also pose the question to the audience as to what part you might be able to take to help make development truly biodiversity-positive, climate-resilient, and generally more multifunctional.
Outcomes
Attendees will learn more about:
- why we should care about biodiversity loss;
- how the climate crisis is contributing to that loss; and
- how planners can work together and with other professionals to deliver projects that deliver truly nature-positive, resilient, and sustainable developments.
Event Format
12.00-12:03 Welcome, introduction, housekeeping and subject overview by Chair Steve Kemp, Managing Director at OpenPlan
12.03-12.08 Speaker Julie Tanner, Chief Executive Design Midlands will provide an overview of how the Design: Midlands can offer support with design-led solutions that are favoured at planning.
12.08 - 12.28 Speaker Dr Mike Wells, Ecologist, Ecourbanist, Royal Designer for Industry and Co-founder of Biodiversity by Design will provide an insight into biodiversity loss in the context of the climate crisis and set out ways of addressing both through planning and design.
12:28 - 12:48 Speaker David Singleton, Landscape Architect and founder of DSA Environment & Design will offer insights into how better approaches to planning and design in the Midlands could achieve win-wins for biodiversity and society.
12.48 – 13.00 Chair Steve Kemp will lead panel discussion and Q&A.
Accessibility
To ensure everyone has the best possible experience the RTPI is committed to delivering inclusive events. This webinar will be held on our webinar system, Big Marker and closed captions are available as standard. The presentations will be available to download during the webinar. Please do contact [email protected] if you have any further requirements.
Save the dates for webinars 2 and 3:
18 June 2025
17 September 2025
