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
Speakers
Dr Mike Wells RDI FCIEEM FRSA
Ecologist and Ecourbanist
Dr Mike Wells RDI FCIEEM FRSA
Ecologist and Ecourbanist
Dr Mike Wells RDI FCIEEM FRSA
BA (Cantab.) MA (Cantab).
CEnv C.WEM CSci C.Biol MCIWEM MSB
Mike Wells is a professional ecologist and ecourbanist, with 35 years of consultancy experience and 45 years in ecological science. He co-founded Biodiversity by Design Ltd in 2006 with the express aim of focusing on creative multifunctional ecology in the context of biodiversity recovery and resilience and the delivery of optimised ecosystem services. Mike's key interests lie in exploring the opportunities for biodiversity enhancement and ecological education in the creative gaps between ecology and other disciplines. Mike has practiced globally in over 20 countries and published widely in relation to the ecological aspects of urban regeneration, masterplanning and design. Mike was one of the co-authors of the first Ecological Impact Assessment Guidelines for the UK and Ireland and is passionate about ecological design of biodiverse multifunctional urban areas and limiting adverse effects of built development on wildlife. Mike is a very experienced design panellist having served for many years on both the UK Design Council and Design West. In 2021, for lifetime achievements in ecological design, Mike was elected a Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society for Arts, the first ecologist to secure that recognition.
Julie Tanner BSc., DipTP, MRTPI
Chief Executive Design:Midlands
Julie Tanner BSc., DipTP, MRTPI
Chief Executive Design:Midlands
Specialising in place making with a passion for architecture and urban design, I believe a design-led method will support better quality places through the planning system. I am a Director of my own company, PLACE planning Ltd, Associate CEO of Opun in the East Midlands and a Director and Panel Manager for the Creating Excellence Design Review Panel. We specialise in large-scale new communities, infrastructure and public realm projects as well as individual buildings of strategic importance. In my spare time I spend it with my family, exploring the beautiful Devon coast with three kids, a husband and dog in tow! I'm excited about getting involved with the RTPI in the SW, and aim to support efforts to ensure Planners can be braver and bolder in shaping future places.
David Singleton
Landscape Architect
David Singleton
Landscape Architect
David Singleton’s experience covers a wide range of environmental design and management practice, from planning scale down to detailed design working with commercial, voluntary and public sector clients. He is an advisor to CIRIA in the on Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and worked on the CIRIA SuDS Manual. He is an author of the NHS/Homes England’s Building for a Healthy Life. This has now been adopted by over half of England’s local authorities.
David set up DSA Environment + Design in 2005. His geographical background has enabled him to focus the practice on his particular interest of bringing people and the environment together to make places. He believes that the creation of carefully considered well-managed blue-green infrastructure is an effective way to do this.
David’s intention is to be always at the leading edge of innovative work and thinking. He teaches at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University. He is a member of the Design Midlands Design Review Panel and past chair of the Landscape Institute, East Midlands. He has given talks on SuDS planning, design and management of SuDS/WSUD in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Australia and China.
DSA projects have picked up many design awards including Building Better Healthcare, Design in Mental Health, RICS, LABC, and ProCon. Forest Way School won the national Best New Build Primary School award in The Times Education Supplement. Numerous projects are CIRIA susdrain case studies.
Steve Kemp MRTPI
Nations and Regions Panel representative
