Long Story Short

Birmingham is on an exciting journey. While the city still feels the buzz from delivering a successful 2022 Commonwealth Games, this international showcase event proved that the city could deliver on the global stage and has created momentum to kickstart its ambitious plans to make the city more sustainable. A new plan for the city – Our Future City Framework - will look to shape Birmingham’s development until 2040 and continue its transformation into a location for sustainable growth. Birmingham ranks at 36th place in Arcadis’ Sustainable Cities Index, and while our research shows the city has a good equilibrium between each of the pillars of People, Planet and Profit – it also highlights challenges, such as deep levels of inequality. So how can the city raise its score and build on its successful delivery of the 2022 Commonwealth Games to become a truly global, inclusive and greener city? Hear from Deborah Cadman, Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council and Simon Marks, Arcadis’ Birmingham City Executive.

London is rightly famed as an iconic global city, and it’s also leading the way in its journey towards net zero. While the city ranks an impressive 6th place in the latest edition of Arcadis’ Sustainable Cities Index, our research also highlights the challenges of a city dealing with deep inequalities and a lack of inclusivity in its economic sustainability. So, how can London continue building a greener future for its 8.9 million citizens and ensure they reap the benefits? And what role should businesses play in shaping this brighter future? Hear all this and more from leading voices in London, Peter Hogg, Arcadis’ Cities Director, Alison Griffin, Chief Executive of London Councils, and Sam Longman, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Environment at Transport for London.

Manchester and Leeds are two Northern cities known for their drive and ambition. But just how sustainable are both cities? In this episode, broadcast from the Great Northern Conference, we take a deep dive into how Manchester and Leeds performed in the latest edition of Arcadis’ Sustainable Cities Index. Our research ranks 100 global cities on environmental, economic and social factors. Both cities score in the top 40 – but how can they boost up the rankings? Hear from Nick Kealey, Local Government Account Lead at Arcadis, Jessica Bowles, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Impact at Bruntwood, and Brian Ford, Head of Capital Development at University of Leeds. This is the first in a series of episodes on Arcadis’ Sustainable Cities Index. Look out for episodes on the story of Birmingham, London and more!

We’ve heard about hydrogen and its potential to be used as an alternative energy source, but why is it only now being taken seriously? As the world recognises the urgency to shift to renewable energy to meet net zero goals, is this the time for hydrogen to be truly utilised? In this podcast episode, we explore all things hydrogen – the good, the bad and the future of the most abundant element in the universe. How will it impact our everyday lives; where is it being used currently; what myths need busting, and most importantly do the benefits outweigh the risks? Listen to our guests Natalie Sauber, Future Mobility Director at Arcadis, William Rowe, CEO and Founder of Octopus Hydrogen and Mark Danter, Senior Strategy Manager at Northern Gas Networks discuss hydrogen and the challenges that lie ahead.

Our guests Smriti Singh, Lead for Healthcare Transformation at Arcadis and Simon James, CEO of KIMS hospital, discuss our healthcare systems post-pandemic and the challenges ahead. What did COVID teach us about what we need from our hospitals? From diverting resources and space, to infection control, our major medical centres had to be repurposed at breakneck speed to respond to a virus we knew nothing about at the time. We examine what hospital buildings will look like and be needed for, what patients will experience, what staff need and how we can make our healthcare more human in this topical episode.

First came PropTech – the digital transformation of the property industry – and now we have PlaceTech, bringing technology to our public spaces. Our guests Ruxandra Radulescu, Paul Unger and Nilesh Parmer cut through the jargon and discuss how the human experience of places is changing.

The way we work is changing. As society re-emerges from lockdown, our needs and expectations have changed. The post-pandemic workplace must be reshaped and re imagined, but how can we create spaces that are flexible, adaptive and blend to these changing needs? In a world where work is no longer restricted to within the same four walls, what does it mean to create a truly destination work environment where people want to be and want to thrive? And how do we balance social and economic pressures with the challenges of sustainability and climate change? In this special edition of Long Story Short, we talk to Sarah-Jane Osborne, our Head of Workscape at Arcadis, about the rise of agile working and how we are reimagining the future of the workplace.

The rise in demand for places where people can live, work and spend their leisure time all within their local communities has led to a resurgence in the 15-minute community. The concept has been around for several years and, in short, seeks to rethink how communities are planned by focusing on reducing car-dependency and long commutes. It improves quality of life by ensuring all essential amenities can be reached within a 15 or 20-minute journey from home, whether on foot, bike or by public transport. In this episode, Peter Hogg from Arcadis is joined by Laura Citron, Chief Executive at London & Partners, and Anthony Breach, Analyst at Centre for Cities to discuss whether 15-minute communities are the shape of our cities in the future or are they only half the answer? And are they urgently needed for revival after the pandemic or do 15-minute communities miss the point of what cities are for?

When COVID-19 struck, our cities fell silent. With the hum of traffic replaced by birdsong, the sudden uptake in walking and cycling gave us a vision of a low-traffic future. Healthier, less congested and with less pollution, many cities rapidly introduced schemes to make streets less car-centric, and friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists. But how successful have these interventions been? In this episode, Keri Stewart and Samantha Thirwell from Arcadis join Richard Dilks from CoMoUK to discuss the future of travel. Are car-free cities really the answer? And, in rethinking how we travel, what would make our roads better for everyone?   

With 1.9 million UK households digitally excluded, COVID-19 has exposed the widening gap between the digital have’s and have not’s. But it’s also signposted to some of the benefits that ending digital poverty could bring. In this episode, Mark Harrop from Arcadis, Dave Nielson from Fusion21 and Paul Finnis from Digital Access for All, share their passion for addressing digital poverty and make the case for free social broadband.