How to create a Sponge City

Taking place during the Building Centre's WATER: Resilience & Innovation exhibition, you can also explore innovations and solutions shaping the future of water in urban design.

Whether you're an urban enthusiast, a planner, engineer or delivering your own SuDS project, this event will get you inspired to think differently about urban spaces. Let's build smart Sponge Cities together!

You'll hear from the following speakers:

Session 1: Exploring how we move SuDS from policymaking into consistent, everyday practice. Bringing together water companies and engineering leaders, it focuses on what is working on the ground and how guidance, standards and innovation can unlock further progress. The aim is to make SuDS easier to deliver and part of the mainstream.

• Adrien Baudrimont, Senior Research Manager at Ciria
• Matt Wheeldon, Director of Infrastructure Development at Wessex Water
• Rhys Williams, Associate Director at Civic
• Laura Liddaman, SWMP Programme Manager, Thames Water
• Ola Oladiran ,Project Manager and Mansoor Hassan, Assistant Project Manager |Schools Water Strategy at Department for Education
• Anna Hastings, SuDS Programme Lead at Southern Water

Session 2: This session turns to people, place and nature, looking at how SuDS can support resilient, climate ready communities. From local projects to nature led approaches, it highlights the role of design, engagement and environmental thinking. It is about creating places that work with water and deliver wider community benefits.

• Matthew Jessop, Head of Landscape & Urban Design UK at WSP
• Christopher Martin, Co-founder and Managing Director at Urban Movement

• Cllr Clyde Loakes at London Borough of Waltham Forest
• Sam Nicholson, Senior Advisor: Flood Risk and Beavers at Environment Agency

Tea and coffee provided. Keep up to date with other event information .

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Host or Publisher Meristem Design Ltd