
London Infrastructure Summit 2021
The last 18 months have changed the way we think about digital and physical infrastructure, potentially forever.
London’s biggest gathering of infrastructure experts returns this year for a week-long series of in-person and virtual events, digesting what the pandemic means for infrastructure’s future and how we plot our way back to prosperity.
Our in-person half day conference and networking session has limited capacity so will be invitation only, but we’ll be streaming the whole series live, so no need to miss out. Bite-sized virtual events debating hot topics around global cities, data, the green agenda and more will feature across the week of 13 September.
It is easy to get involved in 2021’s must-attend infrastructure week: secure access to the full week’s events virtually, with places free for London First members or for just £85 ex VAT for non-members.
As the in-person half day conference and networking session operates on an invitation-only basis, do add your details to our register of interest, and additional places will be allocated should they arise. Virtual access registration is still advised, to make sure you benefit from all the sessions.
Why attend?
- Get inspired by expert insight into how the industry is gearing up for recovery across several key areas:
- Securing long term sustainable funding for Transport for London, acting as a catalyst for growth;
- How the capital’s air and rail connections can be harnessed to re-establish London as a domestic and global transport hub;
- What needs to happen to bolster the resilience of London’s utility networks; and
- With COP26 on the horizon, how London can leverage the green agenda as a driver of economic growth for our capital.
- Hear from a range of industry experts across the public and private sector, with invited speakers from local and national government, rail, air and utilities sectors
- Interact with our expert panellists: our hybrid conference allows virtual delegates to have a presence, ask questions and join the debate
- Dive into our series of bite-sized virtual events, which will take place over the course of the week, covering topics including global cities, micromobility, data and regeneration
- Delegates at the physical event can enjoy 1 – 1 networking with familiar names and faces
Sponsoring
Interested in sponsoring? Our offer covers a variety of digital activation opportunities to engage with the London Infrastructure Summit audience through thought leadership and brand awareness. Click here to talk to us.
Speakers include…
Cllr Sarah Merrill
Cabinet Member for Environment, Sustainability and Transport, Royal Borough of Greenwich
Donald Morrison
People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President Europe and Digital Strategies , Jacobs
Cllr Johnny Thalassites
Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Peter Hogg, London City Executive and UK Cities Director, Partner at Arcadis"The infrastructure industry loves this event. Because it creates a brilliant opportunity to come together and to share ideas"
Miguel Gamiño, Executive Vice President for Global Cities at Mastercard"Convenings like this which bring together the public sector, the private sector and the various stakeholders in the future of cities are really important "
Programme highlights
In Conversation with Andy Byford: TfL’s role in London recovery
What are the new transport priorities and how can TfL’s financial sustainability be secured? London doesn't function without public transport. And our pre-pandemic public transport funding models don't function without passengers. Nowhere is this more acute than for Transport for London.
Air and Rail’s role in London recovery
Bringing people back to the capital - domestically and internationally - is a critical part of recovery and the UK’s standing in the world. This session will look at the interaction between air and rail infrastructure across the UK and how making the most of these connections can help bring the country back to growth.
Panel Discussion: the road to COP 26 - Unlocking green growth for London
This session will focus on a set of quantified ‘provocations’ and no-regret next steps to illustrate how a low carbon London can also be prosperous for the UK. In detailing the economic benefits of these decarbonization opportunities with near term actions this will hopefully draw further attention to the economic merits of immediate action, as well as the environmental.
Discussion: Building Back Better: Supporting diversity and inclusion in the infrastructure sector
This session will explore how to help promote an inclusive recovery in London; What are the barriers to underrepresented groups entering the infrastructure sector? What more could be done to foster an inclusive environment? and will aim to shine the light on examples of best practise in overcoming barriers to recruit, support and develop a more diverse workforce.
View full schedule
Schedule
Sunday, 29 May 2022
7:27am 29 May
Registration
7:27am 29 May
Welcome & Introduction
7:27am 29 May
In Conversation with Andy Byford: TfL’s role in London recovery
What are the new transport priorities and how can TfL’s financial sustainability be secured? London doesn't function without public transport. And our pre-pandemic public transport funding models don't function without passengers. Nowhere is this more acute than for Transport for London. Revenues for the capital's transport authority were nearly twice as dependent on passenger fares as comparable cities. Now, of course, the network is reliant on hand-to-mouth handouts from central government. This is not a recipe for long term economic success, nor for hitting our net zero targets in the capital. London First has argued that a new funding model must be built for the city we want to see in the 2030s, but what does this city look like? And what is the role of an integrated transport authority in it? And how do we make the sums add up in a way that is both fair and sustainable?
7:27am 29 May
Air and Rail’s role in London recovery
7:27am 29 May
Panel Discussion: Utility infrastructure for the 21st century
7:27am 29 May
Coffee break
Interview pairs: The role of private capital in London’s recovery
7:27am
7:27am 29 May
Pair one: Infrastructure finance
7:27am 29 May
Pair two: Affordable housing
7:27am 29 May
Panel Discussion: the road to COP 26 - Unlocking green growth for London
There has been a lot of focus on carbon reduction, but less on the growth and jobs opportunities from doubling the size of the green economy by the Mayor’s stated target of 2030. London has a strong track record on decarbonisation as a C40 city – with CO2 emissions down 40% in 2017 vs. 2000 – but has a long way to go to achieve net zero (or intermediary targets). At the same time the capital has many distinctive competitive advantages that could lend it to being a first mover both in the UK, and globally.
7:27am 29 May
Discussion: Building Back Better: Supporting diversity and inclusion in the infrastructure sector
The infrastructure sector employs a significant proportion of London’s workforce and it’s important that it represents the Londoners it serves, but some groups remain underrepresented. Britain Thinks published a report for the GLA in 2020 examining diversity and inclusion in the sector. It highlighted the significant under-representation of diverse groups across the workforce and in the infrastructure sector particularly. These organisations have a lower-than-average representation of women, ethnicity and are also less likely to implement initiatives that support the LGBTQ+ community.
This session will explore how to help promote an inclusive recovery in London; What are the barriers to underrepresented groups entering the infrastructure sector? What more could be done to foster an inclusive environment? and will aim to shine the light on examples of best practise in overcoming barriers to recruit, support and develop a more diverse workforce.
7:27am 29 May
Summary remarks and close
7:27am 29 May
Networking lunch
7:27am 29 May
Global Cities
Covid-19 has challenged fundamental assumptions about the world’s largest cities. Cities across the world have seen an unprecedented level of change: initially this was in response to massive, enforced, changes to behaviour, but as Covid recedes, cities across the world have become creative in their recoveries. Urban life is coming back with innovations in transport pricing, new designs for street usage, and fundamental questions about long-term demand for all forms of urban infrastructure. By bringing together voices from major cities around the world, we hope to spark discussions about how global cities continue to reinvent themselves post-Covid.
7:27am 29 May
Delivering the DLR extension and Thamesmead Regeneration
Sustaining TfL’s operations has dominated discussions around funding for London’s transport network, but delivering new transport projects will be critical for the capital’s future. Post-covid, case-making for transport projects will need to centre on placemaking opportunities and Mayor Sadiq Khan stated in his manifesto that he would prioritise delivering the DLR extension to Thamesmead, which has the potential to help promote tens of thousands of new homes for Londoners and transform Thamesmead in the London Borough of Bexley into a thriving new quarter of London. While progress is being made on feasibility work for the proposed DLR extension, there is more work to do about how it will be funded. This session will bring together the key public and private sector stakeholders to set out the vision for the Thamesmead
7:27am 29 May
Optimising the delivery of EV infrastructure in London
The UK has set a target to reduce emissions to net-zero carbon by 2050. To achieve this ambitious target, we as a country will need to think carefully about the wide range of carbon emissions sources, and how best to reduce these. Electric vehicles are not the silver bullet, but they are an important weapon in the fight against poor air quality and climate change. It is necessary for London to act to enable the transition to electric vehicles. At the end of this decade, sales of new internal combustion engine cars and vans across the UK will be banned. So it is also necessary for London to act now. Some of the challenges are ‘hard’ challenges. For example, ensuring that the right charging infrastructure exists in the right places, and that the energy grid can cope with the demand. Others are ‘softer’ challenges, such as providing the right incentives to enable drivers to make the switch. This session will look at these challenges and discuss how London should approach optimising EV infrastructure delivery.
7:27am 29 May
Can micromobility help London recover from the pandemic?
After more than a year of Streetspace interventions in response to the pandemic, and three months of the London e-scooter trial, what is the future of micromobility and active travel in the capital? Is the increase in walking and cycling sticking now that the city is out of lockdown? What is the role of cycle and e-scooter hire schemes in the economic recovery of the capital? What changes do we need in London’s infrastructure to encourage the routine adoption of micro-mobility modes? And where do we go next as we seek safer, greener journeys and more liveable neighbourhoods?