On Friday 11th and Saturday 12th October, hundreds of Young Planners, including Megan, Mollie and Shaun from our Planning team flocked to Cambridge to attend the annual RTPI Young Planners’ Conference. This year was hosted by the RTPI East of England Young Planners Committee. Each year, the conference focuses on a theme; this year the topic was “Connecting Town and Country: Planning for Urban and Rural Areas.”
Over the two days, a number of talks hosted by different speakers and sponsors took place. These talks ranged from the first 100 days of the new Government, growth and the historic environment and the importance of the environment in new developments.
Each talk was chaired by one of the East of England Young Planners Committee members and hosted a panel of different speakers who are specialists in their own fields. Each speaker provided a short presentation, which provided a different insight into the topic, and allowed for an interesting Q&A with the audience.
As well as the talks, the conference also included six study tours. Three of these tours were: CB1 and the Regeneration of Cambridge Station; Eddington: North West Cambridge; and Cambridge’s Cycle Infrastructure. Each of these tours were attended by Mollie, Megan and Shaun respectively.
CB1 is a thriving centre for innovation and commerce located next to Cambridge Train Station along Station Road and is a key business hub home to global giants such as Microsoft and Amazon. Significant regeneration of the wider area has transformed a once run down and unwelcoming environment into a state-of-the-art sustainable mixed-use area, which outside of the prime office spaces, features residential, retail and commercial uses. The tour started with a visit to the Brookgate office in CB1, where Alan Barratt – the Development Project Manager for the scheme – discussed the complexity of the planning issues faced since development works started in 2010. The group then walked around CB1 and the Train Station, making frequent stops to discuss the innovative use of architectural design, sustainable transport planning, public art and green space which have contributed to the overall success of the scheme.
The tour of the Eddington housing development in northeast Cambridge showcased the city’s commitment to creating a sustainable, twenty-first century community where residents can live, work and play, close to Cambridge. Once completed, the development will include 1,500 homes for University and College staff; 1,500 private houses for sale; Accommodation for 2,000 postgraduates; 100,000sq/m of academic and research and development space; Community facilities; a hotel; a care village; sustainable transport provision; sports facilities; and public open spaces. Our walk through the neighbourhood highlighted how Eddington’s design focuses on promoting a healthy, active and eco-friendly lifestyle, with renewable energy systems, rainwater reuse, an innovative waste collection approach, and extensive cycling and walking infrastructure.


Cambridge is the cycling capital of the UK, with 1 in 3 residents cycling to work. This modal shift was achieved by building safe and efficient infrastructure first, incentivising people to use them, rather than waiting for people to take up cycling without these routes. Cambridge also has the UK’s first Dutch roundabout, which gives cyclists priority over vehicles through a designated cycle lane. Measures such as these have helped to connect Cambridge more thoroughly, providing a wider array of cycle routes throughout the city. The long-term aim is to create more of these routes, as access to safe cycle routes will inevitably encourage more people to switch car journeys for cycling. This model of building before there is demand is one that many other UK cities could adopt to encourage cleaner and healthier journeys.
The conference was an invaluable opportunity for Young Planners to learn more about key planning issues, engage in discussions and network with familiar faces and make new connections within the industry. We are looking forward to the RTPI Young Planners 2025 Conference in London!
Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Chartered Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and Heritage Specialists. Gaining planning permission is a key step in almost any development. We can take a project through from inception to completion, but we also offer the flexibility to engage a client’s own architects and provide a planning service, whilst our design team can also work with clients who have engaged other town planning professionals.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd are well versed in researching and understanding local Council’s policies to ensure the best possible case if put forward for our clients.
For a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your project, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01332 347371 or enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk.
RTPI Young Planners 2024 – Gallery



