S5E03: Then, now, next: lessons in building lasting communities

About this episode

The episode explores the essential elements of transforming housing developments into thriving communities through infrastructure-led planning and placemaking.

Welcome to season 5 of AECOM’s Talking Infrastructure podcast. Talking Infrastructure delves into the industry’s hot topics, key projects, and the ground-breaking innovations that are helping to solve some of the world’s most complex infrastructure challenges. Then, now, next: lessons in building lasting communities What turns a housing development into a thriving community – a place where people feel they belong, can participate, and are proud to call home? It is rarely just the homes. It’s the choices made long before people move in, from transport and infrastructure to public space, and the way a place is planned from day one. In this special episode of Talking Infrastructure, recorded at UKREiiF, host Toby Sadler is joined by Angela Barnicle (Director for City Development, Leeds City Council), Rob Chesworth (Head of Housing and Strategic Land, The Crown Estate), Cathy Francis (Director for New Towns, Infrastructure and Housing Delivery, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) and Patrick Clarke (Director, UK and Ireland, Masterplanning Lead, AECOM) to explore what it takes to move from housing delivery to creating places that truly work over the long term. The…

People in this episode

Host: Toby Sadler

Guests: Angela Barnicle, Rob Chesworth, Cathy Francis, Patrick Clarke

Topics covered

• community building
• infrastructure planning
• placemaking
• public-private partnerships
• sustainable development

Keywords

• housing development
• community
• infrastructure
• public space
• sustainable communities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Leeds City Council, The Crown Estate, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, AECOM

More episodes of Talking Infrastructure

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• S5E04: Northern Powerhouse Rail: the choices that will shape delivery · May 21, 2026 · 39 min
• S5E02: Private finance as a catalyst for infrastructure growth: the airport advantage · April 14, 2026 · 48 min
• S5E01: The resilience test: is our infrastructure climate-ready? · March 17, 2026 · 41 min
• S4E03 :Future-ready infrastructure: Addressing the STEM skills crisis · July 25, 2025 · 38 min
• S4E02: Could nature help solve the UK’s sewer overflow challenge? · February 27, 2025 · 37 min