Urban Forecast

Urban Forecast host Oli Lowrie sits down with Phineas Harper, British writer, cultural leader, and Guardian contributor, to unpack the real forces shaping our cities.
From the myth that “ordinary people don’t care about architecture” to the uncomfortable truth about who really controls housing, Phineas challenges the narratives that dominate the built environment. The conversation dives into media influence, political power, global capital, and why architects might be thinking about their role all wrong.
Phineas argues that architecture isn’t just about design, it’s about activism, communication, and navigating messy political systems. Whether it’s the housing crisis, foreign investment, or the decline of grassroots practices, this episode exposes the deeper structures behind the places we live.
A sharp, honest discussion about power, responsibility, and what it really takes to create change in the built environment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Everyone in the built environment should act as an activist, using their platform to drive change and shape public debate
Public interest in architecture is far greater than the industry assumes, but it needs to be communicated in an accessible way
The built environment has huge economic impact but fails to articulate its value compared to sectors like finance
Architects are largely absent from mainstream media and political discourse, limiting their influence on national decisions
The dominance of large firms and procurement systems is stifling small practices, innovation, and diversity in the industry
Not all investment is equal, and foreign ownership can extract value from the UK economy rather than reinvesting in it
Good ideas alone are not enough, real change requires political strategy, communication, and coalition-building
Architects often overestimate their influence, while politics, capital, and policy are the true drivers of the built environment

 BEST MOMENTS
“We should all be activists in whatever field we’re in.”
“Ordinary people really care about architecture if it’s presented in the right way.”
“It’s not good enough to have a good idea.”
“Architects are so far down the food chain of decision making.” 

VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.

CONNECT & CONTACT
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/
LinkedIn
http://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcast
Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli Lowrie sits down with Joe Jack Williams, Head of Regenerative Strategy at Bywater, to explore the future of low-carbon development, the realities of building in mass timber, and why the industry desperately needs better material literacy.
After 14 influential years at FCB Studios, Joe made the leap from architecture to development in pursuit of greater impact. He discusses the limitations architects face within client-driven briefs and why moving upstream gives him the ability to shape carbon outcomes from day one.
From embodied carbon blind spots to the challenges of moisture management, legislative misalignment, and the need for better data, Joe offers an unflinching yet optimistic view of how timber buildings can become the norm rather than the exception. He also shares insights from his RIBA-published Materials Book and Bywater’s unique partnership with Sumitomo Forestry.
This is a deep dive into how buildings are really made, how decisions ripple through the supply chain, and how the next generation of sustainable development must think in systems, not snapshots.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Architects are often limited by client briefs, and shifting to the developer side allows far greater influence over sustainability outcomes.

Embodied carbon is rapidly overtaking operational carbon as the critical factor in building emissions, yet material impacts remain poorly understood across the industry.

Timber can significantly reduce embodied carbon, but success depends on rigorous detailing, moisture management, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Fire risk in timber buildings is often overstated; moisture poses a far greater challenge, accounting for the majority of insurance claims.

Current UK regulations, especially around residential heights and funding constraints, create unnecessary barriers to timber construction.

Bywater’s joint venture with Sumitomo Forestry demonstrates how global expertise can accelerate safe, scalable timber development.

Material decisions often have counterintuitive carbon implications; intuition alone is inadequate without robust data and scenario testing.

Creating safer, more innovative design cultures requires teams to admit what they don’t know and embrace research-led practice.

 BEST MOMENTS
“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean there isn’t a hole in the ground attached to the project you’re making.”

“Fire isn’t the big risk. Ninety-seven percent of timber claims are about moisture.”

“We’re always on a learning curve, and it’s not always intuitive what the right answer is.”

“Architects are phenomenally bright. Once they understand the system, they’re really good in that system.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
How to unblock the system of community funding with Mark Shearer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwCPMHe1GUs
The 1 percent housing trap with Chris Worrall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ujFO3E_RA 

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with di

Urban Forecast sits down with Mark Shearer, CEO and Co-founder of ActionFunder and a councillor for Westminster. With a rare dual perspective spanning politics, community impact and the built environment, Mark breaks down the staggering inefficiencies in the UK’s grant-giving and planning systems and explains why billions in community funding remain stuck in local authority accounts.
He shares how ActionFunder is reframing the relationship between developers, councils and local communities through transparency, technology and real-time reporting. From the future of Section 106 and CIL, to trust in development, to the political dynamics shaping planning decisions, this conversation explores how cities could work very differently, and why now is the best time for businesses to deliver genuine social value.
About ActionFunder:
ActionFunder is the grant management platform revolutionising community investment. Built with funders and driven by AI, it streamlines the funding process, reduces admin and costs and delivers money directly into community projects.

Designed for organisations that want to give with purpose and prove their impact, ActionFunder enables smarter, faster, more transparent grant giving. Users can launch branded funds, connect with local projects that align with their goals and access real-time impact reports that support ESG, CSR and social value objectives.

With over 17,000 self-enrolled community projects across the UK actively accessing funds through the platform, ActionFunder is redefining how businesses give back.
Smarter funding. Real impact.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There is over £8 billion of unspent Section 106 and CIL funds across UK local authorities, largely due to strained resources and inefficient manual processes.

46% of grants cost more to distribute than they are worth, highlighting the need for streamlined, tech-enabled alternatives.

ActionFunder creates transparent, real-time tracking of community spending, enabling businesses, councils and communities to see exactly where funding goes and what outcomes it delivers.

Developers could rebuild public trust by directly funding local benefits, provided transparency and oversight are in place.

Community voice is ultimately the biggest influence in planning, often outweighing developer lobbying.

Political cycles create uncertainty, but cross-party pragmatism in local government is more common than people assume.

Design ambition in central London has declined, driven by financial pressures, sustainability debates, and risk-averse planning.

Certainty and clarity in planning policy remain the greatest incentives for delivering high-quality, innovative buildings.
BEST MOMENTS
“There’s never been a better time for a company to be delivering social value.”

“There’s £8 billion of unspent Section 106 and CIL in UK local authorities. It’s eye-watering.”

“The community voice is critical. Developers need to engage directly, not just think councillors are the gatekeepers.”

“If we use technology, there is an opportunity for developers to take responsibility for distributing that money and create real public benefit.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
The 1 percent housing trap with Chris Worrall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ujFO3E_RA 
Why London Stopped Building with Nick Cuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coDPAozDmoM 

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, t

In this episode of Urban Forecast, Oli sits down with Chris Worrall, Director at LSL Partners, for a frank and fast-paced conversation about the realities of the UK housing crisis. Chris dismantles common myths around land, planning and development, critiques the political narratives driving dysfunctional policy, and explains why supply, zoning and sensible regulation matter far more than ideology. From the failures of the building safety regulator to the economics behind the 1 percent housing trap, this episode offers one of the clearest explanations yet of what’s really holding back new homes in the UK, and what it would take to finally unlock growth, affordability and better living conditions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The UK housing debate is heavily influenced by rhetoric and theories not grounded in real-world development experience

Restrictive planning systems and anti-development sentiment are major drivers of the housing shortage, far more than developers themselves

Labour’s recent land value capture proposals amount to over-taxation that risks suppressing development rather than enabling it

The current building safety regulator is poorly designed compared with international examples and risks slowing delivery without improving outcomes

Political interference in planning decisions prevents a shift towards flexible zoning, mandated local plans and faster approvals

Low vacancy rates create the 1 percent housing trap where landlords have no incentive to upgrade or repair properties, worsening living conditions

London has huge untapped potential for densification, with plenty of land and the ability to build upwards if policy supported it

The UK’s approach to funding social housing is fundamentally flawed and fails to support long-term supply and quality

 BEST MOMENTS

“There are so many so-called experts who’ve never valued land or built anything in their life. Most haven’t even built a sandcastle.”

“A Labour government think they can just tax things into oblivion.”

“We’ve got regulations that do not regulate more houses into existence

“There is enough land and the sky’s the limit in a lot of these places.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Why London Stopped Building with Nick Cuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coDPAozDmoM 

Reclaiming Value in Architecture with Hari Phillips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosWeZqmWL8

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.

CONNECT & CONTACT

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/

LinkedIn

http://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcast

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Urban Forecast, co-hosts Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd sit down with Nick Cuff, Managing Director and founder of Urban Sketch, to unpack why London has stopped building and how we can start again. From his beginnings in local government to leading one of the most design-driven housing innovators in the UK, Nick offers rare insight into the real economics behind development, the policy traps slowing progress, and why storytelling might just be the key to rebuilding trust in the housing sector. Expect a candid conversation about design, policy, affordability and the future of living in our cities.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Housing delivery is broken but fixable. Nick explains that the challenges facing UK housebuilding come from a combination of demand-side changes, rising build costs, and increasingly adversarial policy.

Developers need to tell a better story. The property sector has failed to communicate its social and economic value, despite contributing twice as much to the UK economy as financial services.

Policy has become mismatched to reality. Fire safety, levies, and affordable housing requirements have all increased without corresponding flexibility in planning or design standards.

We need balance between regulation and risk. A healthy housing system requires developers to feel confident taking on projects. Policy should enable, not discourage, calculated risk-taking.

Co-living is part of the solution. Compact, high-quality urban housing can give young people affordable access to well-located homes without compromising on design.

Investors need clarity. With seven-year project timelines and shifting government policy, capital is cautious about UK residential investment.

Better use of data could transform planning. Misunderstood statistics and poor transparency fuel misconceptions about land banking and value capture.

Design and community go hand in hand. For Nick, successful development is about bridging the gap between buildings and the people who inhabit them.

BEST MOMENTS

“We’re a poor communicator as a sector, given how material the things we do are to society.”

“It’s a bit of a sausage machine. You put one thing in, you’ve got to take something else out. Right now, the sausage machine isn’t working.”

“Developers aren’t land banking, they just can’t make it stack up.”

“I’m most excited about seeing a spade in the ground and people living in what we build.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Reclaiming Value in Architecture with Hari Phillips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FosWeZqmWL8

Are Architects Being Replaced by AI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ4PNpsulic 

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.

CONNECT & CONTACT

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/ackroydlowrie/reel/CpcSrjlDreV/

LinkedIn

http://linkedin.com/company/urban-forecast-podcast

Email: [email protected]