Last month, Director Ed Hayden joined Future Cities Forum for a panel discussion about Science Cities at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.

Together the panel discussed the future for out-of-town science campuses, and how well designed transport infrastructure can connect sustainable housing and jobs. Describing the evolution of the science park in design terms and what it might look like by 2050, Ed said:

“We are entering a period of re-imagining our existing science parks, (which historically, were heavily car dominated), to attract talent and move towards achieving net zero by 2050. This redesign is people focused, creating a new social landscape.

The advent of 5G means greater flexibility of where people can work - they are not desk bound anymore - so we are looking at collaborative spaces beyond the fabric of the building, asking ‘Where is the town square?’ and ‘How do people want to interact with nature? Post-pandemic, we have all seen the benefits of being outdoors so we are creating protected spaces where people can sit and work outside within a green, multifunctional landscape.”

Read Future Cities Forum’s 'Science Cities' report in full here.