Ambitious UK building projects and placemaking must focus on incorporating sustainable heating and energy efficiency, a flagship regeneration conference has heard.
This week’s Regen conference and exhibition welcomed hundreds of delegates to the Titanic Hotel’s Rum Warehouse, Liverpool.
Experts in regeneration, construction, property, planning, housing, transport and infrastructure shared insights on latest urban regeneration trends. They included Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, who opened the event.
“It’s great to be here at Regen 2024 and quite fitting that we’re holding a regeneration conference in a place that’s about to undergo a renewal of placemaking,” said Mayor Rotheram. “Over the past few years, we’ve set out an ambitious plan to grow, transform and innovate across the city region.”
Fellow keynote speaker Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, chief executive of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), called for a transition from fossil fuel heating during her address.
“Embedding sustainability into the places we build is key to making sure we meet the needs of both current and future generations,” she said.
Around 80% of the buildings we will be living in by 2050’s Net Zero deadline “have already been built”, it was pointed out, being “some of the oldest and least efficient homes and buildings in Europe”.
“There is an urgent need to upgrade our existing stock and improving energy efficiency is the no-regrets solution to the climate crisis. As well as thinking about making homes more energy efficient, we also need to consider the energy we are using. In particular, we need to move away from the reliance on gas heating,” Dr Vaughan-Dick added.
Overall, a total of 19 expert speakers covered crucial regeneration issues such as planning, investment, utilising green spaces, design, placemaking and supporting communities at the 10 September gathering.