Welcome.
Futures Fair 08 brought together a diverse range of architects and design professionals with researchers, academics and other thinkers to collectively horizon scan the future of the built environment. The dynamic day long event was the second of its kind to be staged at the RIBA and was an opportunity to think strategically on a range of issues likely to impact on the future of our towns, cities and rural areas.
The event welcomed over 140 people to the RIBA’s headquarters and included contributions from:
Richard Barnes- Deputy Mayor of London
Justin Rowlattt- BBC
Lesley Gavin- Futurology, BT
Reinier de Graaf- OMA & AMO
Spencer de Grey- Foster and Partners’
Saskia Sassen- leading sociologist and author at the LSE and Columbia University, New York.
In 2008, the event took on a ‘Global and Local’ perspective. The aim was to encourage delegates and contributors to think on the wider impact of global trends and how, here in the UK, we respond and anticipate them. The future outlook for the built environment profession is changing by the day. 2008 has been coloured by news reports and financial markets anticipating a world post credit crunch and possible recession. There is also great uncertainty regarding other factors such as fuel provision and cost, siesmic demographic shifts and the perenial issue of sustainable growth.
