Costain Group’s Alex Vaughan joins us on this episode of The RICS Podcast brought to you by the WBEF team to discuss current trends in the infrastructure market domestically and internationally, and what’s required to improve overall efficiency in the area.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Challenges with the investment needed to support the UK’s infrastructure needs
• The complexities surrounding the delivery of transport infrastructure
• The potential role for an infrastructure minister in coordinating projects nationally
• How we can maximise infrastructure productivity in the UK

Local government support for energy efficient buildings is essential to creating the climate-friendly cities of the future, a vision supported by C40 Cities.

Frankie Downy joins Stephen Lorimer (Centre for Net Zero) on this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast to discuss how cities can manage the transition towards more energy efficient models at a local level.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• How different cities in C40 are evaluating the best policies to put in place for their existing buildings
• The split of government dependence vs self-guidance for these policies
• How data is being captured to check actual consumption against what’s modelled beforehand
• The stages that take a city to its climate-positive vision of 2040

Technology is an ever-shifting phenomenon, and while data has always been a source of innovation, AI has accelerated the utility of data, particularly in the built environment.

In this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast, Andrew Min joins Andrew Knight to take us into the technological use cases for data & artificial intelligence, and how they’re evolving our perceptions of what the built environment can offer.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Reimagining the built environment in New York through data
• How client demands for technology have grown in the real estate asset sector
• Using data to further extend a focus on ESG, particularly with regard to tracking social change
• The future of the sector, and where AI fits into the equation

The provision of sick pay and support for workers in ill health is a key issue in the Safe Sick Pay campaign’s push to reduce health inequality.

In a recent report for the campaign, WPI Economics highlighted the reality of Statutory Sick Pay and the positive benefits of reform - Laura Osborne joins us on The RICS Podcast to share more on the campaign, the report, and how industry attitudes towards sick pay are changing for the better.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Why qualitative information was so key in understanding the impact of insufficient sick pay provisions
• Changing attitudes towards illness in the workplace post-Covid
• Recommendations from WPI Economics’ latest report for the Safe Sick Pay campaign
• How the campaign considers the implications for SMEs and smaller companies

Links & References:

https://wpieconomics.com/publications/ssp-reform/

https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/working-well-delivering-better-health-outcomes-for-hidden-workers

It’s said that buildings amount to 40% of carbon emissions in cities, which demonstrates the need for change in both commercial and residential offerings to improve energy efficiency.

Working to achieve this at BAM is Sarah Joliffe, who joins Stephen Lorimer on this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast to discuss how the retrofit and ongoing design of flexible buildings is contributing to a more efficient, less carbonised world.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• BAM’s role in building sustainability for buildings of the future
• The split between commercial and residential buildings seeking carbon reduction
• Approaching buildings and flexible energy use with useful data
• How minimum energy efficiency standards are currently driving investment
• Potential barriers to adjacent building owners working together to achieve efficiency targets

Fire safety is a global issue with far-reaching impacts, which extend beyond the initial damage that most would consider from undesired fires.

In this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, Meacham Associates Managing Partner Brian Meacham takes us through the impacts of sustainable construction, major challenges in setting fire safety standards, and how the industry can make consumers aware of their fire safety choices.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Current global attitudes towards sustainability in fire safety
• The impacts of the drive for more sustainable construction
• Overcoming major challenges in setting fire safety standards
• The need for a more joined-up approach to embedding fire safety industry-wide
• Making consumers aware of their fire safety choices

RICS’ Global Commercial Property Monitor is a quarterly guide to the trends in the commercial property markets, and Q2 presents some pertinent new insights for the sector.

In this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, Tarrant Parsons, Paul Swinney and Donglai Luo break down some of the biggest findings and trends, discuss regional differences, and links with the current balance of hybrid work.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Significant findings from the latest Global Commercial Property Monitor
• Where there are regional differences in sentiment index numbers
• The goal of the report, and notable long-term indicators
• What the findings suggest about remote, hybrid and in-office work dynamics and trends

In the years following Covid-19, the tourism industry has seen a resurgence which highlights the sector’s impact on sustainability.

With a keen focus on the opportunities for sustainable tourism to thrive in the years to come, The Travel Foundation’s CEO, Jeremy Sampson, is our guest on this week’s World Built Environment Forum episode of The RICS Podcast.

Jeremy joins James Kavanagh to discuss the potential damage on local ecosystems, the levels of environmental awareness in consumers, and the regulations pushing tourism towards more sustainable practices.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Potential damage to local ecosystems
• Regulations being put in place to nudge tourism towards sustainability
• The level of environmental awareness in consumers
• Consequences of not improving sustainability in tourism
• The ‘Envisaging Tourism in 2030 and Beyond’ report

Toronto has been an exciting test bed for the creative mixed-use building model, combining interests of different parties to achieve individual goals and extend their benefits city-wide.

Sharing his observations within Canada, and how the model might work globally, is Matti Siemiatycki, Professor in Department of Geography & Planning and Director of the Infrastructure Institute at School of Cities, University of Toronto.

In this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, we explore the foundational ideas behind the creative mixed-use model, the collaborative process, and goals it hopes to achieve.

This episode of WBEF covers:

• The existing mixed use model and how creative mixed use builds upon it
• How developments within this model have been received in Toronto
• Benefits to individual parties and citywide objectives of creative mixed use
• Challenges that each party within the arrangement must address
• How the model could develop in a global context

In April of 2022, 6 professional bodies came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to drive a more diverse, equitable and inclusive sector, and that’s just the first step.

Sharing how we, as an industry, can move forward and develop strategies to achieve EDI goals, Paloma Armora is joined this week on The RICS Podcast by Mark Harrison, Machel Bogues, and the familiar voice of RICS’ Sybil Taunton.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The inception of the MoU and how it came to be
• Critical areas of focus and why good data is of primary importance
• How other professional bodies can join the initiative

RICS’ commitment to further developing the built environment in a more sustainable manner is paramount, and providing a global take on this is a key task for our newest President, Ann Gray.

We hear from Ann in the latest World Built Environment Forum episode of The RICS Podcast to see how the role of RICS professionals is set to evolve, the key considerations for the industry, and how those considerations are being tackled on a worldwide scale.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• RICS’ key goals around Net Zero, provision of adequate housing and protecting natural resources
• Findings from The RICS’ Sustainability Report
• Challenges and opportunities when tackling sustainability in the US and other global markets
• The evolving role of professionals to meet upcoming demand for a more sustainable industry

Technology is an ever-shifting phenomenon, and while data has always been a source of innovation, AI has accelerated the utility of data, particularly in the built environment.

In this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast, Andrew Min joins Andrew Knight to take us into the technological use cases for data & artificial intelligence, and how they’re evolving our perceptions of what the built environment can offer.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Reimagining the built environment in New York through data
• How client demands for technology have grown in the real estate asset sector
• Using data to further extend a focus on ESG, particularly with regard to tracking social change
• The future of the sector, and where AI fits into the equation

Rivers and other bodies of water play a huge part in the environment’s impact on human health, which means it’s vital to keep water quality in our rivers top of mind.

When it comes to trends in river pollution, Professor Steve Ormerod is a leading figure in tracking our rivers’ water quality, as Professor of Ecology and Co-Director of the Water Research Institute at Cardiff University.

We hear from Steve as he takes us through the key considerations and dangers in this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast, hosted by Head of Rural Research at Savills, Emily Norton.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• How clean our rivers are currently throughout the UK
• Whether we’re taking appropriate measurement of river quality
• Trends in urban vs rural water quality improvement
• The links between human health and river quality

The gender split in construction is heavily one-sided, but through an exciting, bold renovation project with an all-female team, Kat & Fiona Parsons are leading a shift to level out those figures.

With their construction backgrounds and passion for diversity and inclusion issues, the duo join RICS’ Sybil Taunton on this episode of The RICS Podcast to share how they’re tackling the project.

Tune in to hear how they’re navigating the process of sourcing surveyors and tradespeople, the firms who are demonstrating their commitment to D&I, and the positive disruption they’re set to achieve.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The positive disruption and exposure of gender split that the project aims to achieve
• How Kat & Fiona find and choose the firms they work with
• Representing D&I goals in large firms vs smaller businesses
• Advice for businesses looking to demonstrate commitment to D&I

Cities are a diverse structure by their very nature, and tackling the challenges of equity in housing, education and welfare are paramount for McKinsey’s Jonathan Woetzel.

Jonathan is the Global Leader of their Cities Special Initiative, affording him an ideal perspective on how cities can grow in diversity and inclusivity. 

We hear from Jonathan as he joins RICS’ Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Sybil Taunton, for this World Built Environment Forum episode of The RICS Podcast.

This episode covers:

• How does diversity relate to cities on a macro level
• Who is most impacted by a shortfall in access to cities’ benefits
• Examples of beneficial initiatives in diverse cities
• The challenge of housing vs storing value in real estate

As we move towards a net-zero world, the need to achieve sustainability will require us not only to consider new projects, but retrofitting existing buildings for the long term.

Leading this key conversation with consideration for social value and the role of technology in this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, we hear the valuable insights of Susanne Eickermann-Riepe and Christopher Seymour.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Current attitudes to retrofitting in different global regions
• The need to speed up decarbonisation in cities
• Why social outcomes should be a key consideration for improvement
• The role of technology, its promises and its pitfalls

In our latest episode, our director of thought leadership, Ken Creighton speaks to Stuart Fraser a disaster risk expert. With most of the world susceptible to some kind of natural disaster and as the risks increase, this wide ranging discussion hones in on areas such as the importance of reliable data to inform risk management and mitigation and to assess the cost of recovery and reconstruction.

For more information on the World Built Environment Forum please visit: https://www.rics.org/uk/wbef/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Accessibility & inclusion are among the fastest moving areas of development, and since 78% of disabilities are acquired in adult life, it’s an issue that’ll affect many of us even beyond our current awareness.

The built environment plays a huge role in creating an accessible and inclusive world, and joining us on this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast to discuss this pressing topic are Jean Hewitt (Senior Consultant in Inclusive Design at Buro Happold), Sharon Slinger (Owner of Constructing Rainbows Limited) and Vanessa Curtis (Co-Founder and Co-Chair at AbilityRE).

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• Why accessibility is a key issue for all of us
• How early consideration of inclusion guides better, less costly projects
• What can be achieved on an individual level and within organisations
• Sources of information to learn more

The built environment, infrastructure, leadership, governance and investors will all invariably play a role in creating good urbanisation for the planet of cities we’re likely to see develop.

Given the emerging importance of decarbonisation and social cohesion in cities, it’s a prime time for the return of The Planet of Cities, Professor Greg Clark’s column on the future of our cities and the people within them.

In this week’s World Built Environment Forum podcast, Greg joins Kay Pitman to discuss the magic and DNA of cities, how their history and shared experiences inform their traits, and whether the future should bring us a ‘15 minute city’ or a ‘45 minute metropolis’.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The planet of cities we’re likely to see with 10 billion people in 10 thousand cities
• Cities’ DNA and traits, and how they link into the principles of epigenetics
• How we ensure good urbanisation occurs as the population within cities grows
• The 15 minute city vs the 45 minute metropolis

In this podcast with Arup Senior Engineer Richard Boyd we explore how CEOs and their Board members can make sense of the Circular Economy in the built environment. 

A circular lens encourages businesses to consider the impact of potential future events on asset value, and how the assets might adapt to new circumstances. If Covid leads to reduced demand for office space, how can offices be re-purposed without expensive and wasteful deconstruction? This is not without problems, as the experience of New York showed when businesses relocated to mid town Manhattan after 9/11 and offices were converted to residential use with mixed success. The UK has also had mixed success in commercial to residential conversion, as highlighted by RICS research on Permitted Development Rights https://www.rics.org/uk/news-insight/research/research-reports/assessing-the-impacts-of-extending-permitted-development-rights-to-office-to-residential-change-of-use-in-england/

The Circular economy  in buildings is inspiring new business models such as Philips’  Signify, https://www.lighting.philips.com/main/cases/cases/airports/schiphol-airport Kaer https://www.caas-initiative.org/news/video-case-study-kaer-implements-caas-in-singapore/ and Mitsubishi Electric  https://emea.mitsubishielectric.com/en/products-solutions/building/index.html Respectively they offer light, cooling and vertical transportation as a service to buildings occupiers. This gives occupiers assurances on running costs (since they do not own the systems) and incentivises the providers to minimise resource use, maximise component longevity and ensure they can be remanufactured for future clients. 

Law makers are beginning to set Circular Economy performance standards. Denmark has a strategy to reduce GNP per tonne of material used https://dakofa.com/element/danish-national-strategy-for-circular-economy/#:~:text=Circular%20economy%20is%20all%20about,but%20in%20a%20new%20product.

The Netherlands aims to be 100% circular by 2050 and Amsterdam aims to halve the use of virgin material per unit of economic output by 2030. https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/business/news-and-insights/circular-economy#:~:text=Amsterdam%20and%20the%20Netherlands%20are,to%20minimise%20waste%20of%20resources

Read more:

https://www.arup.com/perspectives/publica

For more information on the World Built Environment Forum please visit: https://www.rics.org/uk/wbef/

If you are interested in any of the documents, guidance or work that Sean mentioned please visit: https://www.rics.org/uk/

To join the World Built Environment Forum and receive exclusive content please sign up here: https://www.rics.org/uk/wbef/join-wbef/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Since an introduction to the construction industry towards the end of the 20th century, the role of robotics is ever-growing with the technology facilitating its implementation.

In this week’s WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, Alan Muse draws on the expertise of a highly accomplished Doctor of Engineering, Professor Thomas Bock from the Technical University of Munich.

We hear how robots can be used safely alongside human workers to enhance construction, advance the decarbonisation agenda, and how they’ll link in with BIM and Digital Twins.

This episode of WBEF covers:

• The evolution of robotics in the construction industry
• Distinctions between robots & cobots, and how they can be used to enhance the sector
• Benefits and barriers to using robotics on-site and off-site
• Potential effects on the continued efforts to decarbonise construction projects

The built environment plays a pivotal role in managing & mitigating climate risk, and our latest Communication on Engagement report for the UN Global Compact highlights some of the key actions RICS has taken to drive a more sustainable future in the built & natural environment.

On the latest episode of the podcast, Kay Pitman speaks with Global Sustainability Lead at RICS, Kisa Zehra, to break down that report, alongside the WBEF Sustainability Report from last year, plus a look ahead to this year’s report preceding COP27.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

• The UN Global Compact and their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• How RICS is equipping the profession with skills, tools, knowledge and competence around sustainability issues
• ICMS 3, IBOS, the Built Environment Carbon Database, and other RICS initiatives contributing to sustainability in the industry
• Key findings in last year’s Sustainability Report, and an insight into next year’s report ahead of COP27

Welcome to a brand new series of the World Built Environment Forum Insights podcast, brought to you by RICS. We’re kicking off an engaging series of monthly podcasts with a look at openBIM and the future of digital twins with Fred Kloet.

Fred, Chair of FM and Open BIM and Director of Smart Workplace International, chats to host Andrew Knight about how a collaborative approach promises to boost movements like Net Zero & Build Back Better.

We hear about the opportunities presented by the advent of platforms like openBIM, and how a federated approach to data governance promises to revolutionise the impact of digital twins.

This episode of WBEF covers:

• The exciting fundamental principles behind Open BIM
• How Build Back Better and Net Zero challenges can be solved through federation over fragmentation
• Ethical issues around assets with people in them, and standards of data governance
• How integrating facility management data presents an opportunity to increase the value of real estate

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors:
https://www.rics.org/uk/

Andrew Knight:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewknight3/

Fred Kloet:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredkloet/

In this special episode Ken Creighton, director of thought leadership and public affairs is joined by RICS President Kath Fontana and Immediate Past President, Tim Neal. 

Taking place just three days after Kath’s inauguration as the 3rd female president of the RICS, their conversation provides a timely opportunity to reflect on some of the challenges, response and opportunities of the last 12 months and also looks forwards to Kath’s term as President and how the profession and the wider industry are fundamental in providing solutions to the most serious challenges facing people and the planet for decades and generations to come. 

This special episode is a live recording of our Chief Executive, Sean Tompkins speaking with the Global Infrastructure Hub’s Chief Executive, Marie Lam-Frendo. The conversation took place back in June and centred on the role of infrastructure in creating an inclusive and resilient socio and economic recovery from Covid-19. 

As you will hear, Marie gives an update on the G20’s members approach to infrastructure and talks about the importance of developing infrastructure that meets the needs of future generations.

Marie kindly responded to some of the questions that we weren't able to answer on the day. Please find the link to "You Asked Us" piece here - https://www.rics.org/uk/wbef/megatrends/markets-geopolitics/you-asked-us-responsible-equitable-and-green-infrastructure-finance-and-delivery/

For more information on the initiatives and other themes discussed please visit https://www.gihub.org/

Other useful links:

https://cdn.gihub.org/umbraco/media/2564/global-infrastructure-investor-survey-report-2019.pdf

https://inclusiveinfra.gihub.org/ 

https://outlook.gihub.org/ 

For more information on the World Built Environment Forum please visit: https://www.rics.org/uk/wbef/

If you are interested in any of the documents, guidance or work that Sean mentioned please visit: https://www.rics.org/uk/

To join the World Built Environment Forum and receive exclusive content please sign up here: https://www.rics.org/uk/wbef/join-wbef/

You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram