Challenges facing new retail developments, including tech innovations, expanding leisure offerings, car park demands and consumer trends were all discussed at a varied and lively Futureproofing Retail event.
The UK’s exit from the EU would allow leaders of Northern cities to invest in high-speed internet networks in a way that has been forbidden under state aid rules, writes Caroline Haynes.
The afternoon event hosted by Arup, Fairhursts Design Group and Place North West gave an overview of the most significant science facilities planned in the region, and looked at innovative projects further afield to test the pulse of the UK science industry.
Held at the Museum of Science & Industry, more than 100 specialist attendees joined the discussion on how building design can facilitate advances in science, as speakers analysed future prospects and challenges in a fast-moving sector.
Get your shovels ready councils, Theresa May needs ideas. This might not be the most common reaction to Brexit – most being on a scale between dumbfounded shock and unexpected elation – but it’s an important one nonetheless, writes Ben Lucas of Metro Dynamics.
As university development programmes grow more ambitious to house an increasing variety of facilities, this special briefing event looked at the power of universities to act as key regenerators in our cities.
Sponsored by Morgan Sindall and held in the Manchester Metropolitan School of Art, the event spotlighted some of the most significant projects underway in the North West, and saw a discussion around issues such as funding, procurement processes, and Brexit pressures on international staff and students.
Paul Swinney, principal economist at Centre for Cities, presented his latest research, on lessons learned for the North of England from the economies of the Rhine-Ruhr and Randstad, to an invited audience at a breakfast debate organised by Place North West for DAC Beachcroft and Centre for Cities.
What might happen to city regions going through the devolution process is explored in a research paper published by Metro Dynamics, the consultancy established by Mike Emmerich, former head of New Economy Manchester, and Sarah Whitney, ex-CBRE and North West Evergreen Fund advisor.
The meeting of financial services and technology. Is it the big new hope for Manchester? A threat to traditional financial services and chunky space requirements? Or the latest flavour of the month? Neil Tague finds out.
According to an EY report commissioned by the Treasury, UK fintech has grown from disruptive roots to be worth £6.6bn a year in 2015. The UK is undoubtedly well-placed, behind only California in terms of people employed and having the strongest supporting ecosystem, according to EY’s benchmarking. Figures from Accenture show that the UK and Ireland accounted for two-fifths of European fintech investment in 2014.
The definition of PRS, the high design standards required, and the speculative nature of an asset still in its infancy were discussed by a panel of high-profile speakers from across the residential industry at Place North West’s latest PRS development breakfast.
The logistics sector was labelled both “positive” and “really horrible” by industry experts in a varied debate hosted by Place North West, as the panel of developers and advisers considered the demands of a market experiencing unprecedented changes.
How to foster a knowledge-sharing environment, meeting tenants’ high requirements, and the opportunities presented by technology in property were all discussed at a half-day event at Manchester Science Partnerships’ Citylabs on Oxford Road.
The briefing event focused on how technology could revolutionise the design and function of the healthcare asset class, from hospitals to care homes, and how to streamline processes and boost patient outcomes at a time of acute pressure within the NHS.
