Alumni Spotlight: Alex Talbot
Urban Regeneration MSc alumnus Alex Talbot reflects on life as a student at The Bartlett School of Planning, and shares advice with future students looking to get into a career in planning.
About Alex
Alex Talbot came to The Bartlett School of Planning looking to cement his skills and experience as a regeneration professional. Since completing the Urban Regeneration MSc, Alex is delivering one of London’s largest estate regeneration schemes whilst exploring mechanisms for public sector organisations to continue to deliver affordable housing.
Q&A with Alex
What were your academic and professional interests and experiences before coming to the course?
By the time I applied for the course, I had already been working in the regeneration sector, on the public sector side, for around 18 months. I was attracted to both the sector and, by extension, the course for several reasons: it related to my undergraduate degree in Social Policy; it provided an important mechanism for addressing housing inequity; and it appeared to be an interesting, multifaceted profession and line of academic exploration. After finishing the course and continuing to work in the regeneration sector, I’m happy to report that all the above are true.
Why did you join the Urban Regeneration MSc?
The course was extremely interesting, and with flexible module selection, it encourages students to shape their academic journey and specialise in their respective areas of interest. The course’s balance between theoretical conception and analysis and real-world applicability felt appropriate and equipped my peers and me to think strategically and appreciate the detail required for implementing large-scale capital projects. I undertook the course on a flexible basis. This allowed me to extend the length of time undertaking the master's to suit my demanding job working for a London local authority. It was extremely helpful and something that a lot of higher education institutions didn’t seem to offer.
UCL’s facilities, as you’d expect from such a prestigious university, were top-class, and we had access to a range of software and facilities that I know peers at other universities undertaking similar courses weren’t supplied with.
The Urban Regeneration MSc has really cemented my skills and experience as a regeneration professional. I continue to work in public sector regeneration, now working on a significant scale and making the kind of impact on London’s built environment that I’ve wanted to for some time. I’m currently delivering one of London’s largest estate regeneration schemes while simultaneously exploring mechanisms that allow public sector organisations to continue to deliver affordable housing in contexts of extreme pressure on capital resources and borrowing capacity. I’m really happy working in this sector, and my 10-year plan is broadly to continue growing, developing, and networking within this sector to hopefully increase the impact I can make in delivering acutely needed affordable housing in the capital.
What advice would you give to a student considering the course or looking to get into a career in planning?
My advice to anyone seeking a career in the sector, or considering applying for the course, would be the following:
- Seek out opportunities for getting accredited qualifications – be that sponsorship, apprenticeships (even up to Level 7), or, like myself, undertaking a degree part-time while working. The sector puts a premium on accredited qualifications, and these are a sure-fire way to accelerate your career.
- If you’re interested in housing delivery or regeneration, don’t be put off if you can’t find the perfect entry-level job. It’s been a winding road for me, with roles in homelessness, finance, procurement, and fundraising. I feel through these diverse experiences I’ve become a more rounded professional with a better appreciation of how regeneration nets into a wide array of other sectors and disciplines.
- A diversity of experience and awareness of research avenues will really help you on this course. Embrace the diverse avenues, both academically and geographically, that your peers on the course will have originated from and collaborate, communicate, and learn from each other. Not only is this likely to improve your attainment, but it will invariably help you make lasting professional connections and improve your overall course experience.
The world is urbanising at an increasingly rapid pace. Finding solutions to adequately house communities, implement, retrofit, and maintain a diverse array of urban infrastructure, and adapting our cities to meet a warmer world will be some of the key challenges in shaping the global human experience in the coming decades. I’d encourage anyone who wants to be part of meeting that challenge to think about enrolling at the Bartlett School of Planning – I doubt you’ll regret it.
Are you interested in studying the Urban Regeneration MSc at The Bartlett School of Planning?
Discover more about the course and the career opportunities it could unlock by visiting the UCL Graduate prospectus.