Sustainable Places: Climate Adapted Cities

Blanche Cameron is Environmental Design Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, working with UCL academics and industry partners on nature-based solutions to climate adaptation, for healthy, resilient, equitable and biodiverse places. Blanche has worked for more than 20 years as a designer, builder and lecturer, previously ten years at the CAT Graduate School of the Environment. She is a researcher and editor and co-organises events including the biannual European Urban Green Infrastructure Conference. 

Dusty is a founder of Gentian Ltd and the President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations (EFB). He has a particular interest in biodiversity and urban nature. A recognised designer, technical and policy advisor on green roofs, he has worked across the world and has designed and is aware of innovative approaches of combining solar and green roofs.  A published author, he has been instrumental in writing strategic reports on green roofs and green infrastructure, the most recent of which is the new London green roof report.

John argues against long standing protocol within public space and horticulture. He suggests structural complexity is overlooked in landscape design and is more important than plant choice. After 18 years caring for the greenspace on Clapton Park estate, Hackney, he produced a sustainable grounds maintenance contract that puts people first. He questions our obsession with specifying topsoil in all new projects, especially on highways and new developments. In 2008 he launched a range of small green roof shelters based on shipping containers and designed portable structures including bike and bin storage.

Jonny Wates is a social entrepreneur, committed to mitigating the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss on humanity and the planet. Over a 30-year career Jonny has worked in brand management, led a corporate strategy transformation programme and founded and led a renewable energy services business. Since 2008 he has served as a director on the Wates Group board. He is chair of the Board Sustainability Committee and champions the social and environmental regeneration agenda across the organisation, where it is now seen as both a moral responsibility and a cornerstone of long-term competitiveness. 

Outside of the business Jonny is a Trustee of Forum for the Future, an advisory board member of Commonland, The Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) and The World Benchmarking Alliance. He is an Associate with Leader’s Quest. Jonny is also an active philanthropist, being a Trustee of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust, The Wates Foundation and the William Wates Memorial Trust.  

Wendy Allen is an experienced award-winning UK garden designer specialising in the design and retrofit of small-scale biodiverse SuDS solutions, including rain gardens. With Rivers Trust 'Action for the River Kennet', Wendy leads teams of community volunteers to build these rainscapes, frequently in schools, which always include elements of natural play and biodiverse habitat. She delivers skills-based training workshops as part of Rain Garden UK, aiming to make rain gardens achievable for homeowners and communities. 

Senior Sustainability Insights Manager at Grosvenor Property UK (leading on sustainability data provision and the biodiversity strategy). Previously a Consultant at Eden McCallum for 6 years jointly doing sustainability and strategy work. MSc student at Imperial College London (joint with the Natural History Museum) 2015, having studied a BA in Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford.