Spotlight: Meet Emma Frost

Emma is a long-time collaborator and supporter of the IGP's research in east London in her previous role at London Legacy Development Corporation and founding partner in the London Prosperity Board.   Emma is currently Chair of the UK Innovation Districts Group and will be working with us to develop research and teaching on inclusive innovation.

Here she tells us about her background, her role with the IGP and more. 

Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you’ve come across the IGP?

My background is in community development and I’ve worked in urban regeneration for the last couple of decades. I’m fascinated by the people dimensions of how places work and what makes them thrive. I first got involved in the IGP's work when I met Prof Henrietta Moore and we talked about power imbalances in the way that places are designed and managed. From there I supported her and her team to set up the London Prosperity Board and design and test the first citizen-led prosperity index which aims to understand and measure what a good life really looks and feels like.

Could you tell us about a current project you’re working on or what you have coming up with the IGP?

I work with innovation districts across the UK and abroad – helping to shape mission led innovation processes that respond to major societal challenges. One of these districts is one I helped set up and is based at the Olympic Park in London; SHIFT. SHIFT is currently running a series of innovation challenges to support local SMEs with innovative ideas and services – for example, working with Yodomo to develop new types of insultation for social housing from pre-consumer textile waste.  

What does prosperity mean to you?

It’s the ability to lead a full and fulfilling life. To feel like you have choices and the agency to chart your own path – whichever direction that might be in. It’s about having good relationships, good health, a feeling of safety, of security and strength. For me community connection is really important, feeling like you have a purpose and place that helps ground you in life.

What professional achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

Setting up the Youth Panel and then the Youth Board as part of the Olympic Legacy project in east London. This long running programme of dedicated youth engagement taught us so much about the process of engagement and the importance of different perspectives in all conversations – but also how critical young people’s experiences and observations are about the places and communities that they are part of. All too often these perspectives aren’t really heard or listened to, let alone responded to. The London Legacy Development Corporation has now changed it’s formal governance so that at least one member of the board must be under 30 years old and there is direct interface with the Youth Board. This process has also influenced other government bodies and boards elsewhere and the young people who’ve been involved in decision making and place building around the Olympic Park have created a stronger legacy as a result.

Who is influential to you and why?

To be honest, I try and take learnings from everyone I engage with – good and bad because they’re all useful reference points!

Do you have a recent book, film, or podcast that you would recommend?

'The Rest is Politics' podcast is brilliant. I like the measured debate and constructive conversations between left and right political commentators who really understand the crux of pretty complicated issues and try to inject a personal human level understanding to political discourse. I also love Cautionary Tales by Tim Harford. This is the opposite of current affairs / politics and tracks back through history to unpick past events or situations and understand what went wrong and why and what this tells us about the human condition.