Bartlett PhD Alumni: Dr Sarah Cary

What project are you currently working on?

I am responsible for British Land’s environmental, social and to some extent ethical performance.  So while I may help advise on Canada Water, our 46 acre mixed use development, or the re-development of a retail park in Glasgow, my day to day job goes beyond individual projects to set policies, standards and engage my colleagues in how to create a more sustainable built environment.

 I also have a role in representing British Land to our investors, peers and government representatives across the UK.

What working achievement are you most proud of?

I helped deliver a 10-year programme to redevelop an area of central London we call Regent’s Place, building over 1 million square feet of new offices, homes, a theatre, all with generous public space. 

We delivered amazingly high environmental standards and had a measurably positive impact on the living standards of the surrounding estates – the local area was in the top 1% of London for reduction in deprivation over the time of our development.  

Now, if you hang out in the square at 4pm on a Friday, you’ll be surrounded by local teenagers, Facebook coders, Santander bankers, and Debenhams fashion designers – all enjoying the sun and the public arts and events we have on offer.  

How do you feel about being nominated as a role model?

This is a trick question, of course I feel pleased!  The Bartlett gave me many things in my time, but in particular I appreciate how my degrees were never just about the focus of the course – they all gave me a broad knowledge about how the built environment is conceived, created and managed.   

I’ve used that broad foundation throughout my career; while I have some technical specialism I’ve used my wider understanding  to develop and grow my responsibilities over time.   

That is hopefully something I can emulate as a role model – I’m a planner who works on corporate strategy and who on a weekly basis uses Bartlett-educated knowledge on social theory, urban design, city policy analysis, architectural specification, global environmental limits, etc. the list goes on!

How would you describe your journey to your current role?

I started studying cities because I was fascinated about why people choose to live where and how they do – and because I firmly believed that urban living has a lighter environmental footprint than suburban, and can provide a better social context too. 

So I focused on global urbanisation, and studied in the DPU, with an interest in sustainable development but I struggled to find paid employment in the international development sector, and I really enjoyed living in London. So I worked for about six years advising on all scales of projects in the UK – from masterplans to individual homes - with a focus on issues of sustainable development. 

I was then hired by British Land to focus on their development programme, setting sustainability standards, supporting planning applications, and then delivering on those goals.

My knowledge of planning policy was critical to success in this role – but I also got to experience the joy of seeing ideas and plans come to life as real buildings and places.  At one point we had over 15 major construction projects on site, and I spent my weeks in boots and hard hats, checking in on contractor performance.   

Eighteen months ago I took on a new role at British Land, looking after the company’s sustainability strategy across all its activities. In this role I report to the CFO and deal equally with issues of corporate strategy, urban policy and responsible business. 

It has been a fundament shift from development focussed work and I’ve enjoyed learning about property management and financial investor concerns.  British Land is recognised as industry leader in creating and managing sustainable property – a great place to start from, and my job to continue to deliver. 

What motivated you to complete a PhD at the Bartlett?

Well first I decided to do a second Masters degree.  Partially because I wanted to a degree that led to a professional qualification – as a planner; and partially because I enjoy the mental exercise of studying and analysing information. And I just kept going, I enjoyed it so much.  

I chose international planning because I hoped that a broader perspective might come in useful someday – perhaps in moving countries, and perhaps just in understanding policy options better.  And it has.   I regularly use the detailed knowledge I gained about how global planning systems and processes work – the comparative insight helps me give stronger advice and make better decisions.  

Also, I expect to live for a fairly long time – longer than my parents and grandparents.  And I am not the kind of person who works to save for retirement – I work because I love making bits of city better places.  So I decided to do a PhD as a way of keeping future career options open; perhaps I could transfer back to academia from practice at a later date - we’ll see.

What advice would you give to current Bartlett PhD students?

First, life is both too short and too long to do a job you don’t enjoy. And in your first few years after finishing your degree, you can probably move around between jobs (within reason) without damaging your reputation.  So follow your heart for a while – work with people you respect and like, and on projects that really make you engaged and satisfied.  This may take you to a different place than you started out – and that is ok.

Second, network, network, network. Get involved in industry organisations that you are interested in, and that are relevant to, but outside, your place of work.  Make friends and build a group of people you can call on for insight, assistance or advice.  You will not regret where it takes you.