Communities Minister Iain Wright, Hugh Pearman (Sunday Times Architecture Correspondant), and Sunand Prasad at RIBA fringe event at the Labour Conference.
In Manchester, the RIBA continued with its busy fringe events programme. Architecture correspondet Hugh Paerman chaired a lively RIBA/Urban Hub debate on the built environment's effect on our happiness. Phil Redmond, Chair of Liverpool Capital of Culture 08, pointed to Disneyland as a case in point. The debate coincided with the launch of the Building Futures new publication "Building Happiness - Architecture to make you smile" (Black Dog publishers).
In the sumptuous surroundings of Manchester Town Hall, Keith Vaz MP, RIBA President Sunand Prasad along with other speakers assessed how the Government is preparing for extreme (terrorist or climate) events in our cities.
Phil Redmond at a RIBA fringe event.
The RIBA and CPRE's Eco-town debate in the Climate Clinic saw Sunand Prasad defend the concept of the eco-towns but said that the RIBA would only support them if they were truly sustainable. Also at the debate was Sir Terry Farrell who argued that the Government should really be concentrating on greening our existing settlements. Communities Minister Iain Wright said that this was a real opportunity to build a small number of exemplary settlements where there was a real focus on sense of place, good design and sustainability.
As well as putting this programme of fringe events the RIBA Public Affairs Team and President Sunand Prasad attended numerous important stakeholder events and had one-to-one meetings with relevant ministers.
For more information please contact: David Plaisant, Policy and Public Affairs Co-ordinator, E: david.plaisant@inst.riba.org|
The panel and audience discuss happiness and the built environment at RIBA event in Manchester.