After nearly eight years as the RTPI's chief executive, Dr Victoria Hills is moving on at the end of December. For episode 6 of PlannerPod, we caught up with the outgoing chief to look back on her time at the helm, her successes, her disappointments and her hopes for the institute and for planning. It's a relaxed and candid interview that digs beneath the surface of what drives Victoria and how she's grown into the role, including the revelation of the 'Hillsey gene' and ideas for a t-shirt f...
In which, The Planner team chats with planners – and social media content creators – Mahsa Ige and Nouvella Kusi about how the planning profession can use social media to talk about planning, urbanism and development with a wider audience. To coincide with the launch of the RTPI's It Takes Planners & You campaign, we delved into the use of social media platforms to expand the planning profession's reach and to improve its communication with the people who are most affected by planning pro...
What's the relationship between housing and economic growth? What's required to translate development into healthy economic activity? In this National Planning Conference preview, The Planner's Simon Wicks and Nicola Gooch speak to Danny Collins, head of economics for Iceni Projects, and Shanika Mahendran, the cabinet member for planing and placemaking in Milton Keynes about the relationship between housing and economic growth. What makes good growth and the prospect of a new swathe of...
Episode 3 of The Planner magazine's PlannerPod podcast, in which our editorial team is joined by guest host and regular Planner columnist Nicola Gooch to delve into the transformation of the UK's electricity grid with special guest Rob Shaw. We also share our thoughts on the potential of storytelling in planning: can we do a better job of engaging the public with the work of planners? Hosts: Ben Gosling, Nicola Gooch, Simon Wicks Guest: Rob Shaw MRTPI, managing director of Third Revolution P...
Episode 2 of The Planner magazine's PlannerPod podcast, in which the Planner's editorial team and guests Miriam Levin and Simon Creer pick out their highlights from the last two months of Planner activity, chat about a new report into public engagement and delve into the results of The Planner's 2025 Careers Survey. Can planning do a better job of engaging with the public? Hosts: Simon Wicks, Laura Edgar and Ben Gosling Guest: Robbie Calvert, MRTPI, head of policy and research at the RTPI ...
In which the Planner's editorial team and this episode's guest, Robbie Calvert, pick out their highlights from the latest issue of The Planner magazine, chat about the sector-changing Planning and Infrastructure Bill and delve into the pressing issue of loneliness and the built environment. Can sensitive planning help to relieve social isolation? Hosts: Simon Wicks, Laura Edgar and Ben Gosling Guest: Robbie Calvert, MRTPI, head of policy and research at the RTPI Key moments: 0:53 Planner ...