Our guest this week is Joanna Christophides, Director at Cratus Group.

We’re just one week out from the local elections, and there’s been a lot of chatter about more seats going to candidates outside the traditional blue, red and yellow parties. Our conversation covers what appears likely to change for the built environment sector and what will still hold true after votes are counted.

We also discuss communication more broadly – between developers teams’ and the public, between developers and councillors, and between councillors and constituents.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guests this week are Founding Director Adam Green and Director of Partnerships Emily Wilson of Ninety Four Group.

Adam and Emily share insights about a sector that’s just as much P2P as it is B2B. How do we grow our businesses? How do relatively young companies navigate the public sector procurement process? What makes a company one of the firms that comes to mind when it’s time to tender? We cover it all, as well as the delicate topic of karaoke.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is Marko Salopek, Senior Project Manager at Muse.

Marko comes at the discussion from his particular perspective as part of a prestigious public-private partnership placemaking powerhouse, Muse. This conversation was a lot of fun, but it also makes a compelling a compelling argument for imperfection and grace.

It’s been remarkable that so many conversations within the built environment sector carry themes of anxiety, perfectionism, overwhelm, and the fear of guilt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the negative themes live in those gaps between how the system was designed and how it’s come to operate.

And what I’ve really appreciated is how our conversation with Marko and other guests on the podcast identify practical opportunities to fix and fill those gaps.

Be sure to follow for new episodes every other week. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is Uliana Kuzmis, Chief Credit Officer at Pallas Capital UK.

Our conversation is a window into the world of development finance. Uliana sets out how development is actually financed – or not – including the functional constraints on finance that aren’t easily visible to other parts of the built environment sector. It’s a must-listen for anyone in the sector who knows the value of the full picture, outside our own silos.

Be sure to follow for new episodes every other. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is Melissa Murphy KC of Landmark Chambers.

Melissa talks us through the draft NPPF from fresh angles, puts the power of planning committees in perspective, and considers the limitations of the metaphor of the planning balance.

Just to note, International Women’s Day is coming up on 8th March. The day commemorates women's continuing fight for equality and liberation and the proud history of the women's rights movement. Let’s give the women in our lives the fist bump, windmill high five, respect, appreciation and solidarity they deserve.

Be sure to follow for new episodes every other week. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is James Mickelburgh, co-founder of Jensen Hunt.

As town planning agents, part of our role is to make sense of a subjective and often open-ended policy context that’s always changing. The conversation with James shows how policies regarding environmentally sustainability are amongst the most open-ended, the effects that can have on decision making, and where we find optimism about these issues.

Be sure to follow for new episodes every other week. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is Viktor Rohacs, Founder and Director of Rohacs Architects.

As town planning agents, we know it’s as important to secure a successful permission as it is to secure a deliverable permission. Our conversation with Viktor shows that commercial-mindedness is part and parcel rather than an opposing force to delivering successful places.

Be sure to follow for new episodes each week. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is the one-and-only Phineas Harper.

The team at Centro is in the built environment sector because we’re dedicated to the outcomes we achieve. We’re invested in the nature of our work. That’s why it was such a good time speaking with Phineas, who has a unique position in the sector as an activist, an organiser, and – dare we say – a provocateur.

Be sure to follow for new episodes each week. Make Planning Make Sense is presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest this week is Reuben Taylor KC of Landmarks Chambers. Reuben is a brilliant planning barrister, and, as you’ll hear, our conversation covers a wide range of topics.

From the kickstart measures for housing delivery in London to the Building Safety Regulator, the draft NPPF and Mötley Crüe, this one has it all.

Be sure to follow for new episodes each week. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

The Season 2 premiere! Our guest this week is Councillor Anthony Okereke, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The insightful conversation covers new towns, the emergency relief measures for Greater London, local government funding, and good governance. We also talk politics a bit, but, as you’ll hear, not as much as Councillor Okereke had hoped. (Sorry, Anthony.)

Be sure to follow for new episodes each week. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.