Community is at the Heart of Our Innovation Districts
Five part Q&A with Anna Strongman, CEO, Oxford University Developments
4. Does new development undermine the character of ancient cities like Oxford and Cambridge?
Cities that have lasted the test of time have responded to trends and challenges. The University of Oxford’s opening up in the 19th century and the professionalisation of teaching and research is what made the university a powerhouse, developing suburbs to support this mission.
Of course, we have to be sensitive to heritage and environmental considerations, but if development is done sympathetically, it can be part of that future. It’d be good to see more pushing of the boundaries of architecture, too. Growth is necessary to respond to the biggest challenges we face worldwide: health, poverty, climate, social inequalities – a lot of these can be addressed by the research coming out of the University.
5. What are the challenges involved in masterplanning, and how can we ‘future-proof’ the places that we create?
There needs to be regulatory frameworks to encourage the right outcomes. That’s not straight forward, but good growth can be supported through standards of building design, building codes, quality, energy systems, and operational approaches to buildings.
On infrastructure, there needs to be investment to create sustainable transport solutions, even for autonomous vehicles.
Most of all, we need to set out a compelling vision and framework for the future whilst building in sufficient flexibility and nimbleness to respond to a rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.