Ellie Cosgrave, Director of CIC and Research has attended events and discussions centred around representation in the built environment, discussing ways in which we can bridge the gaps between government, community, and design.

Firstly, she joined UKREIIF in Leeds for a crucial panel discussion on social value as a key driver of improvement in the UK, ‘Putting the S in ESG: Building a sustainable future with your community’. Ellie, alongside Sadie Morgan, Wesley Ankrah, Mike Saunders, and Selina Mason discussed macro issues as well as bottom-up initiatives to work out what must change to drive improvement in the future.

Ellie then went online to present at the ‘Data and policy: Representation through Participation’ event. This session put emphasis on empowering individuals to collect data around the things that are important to them and their communities. By placing priority on the people and their lived experience, we create the environment for sympathetic and co-created policy, and more sustainable interventions. Ellie joined Sobia Rafiq, from Sensing Local, and Toyebat Adebisi Adewale from Open Data Manchester, to share her work at Publica.

Putting her expertise to paper, Ellie has recently been published by the Evening Standard in a thought-provoking article called, How to rebuild our cities to be genuinely inclusive for all: We must create urban public spaces where young women feel safe not fearful. The article highlights the importance of creating public spaces and streets that are safe for women and gender diverse people of all races.

Ellie’s clear message throughout is that we must value the community as a crucial element in discussion, nurture creative visions for the world we want to live in and provide the spaces and tools to allow these voices to be heard.