Lunchtime Talk: What is design for now?

How rising social and environmental expectations are reshaping the purpose and responsibilities of design in the built environment. · As society increasingly looks to the built environment to help address a huge array of social and environmental challenges, what does this mean for the purpose of design? Convened by LDA Design, this lunchtime session will explore whether expectations of places are changing faster than the systems and assumptions that shape development, and what this means for designers, policymakers, developers and communities. Rather than presenting a catalogue of projects, the session will use a combination of provocation, practical examples and audience discussion to examine a central question: “If society increasingly expects the built environment to help address challenges such as climate adaptation, nature recovery, public health and social resilience, what does that mean for the purpose and responsibilities of design?” The discussion will combine strategic thinking with real-world experience, using a small number of projects to test ideas against the realities of delivery, governance, policy and funding.