Delegates from around the world attended the UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference 2015 at London South Bank University to present new research findings and engage in discussion around the theme of "Future Planning, Future Cities". The three-day conference featured presentations on London's housing crisis, transport, and environmental issues as well as its status as a global city. It concluded with delegates taking a river cruise down the Thames, learning about the city from an entertaining commentary by Professor Peter Rees. The conference helped raise the university's research profile.

1. UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference 2015:
River Thames Boat Trip
Some delegates travelled across the globe to attend the UK-Ireland Planning
Research Conference 2015 (PRC) — Hong Kong and New Zealand being the
furthest points of origin. Over the three days planning and related researchers,
some eminent experts, presented new research findings and engaged in lively
debate — centred on the conference theme — ‘Future Planning, Future Cities’.
Given our location it was not surprising that London’s housing crisis, transport and
environmental problems but also its status as a wonderful global city became
recurrent themes. PRC 2015 was organised by Dr Manuela Madeddu (School of
Law and Social Sciences, LSS). Dr Michael Leary-Owhin and Neil Adams (LSS)
were track chairs for Urban Regeneration and Territorial Governance respectively.
Prof Craig Barker (Dean of LSS) opened the conference, stressing how the LSS
research focus of social equity and global responsibility was evident in many of the
papers. The final afternoon found the delegates cruising down the River Thames in
warm sunshine (see photo), educated and entertained by a scintillating and
humorous commentary from Prof Peter Rees (UCL), former chief planner at the
City of London and LSBU alumnus. It is the first time LSBU has hosted this major
international conference that was clearly a great success, helping to enhance the
University’s research reputation.