Learning from Streets + Spaces
A webinar to hear from this year's Streets + Spaces finalists and launch voting for the 2026 Urbanism Awards
Date: Friday 2 October 2026
Time: 13:00 - 14:30 BST
Location: Online via Zoom
Join us virtually this autumn as we hear from from the Urbanism Awards' 2026 finalists about the stories that have shaped great places across the UK and Europe.
This session will focus on the Great Streets + Spaces finalists who will introduce each place and share the case studies that have helped make the street / space a successful urban place – touching on the assessment criteria of Leadership + Governance; Local Character; Amenity + Housing; Commercial Success + Viability; Environmental Sustainability; Community, Health + Wellbeing; Connectivity; and Joy (2026 theme).
Streets + Spaces finalists
Fort William High Street is a remarkable transformation of a neglected Scottish high street into a thriving destination, proving that curated, people-first placemaking can succeed anywhere.
Stretford Kingsway is an outstanding active travel scheme that converted a hostile dual carriageway into a welcoming, walkable gateway - creating genuine place where none existed before.
Woolwich Town Centre is a genuinely inclusive regeneration of a deprived London neighbourhood, sensitively improving a chaotic market space into a flexible, welcoming public realm for all.
Speakers
Cannon Ivers
Representing Woolwich Town Centre
Cannon Ivers (CMLI) is a landscape architect and Director at LDA Design in London. With LDA Design, he has shaped many of London’s most celebrated places including the multi-award-winning Strand Aldwych, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Burgess Park and Woolwich Town Centre. Cannon’s expertise includes streets, squares, urban parks, public spaces and projects for new communities. He holds a Master of Landscape Architecture degree with distinction from Harvard and is a teaching fellow at the Bartlett School of Landscape Architecture, UCL. Cannon is the author of the books, Staging Urban Landscapes: The Activation and Curation of Flexible Public Spaces and Planting Design. He is also the editor of the book 250 Things a Landscape Architect Should Know and Digital Fabrication. As a creative thinker and passionate communicator, Cannon frequently contributes to design discourse through publications and lectures examining healthy cities, 3D design and digital fabrication, and the activation of public spaces.
Mary Philip
Representing Fort William High Street
Mary is the Project Manager for BID Fort William, launched in 2024 to invest directly in the town centre on behalf of local businesses. The BID's focus is on local impact, collaboration, and long-term business growth. As Project Manager, Mary draws on a background in digital strategy, community engagement, and business development. For Mary and the Directors, the BID isn't just about tourism - it's about making Fort William a better place to visit, work, and live, for residents as much as visitors.
In this role, Mary has helped deliver initiatives including the Property Improvement Grant scheme, new Christmas lighting, close collaboration with key local stakeholders, and continued support for independent businesses and a cleaner, more welcoming town centre. Her approach is practical and grounded: steady partnership-building and a focus on outcomes that benefit the whole community, not just footfall.
Leah Stuart
Representing Stretford Kingsway
Leah Stuart, director at Civic, is a transport and urban infrastructure specialist with over 22 years of experience in urban regeneration. She focuses on creating inclusive, healthy, and sustainable places that positively impact both people and the environment.
She leads on projects at city, masterplan, and plot scale, with a strong emphasis on public realm design and making active travel accessible to all. Passionate about climate-conscious infrastructure, she advocates for streets and spaces that prioritise people, nature, and future resilience.
Leah sits on the Design Yorkshire and Places Matter Review Panels, chairs the Leeds Chamber of Commerce Quality Places and Spaces Group, and is a member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Climate, Energy & Environment Committee.
Voting
This webinar acts as a precursor to Urbanism Awards voting, which will open in this category directly following the event. Links to Streets + Spaces assessment reports and the voting form will be circulated to webinar attendees and the AoU Membership in the afternoon of Friday 2 October, once this event has taken place.
Access to assessment reports and voting is restricted to AoU Members only.
Voting for other categories will open directly following the respective 'Learning from' webinars on the following dates:
- Friday 9 October: Great Neighbourhoods
- Friday 16 October: Great Towns / Small Cities
- Friday 23 October: European City of the Year
Winners will be announced at the Urbanism Awards Party on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
4-for-3! Non-Members can attend all four 'Learning from' sessions for the price of three by getting in touch at [email protected], or join the AoU as a member for free access to all online sessions and Urbanism Awards voting.
