We were thrilled to launch the inaugural AGI Housing Network Event on Wednesday, 9 July, kicking off a new chapter for innovation in housing. The event focused on Place-Based Approaches: Meeting Housing Needs and Enhancing Quality of Life, drawing together passionate professionals determined to shape the future of housing through geospatial insight.
Highlights from an Inspiring Afternoon
Held at the impressive RICS Event Space in Birmingham, the gathering brought together leaders and trailblazers from across the housing sector for a series of thought-provoking presentations:
- Pascal Coulon (CGI) challenged conventional thinking with Beyond the Map: Leveraging Geospatial 2.0 for Holistic Housing Needs Assessment, urging us all to think beyond traditional mapping and embrace new ways to visualise and analyse spatial data.
- Daniel Clements (Idox Geospatial) posed the provocative question: 5 Million Homes – What Does the Data Say? He explored how geospatial intelligence exposes both opportunities and risks in the Government’s ambitious housing targets, highlighting the vital role of data for developers, planners, and communities.
- Chris Kinnear (Data Futurists) dived into Geospatial in Social Housing, illuminating the challenges facing our sector—especially around data literacy and the hurdles to influencing key decision makers.
- Stephen Croney (Esri UK) took us into the third dimension with Designing with 3D Geospatial Data to Improve Housing Delivery, revealing how 3D visualisations are transforming public engagement and planning, from urban regeneration to major infrastructure projects.
- Sarah Widdowfield (Ramboll) closed the presentations with Living Well Locally – Using Spatial Tools to Support Land Use Planning. She championed the creation of ’20-minute communities’, demonstrating how GIS helps design neighbourhoods with better amenities and sustainable, healthy travel options.
Community, Collaboration, and Momentum
The day didn’t end when the talks did—our networking drinks session saw animated conversations continue well into the evening, forging new partnerships and friendships.
A huge thank you to our sponsors—RICS, CGI, and Idox Geospatial—whose support made this inspirational day possible.
What’s Next?
The AGI Housing Network is just getting started! We’re already curating the next event and are eager to keep the conversation going about geospatial’s pivotal role in housing—whether you’re in a housing association, planning team, property development, or land management.
Stay tuned for more details—together, we can shape the future of housing!
AGI Members can view the programme with links to the event presentations in our AGI Member Resources