Future of Retail & Placemaking

Our team is led by Head of Retail Helena Davies — a specialist property litigator who’s deeply embedded in the retail sector with a focus on ESG, community impact and urban regeneration projects. Helena has led many innovative projects and campaigns that bring together retail sector leaders to drive real change and progress.

She works closely alongside Iain Gamble, who heads up our real estate practice group. With expertise in property development, Iain specialises in long-term, large-scale and complex urban renewal projects. He's worked on Liverpool Waters, Wirral Waters, Chatham Waters and Everton’s Bramley Moore Dock stadium development on behalf of longstanding client Peel Waters, as well as Eden Project Morecambe for Lancaster City Council.

Also in the team is Krista Powell — an experienced property lawyer called on to handle high-profile acquisitions, disposals and property management work for some of the UK’s largest developers and investors. As a member of the LDN Collective, Krista provides expertise on social impact, zero carbon and modern methods of construction, as well as architecture, engineering and graphic design.

With 72% of investors and local authorities set to deliver regeneration and infrastructure projects over the next five years and the Government committing to planning reform to accelerate high street transformation, the future is bright for our urban environments.

Yet to maximise this opportunity, people and places — not buildings and spaces — must be the focus to create community and cultural value. High streets that succeed will understand local needs and deliver a built environment to meet them.

We recently held two lively conferences in Manchester and London in partnership with Portland Design that brought together a range of thought leaders and senior decision makers to discuss what the future holds for physical retail.

This revealed that traditional transactional retail needs to be supported by a mix of uses, experiences and services that create exciting spaces for town centres to become a gravitational force for communities once more.

Watch our highlights videos below.