Episode 5 – Revolutionizing Urban Futures | Accelerating to a Better Future with Peter Runacres

From sketching and art to discovering the visionary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Peter's journey has been one of creativity and purpose. Inspired by good and sustainable design, his path to becoming the Head of Urban Futures is rich with insights and experiences.

Peter shares his enthusiasm for fostering retrofit innovation partnerships, especially through the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator. He highlights the immense potential of testing retrofit technologies on existing UK building stock before applying them to new builds.

Reflecting on the UK's current rate of replacing building stock—just 2-3% annually—Peter emphasizes the need to work collaboratively to future-proof our buildings and achieve Net Zero. The vast majority of UK buildings already exist, making retrofit solutions critical in reducing our environmental impact.

Peter envisions the Earls Court Development Company as a hub for clean climate technology, fostering purposeful job creation and linking to a network of innovation districts across the UK. His advice to entrepreneurs in this space? “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. Work with those already making strides and integrate with them.”

 

The podcast team

Directed and produced by Panji Kaonga and Shamita Harsh | Hosted by Lydia Chen

Produced in collaboration with Undaunted & Fabulr Studios

Get in touch

Get in touch with Peter Runacres via LinkendIn | Learn more about The Earls Court Development Company here.

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The Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator is supported by the Greater London Authority’s Better Futures programme, co-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.