The Future of Inclusive Design and Women in Architecture with Ana McMillin

In this UKREiiF 2025 special episode of Urban Forecast, Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd are joined by Dr Ana McMillin, Director of Architecture at Broadway Malyan, steering committee member of Women in Architecture, and executive member of the Urban Design Group.

Despite progress, cities continue to reflect a limited range of lived experiences. Too often, they are shaped by a small group of voices, leaving others excluded from the spaces where they live, work and move.

Ana shares her insights from major regeneration projects, including the Aylesbury Estate, and explores what it means to create truly inclusive places. From consulting meaningfully with communities to rethinking the design of homes, streets and blocks, she outlines what must change in both practice and leadership.

This episode challenges the status quo and asks how we can design cities that genuinely work for everyone.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

Cities are still designed for some, not all: Too many lived experiences are still excluded from how we shape the built environment.

Leadership must reflect society: Inclusion starts with who is making the decisions, not just how they’re made.

The problem isn’t the guidance, it’s the delivery: We already know what makes a good place. We just don’t always implement it.

Regeneration is about relationships, not just buildings: Rethinking the spaces between buildings can create a radically different lived experience.

Community voices must shape design: From estate regeneration to street layouts, bottom-up planning makes cities more human.

Design affects opportunity: Access to safe, well-connected spaces influences everything from work to culture to quality of life.

The industry must confront its blind spots: Without intentional inclusivity, we will keep building cities that work best for the few.

Everyday needs matter: Small changes, like storing a buggy, or feeling safe walking home are critical to inclusive design.


 BEST MOMENTS

“People don't necessarily understand our language. So as architects, we have to find the language to communicate.”

“It's not just about replacing eight-storey blocks with 20-storey towers. It's about completely rethinking the urban form.”

“The built environment has been pretty much designed, built, funded by the same sort of people. That has to change.”

“Sometimes the most important thing in a plan is a single tree – and letting that shape the entire masterplan.”


VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.ackroydlowrie.com 

https://www.harlow.gov.uk 


EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Harlow’s Regeneration Comeback | How Harlow Delivers More Homes with Cllr Dan Swords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMcoe24JLPA 

Inside Brent’s Regeneration Project with Alice Lester

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGRh8HgX0to 


ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.


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