Carl Weisbrod

Director, New York City Department of City Planning & Chairman
New York City Planning Commissions

Carl Weisbrod was appointed as Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chairman of the New York City Planning Commission by Mayor Bill de Blasio in March, 2014. Carl has already left his mark on some of the city’s most dynamic and fastest-growing neighbourhoods, beginning with spearheading the city’s efforts to transform Times Square. As founding president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the largest Business Improvement District in the US, he set in motion the evolution of the financial district from an area dominated by daytime office workers into a thriving 24-7 neighbourhood.  Most recently he turned his attention to the property ownership of Trinity Church, and turned its Hudson Square landholding into a dynamic hub for creative industries and new housing, including up to 700 affordable units.

David Shaw OBE

Head of Regent Street Portfolio
The Crown Estate

David was founding director, in 2002, of the New West End Company when he joined The Crown Estate where he is Head of Regent Street Portfolio. David is responsible for the £3.4 billion Regent Street portfolio. Since 2002 the 4m sq ft Regent Street portfolio has undergone a wholesale transformation. David has led the team responsible for the regeneration and the partnership, since 2011, with Norges Bank Investment Management. 

David was awarded an OBE in the 2014 New Years Honours list for services to the Retail Industry and Voluntary Service particularly though the Orpheus Foundation.

Robert Evans

Partner
Argent (Property Development) Services LLP

Robert joined Argent Group PLC in 2001 and became an Executive Director in 2004. In 2012 he became a founding Partner of Argent (Property Development) Services LLP. Robert has overall responsibility for Argent’s residential projects and also oversees communications and public affairs.  He is also one of the Partners charged with seeking out and securing new development opportunities. 

Robert has led the planning work at King’s Cross since 2001 and sits on the King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership Board. Robert has also been involved in Argent projects in Manchester and the Thames Valley. 

Robert is a Member of the King’s Cross Academy Trust that sponsors the new King's Cross Academy school, which opens its doors in September 2015. He is also Chair of Governors.  Robert is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a member of the committee for the Joint Planning Law Conference, held each year in Oxford. He formerly chaired the British Property Federation’s Development Committee and the Tottenham Landowners’ and Major Businesses Group. 

Before joining Argent, Robert worked in planning and environmental consultancy and gained experience in a wide range of public and private sector development and infrastructure projects in the UK, Canada and Norway. 

Nigel Bidwell

Partner
Farrells

With 15 years’ experience of working alongside Sir Terry Farrell, Nigel is now a Partner at Farrells and has extensive experience in the delivery of large scale urban regeneration. He creates new places building on the patterns of the past but responding to London's pressing issues of today. He is leading on some of London's most important projects including Earls Court, Lots Road (Chelsea Waterfront), Convoys Wharf, Euston HS2 and Old Oak Common where HS2 meets Crossrail in West London. In the last three years he has delivered in excess of 15 million square feet of development through planning in London and designed in many regions outside the UK, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Lucy Musgrave

Founding Director
Publica

Lucy Musgrave is founding Director of the public realm consultancy Publica. The practice specialises in understanding the identity of urban neighbourhoods and providing advice on the integration of new development. Over a 20 year career, Lucy has played a key role in policy recommendations, strategic planning and urban design frameworks and in the advocacy of design quality. Lucy is currently a member of the New London Sounding Board and the City Property Association Board.

Recent major advisory roles include membership of the West End Partnership Public Realm Task Group, Sir Terry Farrell’s panel for the Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment and the RIBA national and international awards panel.