What's Now. What's Next.

How we can support our Future Communities to withstand threats, respond to shocks, face-down disruption and even better, benefit from, great change and uncertainty?

Introducing What's Now. What's Next. — an exploration of resilience and robustness, adaptation and antifragility in the context of an increasingly complex world.

An exploration of resilience and robustness, adaptation and antifragility in the context of an increasingly complex world.

In conversation with...

Each of these conversational podcast and video packages presents a fresh perspective on community issues that while experienced locally, have universal relevance and applicability. In this series, we talk to experts from a range of fields – from industry to academia – to discuss the trends impacting communities in every corner of the globe.

Episode 6_WNWN_Michelle_Internal_Innovative solutions through digital transformation

Community Resilience in the Pacific

GHD’S Climate Resilience and Adaptation Lead, Emma Newland, discusses the natural resilience in the Pacific Islands against severe weather events and how we can adapt natural disaster relief efforts to suit urban and rural communities.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

→ Watch the video

Innovative solutions through digital transformation

GHD’s Senior Advisor for Simulation and Decision Science, Brendan Langfield, explores insights from the CROSSROADS research report, demonstrating how digital transformation is solving complex infrastructure challenges.

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→ Watch the video

Digital innovators leading change

Jackie Lee-Joe, a digital and media expert, discusses working with youth grappling with eco-anxiety and economic uncertainty. As young leaders step up, they address critical issues for a brighter future.

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Navigating the energy shift to renewables

GHD’s Future Energy Lead, Tom Foley, explains the 21st-century transition to renewable energy and its implications for social and infrastructure development, promoting community support for a fair transition.

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→ Watch the video

Transforming urban landscapes for social equity

María Fernández, Head of Sustainability at Multiplex in the UK, tackles urgent urban development issues. In this episode, Maria focuses on decarbonisation, Net Zero transitions and social equity to evolve urban environments.

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Global water challenges: A deep dive

GHD’s Water Market Lead, Gemma Dunn, examines global water issues like aging infrastructure, population growth and climate change, assessing their impact on equitable water access.

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→ Watch the video

Nurturing tomorrow's leaders: Inspiring collaborative innovation

Jennifer Weerasinghe from York University and Professor Franz Newland from Ottawa University highlight academia's crucial role in crafting a vibrant, equitable future. Emerging leaders are creating community-focused solutions driven by a strong sense of responsibility.

→ Listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify

What history teaches us about community re-builds

Pablo Allard, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Arts at the Universidad del Desarrollo reveals the key lessons learned from his experience leading the recovery masterplans for more than 150 Chilean cities and towns after a recent, destructive flooding event.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Achieving social impact, equity and justice in our built environments

Catriona Brady, Director of Strategy and Development at the World Green Building Council, highlights how considering the ‘S’ in ESG during the design and development of our built environments will shape thriving communities of the future.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Housing: the global challenge playing out at a community level

Carolyn Whitzman, housing researcher at the University of Ottawa, discusses how we can address some of the biggest challenges impacting housing around the world, from lack of supply to changes in construction methodologies.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

On the move: The shifting role of transport in unprecedented times

Myles Lind, Chief Engineer at Auckland Transport, explores how unprecedented weather events, changing community behaviour and pressure to decarbonise is transforming the role of transport providers.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Competing places: Attracting international labour to critical industries

Chris Conway, CEO at Food and Beverage Ontario, discusses the fragile, interconnected relationship between place, food security and labour – revealing how competition for talent is impacting the industry.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Teams, talent and technology: Trends impacting the development sector

Steven Coates, Managing Director at Matthews Southwest EMEA, unpacks the influences shaping investment in the development sector – from ESG, to migration, competing cities and the changing nature of work and travel.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Food insecurity, equity and digital solutions

Claudia Bonilla Keller, Chief Executive Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank, shares her experiences tackling food insecurity across Orange County in Los Angeles, revealing how digital solutions are improving equitable access to this fundamental human need.

→ Watch the video

Building community resilience through effective engagement

Professor Sara Bice, Foundation Director of the Institute for Infrastructure in Society at the Australian National University, breaks-down the importance of community engagement in realising fit-for-purpose infrastructure and ultimately, enhanced resilience.

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The changing nature of people, place and community

Matthew Davis, Director of the Institute of Place Management, explores current and future trends impacting the relationship between place, community and social infrastructure across the United Kingdom.

→ Watch the video

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Choosing the path to positive legacy

With communities facing compounding pressures, charting a course to an equitable future has never been more challenging. At this critical juncture, how do we promote fair and fit-for-purpose infrastructure, from one generation to the next? CROSSROADS is a new research-backed exploration of intergenerational equity, through an infrastructure lens.

Discover more

5x5x5 – five challenges facing our Future Communities

Five themes. Five perspectives. Five podcasts. In this 5x5x5 series, specialists from across our global network team-up to discuss current and future challenges facing communities and how we can help shape thriving places and spaces that put people first.

Housing: Affordability and accessibility

Many communities around the world are facing a housing crisis.
How can practical solutions, technological developments and major reforms help us make headway on this intergenerational issue?

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
→ Read the full article

Access and equity: Social infrastructure

Access to infrastructure varies from place to place, sometimes drastically impacting people’s quality of life. We explore how to ensure equitable access to social infrastructure across the urban/rural divide.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
→ Read the full article

Adaptation and resilience: Sustainability and climate shock

With more frequent and intense weather events happening across the world, climate change has reached a heightened level of international concern. It’s clear that our Future Communities must be agile, adaptable and resilient to an ever-changing world – the question is, how?

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
→ Read the full article

Mobility: People-orientated transport

Against a backdrop of increasing urbanisation and shifting human behaviours, decision makers have more dynamic factors to consider than ever before. With limited space to accommodate everyone's needs, we explore how we can effectively plan and build more sustainable, equitable transport networks.

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
→ Read the full article

Asset transition: Future of work

Conversation around the future of work is often dominated by contrasting opinions on hybrid working styles. Amid this debate, our CBDs are becoming quieter. In this context, how can organisations ensure they are making the right decisions for their assets?

→ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
→ Read the full article

Helping our clients get the balance right — to support the communities of today and tomorrow.

How can we support our Future Communities to withstand threats, respond to shocks, face-down disruption and even better, benefit from, great change and uncertainty?

Get in touch

Perspectives from our future leaders

We asked the next generation of scientists, engineers, designers, placemakers and city-shapers for their views on the forces shaping our Future Communities.

Something I'd like to see changed about my community is access to affordable housing. Adequate and affordable housing is really important for economic growth, financial stability and improve mental health. And this is a problem that would benefit everyone if it was solved. Being solid waste management, which is the proper collection, treatment and disposal of solid waste. So that waste from our kitchen, waste from industrial areas, etc.. There has been an increase in the severity and frequency of drugs brought about by climate change. I feel that Cambridge is quite lucky that we have such a unique blend in between the built environment and nature, which I feel is really beneficial for recreation as well as people's overall mental and physical health. Throughout our eastern Canadian provinces. Connection with nature resonates throughout the community from all too young. Many people find inspiration from our fields, our farmlands, our forests, our mountains and our valleys, our wetlands and our beaches and our coastal environment. What gives me hope for the future of my community is that we have a debt to change before we learn to work from home during the pandemic. We adapted and carried on after the earthquakes. We learned to shop without plastic bags when they were removed from supermarkets. And we look back and can no longer relate to what life was like before. We've been adapting our whole lives, so our communities should be open minded to the idea that climate resiliency will require a buy in and it will require us to adapt. I envision a future community that prioritizes sustainability and resiliency and puts the needs of people over the needs of cars. In the future, my community will be even more connected. More frequent bus services will link my community to the new light rail and metro stations, vastly reducing the need to rely on private motor vehicles. As a result, the streets in my area are safer for everybody. So what excites me is that the future hasn't happened yet and you and I get to create it.

I feel passionate about helping our communities get better at internet access. In this digital age, good access to internet is crucial to progress, collaboration and the realisation of new opportunities."

Qian Zhang, Project Engineer in Huntingdon, USA

Many people have made their way of living by the land and sea and by default have had a mindset of preservation of those resources. To me, "what's next" symbolizes the continuing of this way of life and the protection of those resources."

Jack Fiorucci, Environmental Project Coordinator in Fredericton, Canada

My hope for the future is to have built-for-purpose, affordable and social housing. And a connected, active transport network as the city grows."

Courtney Granger, Consultant - Social, Engagement and Communities in Sydney, Australia

I believe there needs to be a movement towards more holistic planning and humanitarian engineering. Approaches that consider the social, environmental and economic benefits of what we do, to ensure that our projects are valuable for the community and the environment."

Grace Tudreu, Graduate Water and Environmental Engineer in Suva, Fiji

Our commitment to you

Innovation and technical expertise, at our core.

Explore emerging issues and thought-provoking, fresh perspectives.

Solving complex challenges, one community at a time

We are embracing the future

At GHD, we don’t just believe in the power of commitment — we live and breathe it every day

What's Now. What's Next.