The London Borough Knowledge Exchange

About the series 

The London Borough Knowledge Exchange is a new in-person event series designed to bring together officers from across London’s boroughs to share insight, explore challenges, and collaborate on solutions to the capital’s most pressing urban issues.

Led by Steer and supported by guest speakers and expert partners, each event focuses on a key theme from transport and street design to sustainability, community wellbeing, and beyond.

Unlike traditional conferences, the Knowledge Exchange is built around open dialogue, real-world case studies, and interactive roundtables. Every session is designed to provide practical insight that officers can apply in their own boroughs — and the conversation doesn’t stop there.

Insights from each event will inform short articles and broader industry outputs, helping to share learnings across borough boundaries and amplify the experiences of those working on the front lines of urban change.

Events are free to attend and take place at Steer’s London office in Southwark, offering a collaborative and informal setting for discussion, along with a complimentary networking lunch.

Our aim is simple: to create a supportive space for borough officers to connect, contribute, and help shape safer, greener, and more inclusive streets for all Londoners.
 

The London Borough Knowledge Exchange is a new in-person event series designed to support officers from across London in tackling critical urban challenges through shared insight, real-world examples, and open, peer-led discussion.

Our first session, Safer Streets, took place on Wednesday 16 July at Steer’s London office and brought together borough officers to explore how thinking around road danger is evolving — from reactive responses to proactive, people-first approaches rooted in design, data and collaboration.

What the session covered

The event featured a mix of expert showcases and peer-led roundtables, focused on the real-world challenges facing London’s streets today.

Presentations included:

• Using data sources to enhance Vision Zero
  Richard Owen (Agilysis) shared how leading authorities are moving beyond historic casualty data to use more diverse, proactive datasets that support better prioritisation and evidence-based safety interventions.
• Pedestrianisation of Camden High Street
  Sophie Edmondson (Camden Council) spoke about the borough’s approach to pedestrianising Camden High Street, its wider role in road danger reduction, and what others can learn from the process.

After the showcases, attendees joined focused roundtable sessions designed to spark open conversation and cross-borough insight:

• Bus stop bypasses
  Exploring the balance between accessibility and active travel design.
• Speed management
  Discussing what makes 20mph zones effective, and how speed influences wider street safety and network performance.

We’ll be sharing follow-up content from the event soon, including key insights and highlights from the roundtable discussions.

To be notified when new articles and future sessions are announced, follow Steer on LinkedIn or visit the main London Borough Knowledge Exchange page.

Steer experts at the event

 
Edmund Cassidy London Lead
Edmund leads Steer’s client relationships in London, with expertise in strategic planning, business case development, and the integration of land use and transport. He works closely with local authorities and sub-national bodies to develop place-based strategies that improve connectivity, support equity, and drive sustainability.

Fiona Jenkins Associate Director 
Fiona is a transport planning specialist focused on designing solutions that support decarbonisation, optimise network capacity, and create more liveable places. She has particular expertise in freight strategy, working with local and sub-national authorities to develop policies for cleaner, more efficient goods movement. Fiona advised the National Infrastructure Commission on the Future of Freight study, helping shape recommendations to central government on the sector’s role in supporting net zero. At Steer, she also leads work on Transport for London’s Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), ensuring industry voices continue to shape the programme’s governance and standards.

Dom Smith UK Active Travel Lead 
Dom is a nationally recognised expert in active travel infrastructure, with over 20 years’ experience across the public and private sectors. At Transport for Greater Manchester, he led a £250m programme delivering 120km of active travel routes, including over 20km of protected cycle lanes. His work has involved collaboration with international leaders from cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam. At Steer, Dom leads active travel initiatives across the UK, helping clients deliver transformative, people-centred infrastructure.

Joel Hawthorn Associate
Joel is a specialist in active travel and sustainable urban highway design, with extensive experience delivering schemes across the UK, particularly in the North of England. He brings a strong background in traffic signal design, modelling, and engineering, enabling the development of innovative yet practical solutions. In Leeds, Joel helped deliver over 2.5km of segregated cycle track and 12 signalised junctions, shaping early best practice in active travel infrastructure. His work in Newcastle during the Covid lockdown introduced emergency street changes that were later made permanent due to their success. At Steer, Joel supports and leads projects that create walkable, cycle-friendly streets and sustainable transport networks.