The built environment shapes every part of our daily lives — the homes we live in, the spaces we move through, the places we work, meet, and unwind. But who gets to design, plan, and shape these spaces? Too often, it’s not the people who use them most.
Despite growing awareness, representation in the built environment sector continues to fall short. Ethnic groups make up 18% of England and Wales’ population yet are still under-represented in key professions: 12% in architecture, 7% in planning, and just 6% in construction. The gaps widen further when looking at LGBTQIA+ representation (less than 3% in construction) or disability (under 1% of architects identified as disabled in a 2020 survey by the ARB).
This disparity isn’t just a numbers game — it has real-world consequences. When decisions about housing, transport, and public spaces are made without a full range of perspectives, we risk creating places that exclude rather than include. In the 2023 McKinsey Diversity Matters report, companies committed to diversity showed “a 39 percent increased likelihood of outperformance for those in the top quartile of ethnic representation versus the bottom quartile”. Diversity of thought, creativity and empathy are essential to tackling the complex challenges organisations face — from housing equity to climate resilience.
But progress is slow. According to the 2023 FIR Programme survey, while 52.5% of built environment job applicants were from ethnically diverse backgrounds, only 13.6% made it into the workforce. Building a truly inclusive built environment means confronting bias, changing systems, and opening doors. It takes more than words — it requires commitment, investment, and action. At Future of London, we’re addressing these challenges through two key programmes:
The Emerging Talent Programme
Committing to equity and diversity within the built environment begins with us, individuals and organisations with the power to effect change and build a new pipeline of decision makers for our cities. In our mission to tackle this problem, the Emerging Talent Programme was developed by Future of London to help employers in the built environment sector address two most common HR challenges:
- To increase diversity within the workforce so that the industry is representative of the groups it serves.
- To recruit ambitious new talent into the industry who bring enthusiasm, energy and fresh insights to the sector.
Now in its fourth intake, the 15-month programme places high-calibre participants from ethnically diverse backgrounds with employers for two long-term paid placements. We surveyed our host organisations who told us the programme has deepened their understanding of ways to embrace equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). “The programme enabled our organisation to add diversity to the team and it’s encouraged us to re-evaluate our recruitment processes,” said one host.
Future of London carries out the recruitment and onboarding process and offers wrap-around support to candidates and employers throughout, including mentoring, monthly training sessions, and cultural intelligence training for line managers.
We’re currently recruiting hosts for the next cohort launching in April 2026. We’re looking for developers, SMEs, consultancies, housing associations, and boroughs ready to make a tangible commitment to inclusion — and benefit from access to pre-assessed, aspiring professionals.
The Speaker Diversity Network
Representation is also about who holds the mic. Our Speaker Diversity Network serves as a critical strand in improving the diversity of the whole sector by amplifying the voices of speakers from under-represented groups at sector events.
Our searchable online Speaker Bank makes it easy for event organisers to find speakers from under-represented backgrounds, enabling them to browse through a curated selection of tried and tested speakers, filtering by expertise, and then contact speakers directly through a webform.
The network also delivers bi-annual Speaker Showcases – free workshops that enable up-and-coming speakers to build their confidence and develop their skills in a friendly and constructive environment.
The speaker diversity network is supported by L&Q and the G15.
Get in touch with Hermione Penny to learn more about the Emerging Talent Programme, or visit our website to explore the Speaker Diversity Network.