Join us to explore how London’s most constrained and overlooked sites can play a meaningful role in addressing both the housing crisis and the climate emergency through considered, low-impact design. 

Across the capital, much of the land with housing potential exists not in large regeneration areas, but in small, fragmented sites often dismissed or ignored - including back land garages, former scrapyards, residual parking plots, awkward corners and forgotten backyards. While these sites are frequently seen as too complex or unviable, they offer an opportunity to deliver new homes within existing neighbourhoods, reducing urban sprawl, carbon emissions and infrastructure demand. 

This Coffee Conversation will explore how fabric-first principles, retrofit-led thinking and the efficient use of existing urban land can unlock these sites, supporting lower-carbon housing delivery while strengthening local communities. 

We will begin with a short overview before opening the discussion to those in the room to share perspectives and challenges. People will be able to select a sticker at the start which identifies the level to which they want to engage in the conversation, from sharing thoughts to being a listener in the conversation. 

Coffee Conversations are about demystifying the built environment sector, sparking conversation across ages and sectors, helping build soft skills, confidence, and new ways of seeing the city. 

 It is also part of the NLA’s ongoing housing research and programme of events following the launch of the ‘Homes for Londoners: A new agenda for public housing’ insight study, which explores the evolving role of the public sector in shaping the next cycle of housing. 

Full programme coming soon.