CAM: Forest City Designathon
Forest City Cambridge Event - 10th December 2025
Time: 18:30
Address: Downing Place United Reformed Church
CB2 3EL
Event Schedule
18:30 - Doors open (grab some mulled wine!)
18:55 - Joe Reeve - quick welcome
19:00 - Shiv + Joe Update (20 mins)
19:20 - Q&A moderated by Angelo Giacco (30 mins)
19:50 - Break
20:00 - Workshops
20:55 - Break
21:05 - On stage summaries
21:20 - Close & drinks
Event Summary
19:00: Joe and Shiv Update (20 mins)
Shiv and Joe will give a full project update and how Phase 1 is well underway and on track:
Working groups
Press Coverage
Forthcoming Board announcement
Talks with Landowners
West Suffolk Council progress
Central Government
Where next?
19:20 Q&A with Shiv, Joe and moderated by Angelo Giacco
Question and answer session from the audience. Ask what you want!
20:00: Workshops!
Work in groups to help design solutions to specific problems like
The best media for interacting with Cambridge and Haverhill residents
Figuring out local wants and needs
Finding local champions
Background
The UK hasn't built a city in 50 years. The last major new town the UK built was Milton Keynes, which today generates an annual GDP of £16bn - more than Oxford and Cambridge combined, with 20,000 fewer people. Excluding London, it is the most productive place in the UK according to the Resolution Foundation.
Location & Scale: Built on a ‘greenfield’ site east of Cambridge, housing nearly 1 million people in 400,000 homes across 45,000 acres, with 12,000 acres set aside for new forest. The same size as Bristol, with a gentle density of six stories.
Cities Vs Towns:
Speed of Development: Unitary planning body with Parliamentary mandate, using modular construction
Affordable Housing: High-quality four-bedroom Passivhaus-standard townhouses for around £350,000. This can only be delivered via fast tracked greenfield development.
Smart Infrastructure: Fully 6G and fibre connected, multi-line tram system, underground EVs with last-mile delivery systems, smart water collection
Sustainable Construction: At least 25% of buildings made from industrial wood, including skyscrapers
The Community Land Trust Model
Residents purchase homes but the city retains land ownership through a Community Land Trust. When selling, residents get the building value only - land appreciation stays with the community to keep housing affordable for future generations. Ground rents fund social services, infrastructure, and amenities without council tax burdens.
Economic Opportunity
For Employers: A Special Economic Zone established by the government to reduce business rates and other special incentives to speed growth and development. Proximity to unrivaled global talent pool in Cambridge, purpose-built facilities, regulatory flexibility, and potential decade-long corporation tax and business rates discounts.
Target GDP: By year 20, deliver GDP twice that of Manchester by unlocking growth potential constrained in Cambridge, Oxford and London and boosting growth in East Anglia.
By the Numbers:
1 million residents at full capacity
400,000 homes planned (70/30 buy/rent)
45,000 acres total site
12,000 acres of new forest
£350,000 target price for 4-bed family homes
6 stories maximum height gentle density (excluding city center)
Infrastructure:
Connected via East-West rail extension, M11 spur extension, and Stansted Airport
Multi-line tram system throughout the city
Possibility for a small modular reactor + renewable energy mix and further link to energy surplus off the North Norfolk Coast.
Modular wood construction for faster build times and lower carbon footprint
Links: