City of London Corporation joins our Barbican forum this June

Above: Katie Stewart - courtesy of the City of London Corporation

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Katie Stewart, Executive Director for Environment at The City of London Corporation will be speaking at our 'Cultural Cities' discussion event this June. Katie's role is to help develop the Square Mile’s built environment in a sustainable fashion and lead the organisation’s fight against climate change.

Her responsibilities at the City Corporation include helping to drive delivery of an ambitious plan to future-proof the Square Mile through City Plan 2040, which will provide space for businesses to grow, improve transport and servicing, and maintain the unique historic environment. She works closely with the City’s planning officers, as well as the Planning and Transportation Committee, to continue delivery of a significant number of transformative, high profile and strategic development schemes, that will result in major economic, social and cultural benefits.

With planning playing a key role in the journey has to creating a 7-day ‘Destination City’ for all, Katie also works closely with local businesses, occupiers and local community groups to deliver the ‘Destination City’ vision, as well as address long-term issues such as climate resilience and urban greening to deliver a sustainable City.  

Also included in her role is the stewardship of the City Corporation’s world-leading open spaces. The organisation protects over 11,000 acres of parks, forests, heaths, gardens, and historic open spaces across London and southeast England, including Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath, for the benefit of the City, London, and the nation. These sites attract 47 million visitors a year, with many operating as charitable trusts and running at little or no cost to the communities they serve. They include a wide variety of critically important wildlife habitats, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation, and National Nature Reserves, and are protected under legislation.

Katie Stewart joined the City Corporation from Surrey County Council, where she served as the Executive Director for Environment, Infrastructure and Growth, with responsibility for highways, waste, emergency planning, countryside estate and green infrastructure, climate change, the county’s planning service, as well as economic development and corporate land and property.

Katie brings 17 years of local government experience to the role, previously having served as a Director for Environment Planning and Enforcement at Kent County Council, and economic development roles at City of York Council and Leeds City Region Partnership. Katie is also a chair of the Southeast Board and Second Vice President of the National Board of the Association of Directors for Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), and a board member for Active Surrey, the county’s sports partnership.  She is American by birth and moved to England from America 20 years ago.