LDA Design's Alister Kratt joins NIC Design Group

Above: Alister Kratt, Head of Infrastructure at LDA Design (image: LDA Design)

Future Cities Forum welcomes the news that Alister Kratt, Head of Infrastructure at LDA Design, has been appointed to the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) Design Group.

Alister will be speaking at Future Cities Forum's November 'The Making of the Modern City' event where he will be describing his current work at nuclear power station Sizewell C. The UK government is looking to seek the benefits of nuclear energy as the crisis grows with the war in Ukraine and gas suppliers, as well as seeking to end reliance on fossil fuels, in order to combat climate change.

Alister is a masterplanner, a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and an experienced advisor on major infrastructure projects. He led the UK’s first NSIP DCO and has advised on nuclear projects Sizewell C and Hinkley Point C, Swansea and Cardiff tidal lagoons, Heathrow, major offshore wind farms and solar projects, deep sea container ports including the expansion of Port of Felixstowe, and HS2 including Euston station.

Alister is a regular speaker on design and design process and was a Tedx Whitehall speaker on infrastructure legacy at the invitation of the Royal Society. He is also a recognised expert witness and advisor to the Design Council and the Design Council for Wales and was lead author of best practice guidance for the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) on integrated design and the process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Alister believes that major infrastructure projects must work harder to meet wider environmental and societal needs, and that renewable energy projects, for example, can not only help to secure the UK’s energy supply but be designed to deliver greater benefits, moving beyond operational outcomes only. He is delighted to be joining the Group and to advocate for design that provides lasting legacy, better supports people, and addresses the climate crisis and nature loss.

He said, “I want people to be excited about major new infrastructure projects and the positive changes these can bring. For this to happen, we need to design in the round to realise the potential benefits. Social value needs to be embedded into each and every project otherwise we risk short-changing communities and under-performing on investment. All of this can be achieved through better integrated design processes.”

The NIC’s Design Group was established in 2019 to champion design excellence in nationally significant infrastructure projects. The Group’s Design Principles have been adopted by government for all such major projects to help ensure public infrastructure has social value and responds to the needs of people, places and the environment.

Sadie Morgan, Chair of the Group, who has also spoken at Future Cities Forum, said: “It’s great to welcome Alister to the team as we work to reinforce the value of good design in infrastructure, promote the role of design champions and continue to bust the myth that better design always means higher financial cost. Alister brings a wealth of experience in major projects, and he joins us at an exciting time, as we support the Commission prepare for the next National Infrastructure Assessment due to be published in autumn 2023.”